Don’t Move (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – A seasoned killer injects a grieving woman with a paralytic agent. She must run, fight and hide before her body shuts down.

My Take – Though filmmaker Sam Raimi will always be recognized for his work on the Tobey Maguire, Kristen Dunst led Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007), however, true cinephiles will always associate him with his one true love: horror.

Known for his highly dynamic visual style, along with helming the first three installments of the much beloved Evil Dead franchise and the excellent supernatural horror Drag Me to Hell (2009), Raimi has also been an esteemed producer, having backed many classic ventures like The Grudge (2004), 30 Days of the Night (2007), Don’t Breathe (2016) and Crawl (2019).

His latest production sees him reteaming with directors Adam Schindler (Intruders) and Brian Netto (Delivery: The Beast Within), following their work on the Quibi anthology series 50 States of Fright, who use writers TJ Cimfel and David White‘s script to decently stretches a restricted concept into 92 solid minutes while manages to capture some classic horror thrills.

Focused on a woman fighting for her life as she deals with the effects of induced paralysis, the film succeeds in pulling us into its world as the unsettling concept creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that leaves audiences feeling as trapped and vulnerable as the lead character on screen.

Sure, it doesn’t reinvent the wheel and doesn’t quite stick the landing as smoothly as one might hope with a few too many incredulous moments, but it also utilizes the format effectively to generate palpable tension thanks to its brisk efficient direction, and contains enough heart-in-throat moments to separate it from most of the genre fluff available on Netflix.

The story follows Iris (Kelsey Asbille), a young woman still mourning the death of her young son caused by an accidental fall on a family camping trip some time ago. One early morning, Iris leaves her home without informing her still asleep husband and makes her way to her son’s memorial in the park with a clear intent of jumping off the same cliff, only to be stopped by a conversation started by a seemingly well-intentioned stranger named Richard (Finn Wittrock) who tells her how he himself has suffered a great loss. Indirectly convincing her to step back and walk back to their cars together.

However, once there Richard reveals himself to be a demented serial killer and kidnaps Iris by knocking her unconscious. But while she quickly manages to free herself from restrains, thanks to Swiss Army knife she kept in her back pocket, and causes Richard to crash his car.

Iris’ moment of victory lasts only a short while as she is informed by Richard of the paralytic agent he’s injected her with. A drug that will work its way through her system over the next 20 minutes rendering her completely immobile. Kicking off a desperate fight for survival as her body begins to shuts down, hampering her chances to become the serial killer’s next victim.

Here, directors Adam Schindler and Brian Netto keep the pace up, constantly evolving the premise in novel ways, changing the stakes of the chase to keep things fresh over the course of the runtime. Along the way, Iris battles an ants’ nest, raging rapids, and an incoming lawnmower, all while trying to signal to strangers for help while unable to move anything more than her eyeballs.

Despite the challenges inherent in working with such a concept, Cimfel and White‘s screenplay does well in creating high concept scenario’s that inhabit just enough believability, allowing us to get wrapped up in the nightmarish escalation of it all.

The problem is that in order to get to these suspenseful centerpieces, Richard has to make some of the most foolish decisions in the history of serial killers. For example, when Iris is tied up in his backseat she’s able to cut her way out of her bindings because Richard forgot to search his victim properly.

To make matters worse, an attempt to give Richard some motivation in the final reel feels unnecessary, and despite some crunchy moments of violence, there isn’t any one sequence set to go down in horror history. However, it helps that the film visually does an excellent job in creating a haunting, unsettling atmosphere.

Even the set design is meticulously crafted, enhancing the feeling of confinement that the story demands. And the cinematography takes advantage of these spaces well, using tight shots and darkened frames to bring viewers into the characters’ headspace, capturing a sense of dread that permeates the setting.

Performances wise, Kelsey Asbille, known popularly for her role as Monica Dutton on Yellowstone, is impressive in a role that does not let her move or speak for much of the running time. She has the tough role to pull off, basically showing terror and determination in separate doses all through her eyes as the paralytic dose still hasn’t worn off and she is helpless. But Asbille smartly modulates her performance, always believable in portraying Iris’ varying states of mobility.

Finn Wittrock is menacing enough as the serial killer who gets more than he bargained for with his latest prey. His good looks and charismatic charm are nicely contrasted with the darker nature that reveals itself and creates a terrifying character who can bend and twist reality on the whim to make his ends meet.

In supporting roles, both Moray Treadwell and Daniel Francis are effective. On the whole, ‘Don’t Move‘ is a solid minimalist thriller that is reasonably tight and effective.