Ann
(Walters) is living in a forest in an apocalyptic world where humans have been
infected with a virus that turns them crazy with rage. Yes, this sounds like 28
Days Later, and yes this is essentially a zombie movie, but with a fresh
perspective. As the title suggests, she is completely alone. Her days are spent
running the risk of the nearby infected to scavenge food – an existence purely
about survival. Through flashbacks we learn about her husband (West) and baby,
starting with the outbreak of the apocalypse, through to living in the woods,
her learning how to survive, and the inevitable that happens.
One day her existence is shattered by the
arrival of teenage girl Olivia (Piersanti) and her sick stepfather Chris
(Thompson). She decides to help them; a decision that has powerful repercussions
for all three of them.
While not the most original concept, it
definitely adds depth to it. This is from the perspective of a woman, a mother,
and one who is completely alone and has been for some time. It’s stripped down, about survival, about
characters, and very little about zombies at all really, although they’re
obviously an important part of the plot. Here Alone poignantly conveys a sense
of isolation and delivers it in both a beautiful and a bleak way.
HERE ALONE / DIRECTOR: ROD BLACKHURST /
SCREENPLAY: DAVID EBELTOFT / STARRING: LUCY WALTERS, ADAM DAVID THOMPSON, GINA
PIERSANTI, SHANE WEST