“Alone” is a 2020 horror thriller starring Jules Willcox and Marc Menchaca, directed by John Hyams and written by Mattias Olsen. The film centers around Jessica Swanson, a widow who embarks on a long drive to cope with the grief of losing her husband. However, her journey takes a terrifying turn when a psychotic serial killer in a black car pursues her. Jessica’s peaceful drive quickly becomes a series of harrowing encounters as she fights for survival against her relentless pursuer.
The narrative is standard fare, yet it builds anticipation and anxiety steadily throughout the film. Light yet powerful backdrop music, a lonely and fragile setting, and superb cinematography all render the film unique. Menchaca portrays a plausible psychopath who is courteous but aggressive. There are a few logical problems with the film (that I won’t reveal to you). The story does have some challenges, but they aren’t major enough to make it a liability. The 98 minutes are well worth the price of cheesy chicken popcorn.
Alone (2020) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Jessica Swanson, a recent widow whose husband killed himself, decides to take a long drive to escape her grief. She packs a U-Haul trolley and hits the road, seeking relief from her pain. Throughout various scenes, it is obvious that Jessica has a strained relationship with her mother but shares a loving bond with her father. As Jessica leaves her city, she notices a black car on the highway in the woods, driving unusually slowly. When she tries to pass the car, the driver’s reckless behavior nearly causes an accident. However, the car eventually drives away, allowing Jessica to catch her breath. Later, the same car follows her to a gas station, prompting her to leave immediately upon noticing it.
Jessica spends her night at a motel, reminiscing about lovely memories with her husband. The next morning, as she is leaving the hotel, a man approaches her car and apologizes, admitting he was the one driving the black car. When he starts asking more questions, Jessica quickly leaves. Later, she encounters the same man and his car in the middle of the road. Already suspicious and scared, she tries to drive past him, but he stops her, asking for help with his broken-down car.
Jessica offers to send help, but feeling uneasy about the man’s pushiness, she leaves promptly. When she stops at another gas station, she is startled to see the black car again. The man walks towards her, but she drives off. However, as she is leaving, a white man blocks her way. He manages to reach her window and yells at Jessica for almost running him over.
When Jessica drives away this time, the black car starts following her again, so she calls 911. While talking to them, the black car passes by her, so she tells the dispatcher it was a false alarm. But she spoke too soon. After driving a little further, her car gets involved in an accident. When she checks, she sees that her U-Haul trailer’s tire is busted. Acting quickly, she detaches her car from the trailer when she sees car lights in the distance. Just as she is about to drive away, the man from the black car reaches Jessica and sedates her.
What happened after Jessica escaped?
Jessica opens her eyes in a strange room with a barred window. When she screams for help, the man outside the window silences her. He then enters the room, which appears to be in his basement, and threatens Jessica. He tells her to undress, and when she resists, he emotionally tortures her. Jessica tries to stall him to reach for the door, but he knocks her out.
When she wakes up again, she checks the keyhole and sees the key is still there. So she slides her jacket under the door, pushes the key out, grabs it, and escapes. When Jessica reaches upstairs, she sees the man returning home, so she hides in a closet. She watches him sit down and talk to his family on a call. As soon as he leaves the room, Jessica escapes from his house and runs into the woods. The man follows her when he realizes she has escaped.
Out in the woods, Jessica injures herself, but her adrenaline rush keeps her running. When she hears something in the bushes, she picks up a big log and hits a man hiding there. He turns out to be an old man named Robert, out hunting. She asks him for help, and he agrees to help her. Robert decides to drive her to town and gives her food and water. However, Jessica’s relief is short-lived when she sees a big tree blocking the road.
Alone (2020) Movie Ending Explained:
What happened to the Man who abducted Jessica?
Jessica panics and tries to remove the tree, but the man arrives. He tells Robert that Jessica is his mentally ill sister. Robert is convinced and puts his hunting rifle down. However, when he sees the man restraining Jessica roughly, Robert fights him, giving Jessica an opportunity to run away. The man kills Robert and takes his rifle. While hiding, Jessica sees the man come close and start berating her when he can’t find her. She keeps her calm, and the man eventually walks away.
Jessica falls asleep under a tree. She has a stab wound from a twig in her foot, and while running, the man shoots her in the leg. Jessica survives the night, and when she wakes up, she starts walking again. She finds the man hiding Robert’s body, so she sneaks into his car and retrieves his phone. However, when she is about to escape, the man comes back, forcing her to hide in the trunk.
Soon, the man realizes his cell phone is missing. Jessica, unable to make a sound, dials 911 using his phone. She then arms herself with a crowbar she picked from the man’s trunk and attacks him while he is driving. In response, he pulls out a hunting knife, leading to a car crash. Jessica manages to escape and hides in a field, where she spots a helicopter searching for her. Jessica calls the man’s wife and reveals that her husband is a serial killer. Enraged, the man attacks Jessica again, but this time, she is able to overpower him. Finally, the helicopter locates her, and the movie concludes with the chopper descending to rescue her.
Alone (2020) Movie Theme Analysis:
“Alone” dives into the idea of being isolated and feeling lonely. Jessica leaves her city by herself, gets kidnapped, escapes, and then gets lost in the woods. As she battles the dangers of the wilderness and a crazed serial killer, Jessica’s survival skills shine through, showing a level of strength that’s pretty rare. Throughout the movie, Jessica constantly deals with fear and paranoia. “Alone” does a great job of showing how fear can mess with your mind and push you to do whatever it takes to stay alive. Despite facing some really tough situations, Jessica’s journey in the film is all about resilience and the will to keep going.
