In 2012, WWE Studios added to their considerable output with a twisted, brutal, action-packed, gore-soaked thriller in which nothing is as it seems and a palpable tension is felt from the first scene. No One Lives was directed by Ryûhei Kitamura, who had previously helmed Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) and the Vinnie Jones-headlined The Midnight Meat Train (2008), which was based on a short story by Clive Barker. Firstly, we must warn you that we can’t discuss the film without revealing some spoilers, but we’ll be sure to keep some visceral surprises for you to enjoy when you check it out.

Then-on-the-rise leading man Luke Evans plays an enigmatic, unnamed man (referred to only as Driver outside of the film’s world), driving across country with his girlfriend Betty (Laura Ramsey). Stopping at a rundown motel for the night, everything seems alright between them. They watch TV reports of a missing heiress and make love. There’s an atmosphere between them later though, when it’s inferred that he’s seeing someone else. Things get even tenser when they go for a bite to eat and attract the attention of the local ‘bad boy gang’. Their leader, Hoag (Lee Tergesen) wants to keep a low profile (“Don’t shit where I eat!”) but the impetuous Flynn (Derek Magyar) wants to score some thrills since their earlier house raid was aborted when the owners returned home unexpectedly, causing Flynn to get trigger happy and kill them. Flynn sidles up to the pair and attempts to intimidate them. The girl seems more concerned with antagonist’s safety than her own, giving glances to her stone cold partner. Hoag’s protection of the scene doesn’t last long, as when they are back out on the road, they are ambushed by Flynn, who takes them back to their ranch in the hope of getting their account numbers. Hoag’s brother Ethan (WWE wrestler Brodus Clay) assumes his imposing figure and enormous hunting knife is enough to get what they need. What they don’t count on is the man with no name is a force to be reckoned with and has no fear and is more than resourceful enough to deal with an in-fighting group of criminals who think they’re indestructible. They don’t realise they have gotten themselves involved with a human Terminator; a psychopath so driven that he won’t stop until… well, you know the name of the film, right? To let you into that much isn’t a massive spoiler since the promotional art depicts Evans brandishing weapons and covered in blood. However, Evans’ Driver isn’t the stereotypical psycho, he’s motivated by love – a terribly skewed version, admittedly – and his obsession and possessiveness towards his ‘romantic’ interest is what guides his (lack of) moral compass.

At one point, Evans’ character says “I must admit, I did not see that coming”, and it’s something that could easily be repeated by the viewer throughout the rollercoaster 90-minute running time. No One Lives is shot brilliantly, with moments of dazzling cinematography that brings to mind the early work of Dario Argento and has several nods to Quentin Tarantino. The practical effects are suitably grisly and stomach-churning, rivalling the best, most graphic horror output.

At the time of the original release, STARBURST spoke to a couple of actors involved in No One Lives. Derek Magyar, who so effectively plays the renegade member of the gang, Flynn has a great take on the scenario: “What was so interesting to me, is it’s a story that in the end is about evil versus evil, and when we are put in that situation who do we root for? What side of yourself do you find yourself gripping to? I thought that was amazing for the audience.” It’s very true; they are all bad guys. Even the one person you feel sorry for has a streak of nastiness. Magyar’s character is particularly nasty. He has an over-inflated sense of himself and a callousness to other people. “For me, Flynn is a character that couldn’t be further away from who I am,” Magyar told us. “I tried to find one piece of the character I could tap into, and from there I just let it go and let myself unfold within the character. So I certainly let go of a lot of pent up aggression and anger from who knows where in my life.” That was something that was hard for the actor to deal with, “I definitely went deep into it. It was a long shoot and it was tough to wrap and put the mask back on the next day.”

Being a WWE Studios production, one would expect some actors from the roster of wrestlers. Here, there is only one – Brodus Clay, whose real name is the less threatening George Murdoch, or Tyrus as he is now known. A behemoth of a man, he came on board following a bust up in the ring left him needing staples and being on the shelf for a few weeks. “He’s loyal to a fault but not very smart, unfortunately, and not a tremendously gifted fighter either.” Clay told us of his cinematic character. “Then he’s face to face with Luke Evans’ character, who is quite possibly the most sadistic human being on the face of the planet. So even though I play a very tough mean man, I’m at the absolute worst spot for being faced with a psychopath.” We see the results of his encounter in graphic detail, which includes an ingenious use for handcuffs. “I hadn’t seen it until I actually saw it in the movie theatre,” he revealed “I didn’t realise how badly I had been murdered until I saw it.” He was pleased with the gory payoff for his character, which provides one of the most resourceful and bizarre moments of the film. “If you’re going to go out, go out big.” Clay jovially recounted, “I think I was the first male caesarean birth in a movie and I’m very proud that I gave birth to a 5′ 10″, 135lb English male. I mean, that’s not an easy task to accomplish.” It needs to be seen to be believed.

Luke Evans, of course, went on to bigger things thanks to his addition to the Fast and Furious ensemble from the sixth instalment. Going into the production, he apparently read up on psychopaths and managed to get into the mind-set extremely well, worryingly. As he pointed out at the time, it’s difficult not to scream at someone while you’re killing them, but that’s not what a psychopath would do, and Evans pulls off that demeanour spectacularly.

Although it may follow some of the same beats, No One Lives is a slasher movie like no other. Once seen, it’ll never be forgotten, just avoid the trailer first!

You can catch NO ONE LIVES on Horror Channel. Sky 317, Virgin 149, Freeview 68, Freesat 138.