No One Lives (2013) Review

No One LivesThe latest movie from Ryuhei Kitamura is a non-stop slasher that provides bucket loads of blood, guts, entertainment and thrills bringing audiences a horror movie completely deserving of the superb title No One Lives.

It is also Kitamura’s second American movie after the horrendously underrated and overlooked The Midnight Meat Train, his awesome adaptation of a Clive Barker story surprisingly staring Bradley Cooper and Vinnie Jones both of whom are excellent.

His Japanese movies including Versus, Azumi and the brilliantly bonkers Godzilla: Final Wars have always been expertly filmed and stylistically shot containing excessive bloody violence and a great big dose of insanity and all these factors are present in full in No One Lives.

No One Lives

Attempting to offer a few twists and turns to the typical slasher formula for those who don’t want any of the movie spoiled for them please skip this story synopsis in the next paragraph and don’t watch the trailer which reveals way too much.No One Lives

For anyone that has stayed safe to say the plot involves a criminal gang who abduct the wrong person provoking the wrath of an unnamed and seemingly unstoppable serial killer and let’s leave it at that.

First time writer David Cohen provides a solid script throwing in some truly innovative and interesting ideas especially concerning the warped and weird relationship between Emma played by Silent Hill Revelation’s Adelaide Clemens and the man of mystery played by Luke Evens who completely steals the show with his performance.

The rest of the cast are also excellent including the gang’s level headed leader Hoag played by Lee Tergesen, Maniac’s America Olivo and the evil Flynn perfectly portrayed by Derek Magyar.

Full of terrifying traps, over-the-top torture and scary set pieces Kitamura keeps the story hurtling along at break neck speed once the action begins not letting up till the bitter end bumping off characters left right and center with gleeful gore and reckless abandon.

No One Lives

In many ways akin to Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan’s action packed sequel The Collection No One Lives combines a brutal high body count of superb stalk and kill set pieces with a thoroughly enjoyable and original slant on the genre all the while managing to be intelligent to boot.

No One LivesNo One Lives

Ryuhei Kitamura once again proves himself a master horror director and in Luke Evens he has found a murderous muse and future horror star. Best seen with your blood loving buddies to ramp up the enjoyment No One Lives is perfect modern day slasher that harks back to the entertaining originality of the 80’s.

Even if No One Lives you’ll have an awful lot of fun watching them die!

Movie Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Trailer:

YouTube video
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Alex Humphrey

Alex studied film at the University of Kent and went on to work for Universal Pictures in their Post Room gaining an inside look at the movie industry from the very bottom. Constantly writing reviews in everything from local magazines to Hip Hop sites Alex honed his critical skills even spending a brief period as a restaurant critic. Read more

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2 Comments

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  • Kitamura is a gore genius – loved this film, and you’re so right about having “fun” watching them die!

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  • […] far from the creativity and carnage of his horror movies Midnight Meat Train and No One Lives, The Doorman contains flashes of Kitamura’s sick, slick and stylised flair predominantly in the […]

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