Courtesy of Focus Features
If you’re not keeping up with Mike Flanagan on Letterboxd, you’re missing out. The Doctor Sleep filmmaker is quite active on the platform and keeps his focus squarely on spreading positivity rather than spewing vitriol. He logs what he’s been watching and pens complimentary reviews with a certain regularity. I’ve discovered plenty of hidden treasures through his endorsements and showcased quite a few of them here.
Flanagan spotlights a variety of efforts, but often seems partial to indie horror. A couple of years back, he wrote a rave critique for an indie darling that caught the attention of critics but still flew under the radar for a lot of fans. The film is a period horror that critics say functions like a meditation on human identity.
More specifically, I’m talking about Goran Stolevski’s You Won’t be Alone. Flanagan’s short but sweet critique reads: “As close to a Terrence Malick horror film as we may ever get, this lyrical poem about identity, alienation, and connection is a moving, beautiful fairy tale for grownups. Wonderful performances, beautiful cinematography and a phenomenal concept make this a must-watch for those who enjoy a patient, contemplative tone poem.”
For anyone not familiar with Malick’s work, he is a celebrated filmmaker whose features are often referred to as “visual poems,” which makes sense, seeing as Flanagan refers to You Won’t Be Alone as a “lyrical poem.” Malick is perhaps best known for the fantasy drama picture The Tree of Life, which took home the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011.
You Won’t Be Alone plays out like this:
In 19th-century Macedonia, a young girl is kidnapped and then transformed into a witch by an ancient spirit. Curious about life as a human, the witch accidentally kills a peasant in the nearby village and then takes her victim’s shape to live life in her skin. Her curiosity ignited, she continues to wield this horrific power to understand what it means to be human.
In addition to helming the picture, Stolevski also takes the sole writing credit on the project. His core cast includes Sara Klimoska, Anamaria Marinca, Alice Englert, Félix Maritaud, Carloto Cotta, and Noomi Rapace.
If you feel compelled to seek out the film following Flanagan’s recommendation, you can catch the picture streaming on Peacock now.
That’s everything we’ve got for you at present, dear reader. Stay tuned to the site in the near future for more recommendations from your favorite filmmakers.
Categorized: News
