Die Alone Movie Review – Carrie-Anne Moss’ Zombie Movie Borrows More From Christopher Nolan Than George A. Romero

If the mere thought of anything zombie induces eyerolls, don’t worry – you aren’t alone since The Walking Dead did to the genre what Twilight did to vampires. On the topic of all things alone, written and directed by Lowell Dean, Die Alone kicks off with an intriguing premise, betrays the audience by following a familiar path of undead shenanigans, before pulling the rug out from everyone with a major reveal. While the final “twist” telegraphs itself at the end of the second act, it takes nothing away from this movie that asks the important question: What does it mean to be human?

Die Alone centers around the character of Ethan (Douglas Smith), who suffers from a form of memory loss. He searches for his girlfriend, Emma (Kimberly-Sue Murray), after an accident separates them. Unsure of where he is or what’s happening around him, he meets the survivalist named Mae (Carrie-Anne Moss) and discovers he’s living in a post-apocalyptic zombie world. All those biters maraud and terrorize, but Ethan’s only concern remains finding Emma. However, every time he appears to be getting closer to finding answers, he passes out and forgets crucial information. Frank Grillo also stars as a mysterious character from Ethan’s past.

A zombie movie that shares elements of Memento

Think of Die Alone as a zombified version of Christopher Nolan’s Memento. It’s even more apt since both films star Carrie-Anne Moss as a central figure in helping the main character unlock their real memories. The entire fragmented memory concept adds a much-needed narrative layer to a story that would have just turned into another stereotypical zombie tale without it. Sure, Lowell Dean unleashes the undead and lets them eat flesh throughout this 90-minute affair, but that becomes secondary as Ethan establishes himself as an unreliable – or in this case, confused – narrator. There are core memories that don’t seem to change whenever he wakes up, but several questions arise and a mystery unfolds as Ethan searches for answers – and Emma.

Dean touches upon the typical themetical tropes in the zombie genre, i.e. opportunism, delusion, distrust, and loss. While some of the characters could have been cut-and-paste copies of individuals from The Walking Dead or The Last of Us, their inclusion starts to make sense as the bigger picture widens over the horizon. Don’t be surprised to reach the revelatory point in the story and scream at the screen, “You got me good there, Lowell!”

Douglas Smith and Carrie-Anne Moss keep everyone guessing

Douglas Smith’s performance seesaws between confusion and fear, symbolizing the real and scary experience of anyone who has suffered from memory loss in their own personal life. Ethan also showcases frustration – often at himself – because of his own inability to remember important events. This is a journey the viewer undertakes with Ethan as everyone starts trying to piece together the parts of his story.

Smith divides the bulk of the screen time with Carrie-Anne Moss, who remains incapable of delivering a bad performance. It’s a shame Hollywood tends to only see her as Trinity from The Matrix, because she’s an actor with outstanding range and can do just about anything within any genre. In Die Alone, Moss infuses Mae with an eccentric quality but also wily street smarts. She knows her way around this world and suffers no fools in the process. There’s a reason she’s still around and lives a comfortable life while all others tend to struggle for basic resources. However, she seems determined to help Ethan when others might have left him to fend for himself. What does that say about her and her humanity? Or is it something else? Hmm… Stay tuned.

It would be remiss to not mention Frank Grillo, who holds a tiny but pivotal role in this film. While it might feel deceiving to see his face on the poster alongside Moss, especially considering how little he appears in Die Alone, Grillo maximizes his minimal screen time to leave his mark on this tale. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get to smack anyone around like he did in Lights Out, but he flexes other acting muscles here.

Is Die Alone worth watching?

With everyone and their grandmother releasing a zombie TV show or movie, the genre needs to disappear for a while. Let the undead do their walking on a treadmill, for goodness’ sake. That said, Die Alone merits its existence by sinking its teeth into the audience and subverting expectations. This is more than a stereotypical zombie horror. Lowell Dean delivers something unique and entirely unexpected, which is always welcome. Also, while we have your attention, Lowell, when’s WolfCop 3 coming?

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