Popcorn Frights Film Festival Coverage
I Will Never Leave You Alone review
Trauma horror meets haunted house in the occasionally wild and consistently interesting I Will Never Leave You Alone.
Festival reviews will not contain spoilers.
I Will Never Leave You Alone
Directed by D.W. Medoff
Written by D.W. Medoff
Starring Kenneth Trujillo, Katerina Eichenberger, Kimberly Maxwell, Christopher Genovese and Emma Anne Wedemeyer
I Will Never Leave You Alone Review
Once you get past its baffling premise, I Will Never Leave You Alone is a very strong entry in the haunted house subgenre. Obviously, we’re going to get into the strange inciting incident…but know from the start it isn’t a strike against the movie itself. In fact, it barely matters at all. The story needed a reason for its main character find himself locked in a haunted house…and, for better or worse, it found one. What matters is what I Will Never Leave You Alone does after that. It does a lot. And it does it well.
Richard (Kenneth Trujillo) is being released from prison. He was a model prisoner during his incarceration. His probation officer has set him up with a good job opportunity. It includes a place to stay and provides him with meals. The catch? The house is believed to be haunted. With nothing but time on his hands…Richard will be confronted with the ghosts of his past…and, perhaps, an actual dangerous spirit to boost.
Let’s dive right into this premise. I Will Never Leave You Alone seems to take place in a world where cleansing haunted houses is a standard practice. The realtor who takes Richard to his first assignment discusses this as if this is some ordinary occupation. Richard is to stay in the house for a week at which time…I guess any evil spirits will be gone? It isn’t made clear enough what in the world is happening to get Richard locked in this house. What we do know is that no one has made it a week in this particular house.
Like I said…this doesn’t matter that much. The story needed a reason to lock Richard in a haunted house and this is what it went with. It’s a completely jarring opening to the film…there’s no way around that. A weird way to get from point A to point B. Thankfully, once you get to point B…I Will Never Leave You Alone works as intended.
Richard comes out of prison a changed man. I Will Never Leave You Alone finds an interesting way to make this clear. Throughout many flashbacks to Richard’s life before prison…he is a very vocal character. By the time we meet him in the present…he has been rendered mute due to damage to his vocal cords. Richard’s backstory plays a big role in I Will Never Leave You Alone’s success. The title of the film itself is taken from something that Richard tells his wife Emma (Katerina Eichenberger) at their absolute lowest moment.
The backstory is also where I Will Never Leave You Alone keeps its wildest moments. We see the couple happy…and arguing. We see their worries about bringing a child into the world. Mostly, we are waiting to find out what happened not only to this family…but also what landed Richard in prison. The answers are utterly shocking. One sequence in particular will sear its way into your brain and refuse to leave any time soon.
The house has its own chilling backstory. We learn a lot about it from an outside character. Mike (Christopher Genovese) stops by the house to deliver a lot of exposition and lore on the local legend. It dates back to an accused witch in the 1800s. There’s also a connection to a creepy doll. Isn’t there always? No one has made it past day 4 in this house. Five people tried before Richard got the job. One thing is for sure…there is something (or someone) else in the house.
I Will Never Leave You Alone ramps up considerably in the second half. It deploys some good gore effects when it needs to. There is a strong creature design as well. But it’s the backstory that sets I Will Never Leave You Alone apart from similar haunted house features. Richard is a compelling character. He gets more interesting the more we understand him. Kenneth Trujillo is excellent in the role. It builds a strong story to some wild moments…and a worthwhile climax.
Scare Value
I Will Never Leave You Alone stacks some good horror elements on top of a strong foundation. Often a character piece, it fully fleshes out its now silent protagonist. One memorable scene in the middle of the film is enough to give you nightmares. The total package isn’t too shabby either.
