Horror, Cult Movies, 70s Schlock, and more! Let’s look at something cool every Friday! Starting this Friday the 13th with something spooky…

“Baby please – just talk to me! I love you so much! I’m scared, please!”

Genre: One-on-One Horror

Synopsis: First anniversary? Mazel! Jackie and Jules are a married couple who are absolutely crazy for each other. So a romantic getaway to Jackie’s family cabin in the sticks sounds like a cozy getaway. But as Jules starts to learn more about her wife’s childhood? It’s looking like one of them might be straight up crazy.

Fabulous or Frustrating?: Alive has similar vibes to Revenge and The Duelists… A weird blend, sure. But it mostly works, thanks to fantastic performances, cinematography that creates an eerie sense of isolation, and a few twists that kept me on my toes.

There’s lots of cat-and-mouse thrills here, mixed with moments of Hitchcockian “bomb under the table” suspense. As the married couple Jules and Jackie, Brittany Allen and Hannah Anderson both do both loving and life-or-death exceedingly well. My heart broke for Jules, yet I wanted to know more about about Jackie and her fucked-up life. Here’s hoping for a prequel?

One thing in the negative column though… There are scenes that feel like bits of padding in an otherwise taught thriller, going on a tic too long here and beat too long there. Nothing so egregious that I found myself checking the time, but enough to sometimes feel the drag. Still, the way this film takes well worn tropes and adds fresh elements to the mix makes things interesting even in those moments.

In the end, it was worth my time, if only to see a brand new badass come into her own.

Score: 4 out of 5