Summary
I Think We’re Alone Now is a sci-fi mystery thriller that speaks to the lonely place in the heart; both bleak and beautiful.
I Think We’re Alone Now is directed by Reed Morano (The Handmaid’s Tale), starring Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) and Elle Fanning (The Neon Demon). This is a mystery sci-fi thriller about a recluse, Del (Dinklage), who after the population of the world sudden dies is spending his days cleaning up his small town, burying the dead and cleaning their homes. He is enjoying his new quiet life until young woman Grace (Fanning) crashes in his town. The two reluctantly strike up a friendship to live together, but the big questions are around Del and whether he can handle somebody new in his life. And just where has Grace come from?
This film gives us a story which offers up plenty of questions and everyday issues, even if it is set in a post-apocalyptic world. The first question would be why is Del so happy to be alone; it plays out along the ideas that this is the only way he could be happy, both pre and post-apocalypse. We move onto Grace next, with her energy which only brings new life to Del; the mystery comes from just who she is and where she is from. The remaining questions surround the idea of what caused this apocalypse. The big plus in I Think We’re Alone Now comes from the lack of zombies, infections or otherworldly threats; it seems to be just a virus, which is a threat that could one day become real.
The opening of this film shows us Del going from house to house collecting the resources and cleaning up the homes. Each location feels lived-in, with the town being slowly marked out by Del; this gives the small town vibes similar to those of I Am Legend, with the character travelling around the empty streets getting on with his day. The process in which Del is cleaning up the town shows his commitment to putting his own world back together even after the people have gone from it.
The interactions between Del and Grace are fascinating because of the different worlds they have both come from, the different energies they show and most importantly the one factor they must need: companionship. They both know that each other could well be the last person they will ever see, so the importance of being able to spend time together instead of wandering the world alone comes through here. It would be fair to say the final act is the weakest, because it does fall into the formula, though it never reaches the full confrontation it could have.
This is a two-person show, with Peter Dinklage showing he is easily one the best talents in the acting world, with a performance that shows us just how withdrawn his character has become from the world and shows the emotional impact of extreme change. Elle Fanning brings us a wonderful performance too; she does bring the positive energy to the world, even if she is dealing with the negative reactions to what she has been through in the world that changed. The highlight of the two’s performance comes from the discussions about what they have lost with the change in the world.
Overall this is a wonderful mystery sci-fi drama that is carried by two powerhouse performances and shows us just how loneliness can be found in any version of the world.
