You'll Never Find Me - FrightFest Glasgow 2024 UK Premiere Review
Director: Josiah Allen, Indiana Bell
Starring: Brendan Rock, Jordan Cowan, Elena Carapetis, Angel Korng
Written by: Indianna Bell
Produced by: Josiah Allen, Indianna Bell, Jordan Cowan, Christine Williams
Cinematography by: Maxx Corkindale
Original Score by: Darren Lim
Synopsis:
Patrick, a strange and lonely resident, lives in a mobile home at the back of an isolated trailer park. After a violent storm, a mysterious young woman appears at his door seeking shelter from the elements.
Thoughts:
The older I get, the more I realise that Australia’s/New Zealand’s greatest exports might be its horror movies. 'Wolf Creek', 'Lake Mungo', 'The Babadook' and even more recently, 'Talk to Me', all ironic must see horror films right out of the gate. There’s something in the air over there that I can’t quite put my finger on, maybe it’s the countries complicated history or it’s unique mix of different cultures. Their horror films often feel quite similar to British horror, but inherently crueller. Whatever it is, I can’t get enough of it.
With 'You’ll Never Find Me', you’re immediately placed in a state of unease from its opening shot. A lot of the films atmosphere is created by its excellent sound design. The entire sound department create some of the most realistic storm SFX I’ve heard in a film before. Working in tandem with the lighting department, you’ll believe the whole film takes place in a terrifying thunderstorm. The whole film takes place in one location (The main characters trailer home.) Setting a film in a single location can always be a blessing or a curse. If the script and performances are incredibly strong, it can be forgiven that it’s in a single setting. It can almost feel like you’re watching a play if the film makers aren’t using any interesting cinematography.
The trouble with 'You’ll Never Find Me' is that it would make an incredible 20–30-minute short film, instead of a full feature. The first 45 minutes set the scene, but it often feels like the script is holding back, just for its second half reveal. I found myself getting frustrated by the script, withholding information and making the conversations feel unnatural. Once the 2nd act kicks in, the horror, also kicks in, delivering some excellent horror set pieces. Towards the end, the film kind of slips into tropes I've seen several times before (reminding me of the 'Happy Father’s Day' section from 'Creepshow') but it’s well done and creepy enough to get away with it.
The two main stars are great in the roles as Daniel and The Visitor (Brendan Rock and Jordan Cowan), working incredibly well off each other. Until the 2nd act reveal, you aren’t quite sure exactly who is the most dangerous person in the room, and both actors play that role well. Rock brings a lot of emotion to Daniel, a man who’s clearly on the edge after losing his wife. Towards the end of the film, when things start to become more violent, Rock plays the intense scenes perfectly. The directors, Josiah Allen and Indianna Bell, do a great job building tension with the limited space they have to work in. Like I said before, the sound is the real star of the film here and it’s clear that the film makers have done their best to inject a dark atmosphere into every scene of the film.
'You’ll Never Find Me' doesn’t reinvent the wheel of the single room horror film genre, but it’s definitely worth your time. Some great performances, stellar visuals and a truly impressive sound mix, I look forward to seeing what the team of Allen and Bell do next. Hopefully, with a big budget they can move out of the trailer park and give us more variety and a screenplay that’ll justify it’s 90 minute running time.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
-Adam Neeson
'You'll Never Find Me' received it's UK Premiere at FrightFest Glasgow 2024 on March 7th