Direction: Goran Stolevski
Country: Australia / UK
Sharply crafted with a fabulous style and hair-rising tone, You Won’t Be Alone is the impressive feature debut from Australian-Macedonian writer-director Goran Stolevski, who shows high quality in the way he handles the story. And because of that, his future works will automatically be put on my watch list. More interested in deepening the ominous vibes of chilling folklore than startling us through wild scenes, Stolevski signs one of the most striking films about witchery of the last decade.
The film thrives with impeccable acting, accuracy in the settings, intelligence in the script, and powerful social commentary. It comes with pleasures big and small. Set in a mountainous Macedonian village in the 19th century, the story starts with the kidnapping of a baby girl by an ancient spirit (Anamaria Marinca). Marked to be a witch, she grows up in the depths of the earth, fated to follow the evil being that took her away from her real mother. When the time comes, this now-adult woman learns about her bloody necessities, the art of shapeshifting, and how to dress in corpses. However, an exceptional curiosity about what it feels to be human makes her choose societal ‘prison’ instead of merely killing for blood.
The production values are outstanding, starting with the first-class cinematography by Matthew Chuang (he gives us wonderful fields of depth and close ups) and ending with the outstanding score by Mark Bradshaw. The fascinating You Won’t Be Alone grabbed me and didn't let go until the very last minute. It’s absorbing, enigmatic and satisfying in ways that are out of the ordinary.
