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| Images courtesy of Shudder |
Patrick (Brendan Rock) lives alone and is awake late one evening in his isolated trailer park during a tumultuous thunderstorm. Suddenly, at 2AM, there’s an unexpected knock on the door. A barefoot young woman (Jordan Cowan) is at his threshold, claiming that she fell asleep on the beach while she was walking home and then the storm hit. Seeing her cold and dripping wet, Patrick invites her in, offering her some dry clothing and a hot shower to warm up. As the night progresses, stories that they initially tell each other begin to surface as lies. What’s the reason for this deception? Can either of them be trusted?
This is the premise of Indianna Bell & Josiah Allen’s new Australian suspense thriller You’ll Never Find Me, and it’s a tense two-person tale that revels in atmosphere and ambiguity. It has all the makings of a classic horror story with the dark and stormy night, mysterious visitor knocking at the door, and the lonely, seemingly troubled man living in the middle of nowhere. Oftentimes, it succeeds most in what isn’t said, allowing the audience to try and put together the pieces of this puzzle themselves.
The cinematography casts a claustrophobic, foreboding air around Patrick’s dimly-lit home. At certain times, the physical space feels like a voyeur, looking over its inhabitants with ill intent. It conveys a sense of something lurking in the shadows, but just like we’re not quite sure who to trust, we’re also not quite sure what’s looming in the darkness. The creaks of the wood combined with the howling wind outside seem to have a life of their own and oftentimes, the sound design suggests an almost supernatural component.
Both of the two actors in this intimate film bring a strong presence to their roles as their distrust for each other progressively grows. They both have a knack for telling volumes with their eyes; the simplest glares hint at something deeper going on. Every action they take is deeply deliberate, and small talk is virtually nonexistent between them. Their apparent moral ambiguity is also compelling, and as the mystery surrounding whom to side with (if anyone) grows, they’re both perfectly adept at playing both sides of the coin.
The pacing of this film is nevertheless slightly problematic, with every line of a character’s dialogue followed by a pregnant pause before the other speaks. While this directorial choice is certainly appropriate for two people who seem uncomfortable around each other, it begins to feel distractingly predictable, like a song with a monotonous rhythm. Had there been more variation in the pacing to break up the constant dialogue pauses, it would have added some dimension to their suspicious conversations.
Thankfully, the climax of the film succeeds in breaking the monotony and boldly unfolds in a magnificent display of jarring surrealism. It makes the slow burn quality of the piece feel rewarding as everything culminates and all is revealed. The editing and lighting are especially strong here and show that there’s a great deal of talent among both the cast and crew.
You’ll Never Find Me is a small, tight character piece with rich, haunting ambience that will make fans of Edgar Allen Poe-esque tales feel deeply satisfied. Light on the scares but heavy in mood, it’s one not to miss on Shudder next time you’re cooped up in your house during a storm next to a fireplace. - Andrea Riley