The term “elevated horror” is a bit contentious. Often, for film fans, this can mean a film is trying too hard to be something more than just a typical gorefest. But sometimes, the term is earned with projects such as “Hereditary” or “The Witch.” Judging by the early reviews for “You Won’t Be Alone,” Goran Stolevski’s feature definitely earns the title.
As seen in the trailer for “You Won’t Be Alone,” the film is definitely an auteurist take on the horror genre, as it tells the story of a witch who takes on the form of another young girl and infiltrates a village in 19th century Macedonia. Keeping with the horror expectations, the film features a healthy amount of blood and frights, but all wrapped in a visually stunning exterior.
The film is written and directed by Goran Stolevski and stars Noomi Rapace, Anamaria Marinca, Alice Englert, Carloto Cotta, Félix Maritaud, and Sara Klimoska.
We reviewed the film out of Sundance and said, “Infusing Terrance Malick’s visual and narrative storytelling language with Macedonian folklore, in ‘You Won’t Be Alone,’ Stolevski aims for a life-affirming treatise on the poetics of human existence but strains to be more than a pretty copy of his well-known influences.”
“You Won’t Be Alone” debuts in select theaters on April 1. You can watch the trailer below.
Here’s the synopsis:
Set in an isolated mountain village in 19th century Macedonia, YOU WON’T BE ALONE follows a young girl who is kidnapped and then transformed into a witch by an ancient spirit. Curious about life as a human, the young 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 in order to understand what it means to be human.