Maximus Jenkins’ All Alone Together is a psychologically unsettling horror film that blends existential dread with creative anguish. Anchored by a raw and unsettling performance from writer-star Alex Nimrod as Lincoln Arreto, a filmmaker haunted by the success of his latest project, the film functions as both a character study and a chilling metafictional exploration of how art can bleed into reality, sometimes literally.
It’s a film that plays like a fever dream of paranoia. As Lincoln’s work gains acclaim, he begins to see the fragments of its horror materialise around him. Without getting into spoilers, of course, some of the elements on display are incredibly impressive for a film made by college students on such a small budget. While it’s definitely far from perfect, it’s most certainly a solid start for them all.
While the performances from Nimrod, Jordan Rice, and Lisa Starrett are solid, perhaps the film’s strongest asset is the cinematography by Kaleb Manske. He manages to capture Lincoln’s deteriorating mental state with moody lighting, claustrophobic framing, and surreal dreamscapes that pulse with menace.
Unfortunately, the film does occasionally buckle under the weight of its own ambition, and some of the metaphors used are overstated. The pacing also tends to drag in the second act. Despite these flaws, though, All Alone Together is an arresting plunge into artistic obsession and guilt. It’s a horror film that aims for the psyche more than the jugular, for better and for worse.
ALL ALONE TOGETHER is available on digital platforms in the US.
