Netflix Psychological Thriller Has Serial Killer Hunting Humans For Sport

Alone, like most abduction movies found on Netflix, begins by introducing its lone protagonist, Jessica (Jules Wilcox), and all we know about Jessica is that she’s moving to a new house by herself somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Through phone calls with her father, we learn that she doesn’t want to talk to her mother because she decided to leave town earlier than expected and wants to avoid a confrontation. While driving on a dark and winding road, Jessica tries to pass a man in a Jeep who is driving slowly and erratically.

After nearly getting run off the road by the driver, Jessica decides to call it quits for the night and stops at a motel to rest up before continuing her travels. Alone introduces its menacing antagonist, Sam (Marc Menchaca), when Jessica realizes that the Jeep driver followed her to the motel so he could “apologize” for driving so defensively in this Netflix movie. The only way I can describe Sam is as the version of Ned Flanders from The Simpsons that you don’t want to encounter because he’s clearly up to something that you don’t want to get involved with.

Jessica continues her drive, but she’s justifiably paranoid because it’s clear that Sam is following her everywhere she goes. Her suspicions are confirmed when she notices that Sam’s Jeep is blocking the road, and he stops her so she can give him a lift into town. Knowing that Sam’s preying on her because she’s alone and vulnerable drives this Netflix film, even if Jessica doesn’t let him in her car, but she doesn’t get much further down the road because the tire to her U-Haul trailer has been slashed.

The next time we see Jessica in Alone, she’s held captive in Sam’s basement. Sam reveals to Jessica that she’s not his first prisoner and probably won’t be his last. Knowing that she has to act fast if she wants to live to see another day, Jessica plots her escape and flees from his remote cabin as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

What sets Alone apart from any other abduction thriller I’ve seen on Netflix is that Jessica is incredibly resourceful and the furthest thing from a damsel in distress. The second she knows that Sam is going to track her down and execute her, she immediately takes action and takes calculated risks. From this point forward, Alone is set in the wilderness, and an unarmed Jessica has to take her chances hiding in the brush from Sam, who is brandishing a rifle.

Though Alone first seems like the kind of by-the-numbers thriller you’d stream on Netflix when there are no other viewing options, its chase sequences are second to none because the characterization is strong and the dialogue is sparse. yet expertly utilized when it’s needed.

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It’s also worth noting that most of Alone’s run-time features only Sam and Jessica. While such a small cast and simple premise can be a limitation for some filmmakers, director John Hyams is a master of suspense because he utilizes Jules Willcox (Quantum Leap) and Marc Menchaca’s (The Outsider) talents to their fullest potential. By refusing to weigh down the film’s pacing with unnecessary ancillary characters, Alone allows the viewer to focus on Jessica’s fight for survival as she uses whatever limited resources she has to fight off her captor.

If you want to see one of the best abduction movies set in the remote wilderness, then I strongly suggest you check out Alone on Netflix as soon as you get a chance.