The horror genre seems to be experiencing an all-time high in popularity, so many will want to watch something new for Halloween! If the traditional “killer goes after girl” story fits the bill for you, there are already tons of options. You might wonder, “What’s left to tell?” But I’m here to tell you Netflix’s Don’t Move (2024) offers up a bit of uniqueness to shake things up!
Released on October 25th, Don’t Move centers on Iris (Kelsey Asbille), a grieving woman who goes to the woods for solitude. She encounters a charming stranger (Finn Wittrock), but beneath that charm lies sinister motives. He captures her and gives her a “muscle relaxer”. She has twenty minutes to escape before she becomes paralyzed. Now, the big question: is Don’t Move a new horror classic?
The Raimi Touch
To most of us, Sam Raimi is closely related to Spider-Man. However, he got his start directing and writing horror films! His most notable work is with his Evil Dead trilogy (1981-1992), but in recent years, he’s helped produce a lot of other movies. While he didn’t write or direct Don’t Move, his influence in camera placement is clear.
In their first directorial team-up, Adam Schindler and Brian Netto make use of many creative camera angles. The overall cinematography is able to show the vastness of the woods, but also how claustrophobic they can sometimes feel. When Iris hides beneath a tree, there’s a camera angle from the POV of her eye looking at her pursuer through a hole in it.
The biggest shot that stood out for me was one of a static camera. It’s a wide shot of the woods, a small time after Iris is injected and fleeing. She’s struggling to move, but she passes through the frame. We don’t move on…yet. We then hear whistling, and Finn Wittrock casually strolls by, stalking his prey. It’s a brilliant way to engross you in our protagonist’s struggles.
Don’t Move’s Two Principle Actors
Unlike other horror films, Don’t Move doesn’t have a huge ensemble of actors to rest its laurels on. It’s mainly a showcase of Asbille and Wittrock’s talents. Luckily, they both do great things here!
Let’s start with Asbille. For us to really enjoy the ninety-minute runtime, she has to make us care for Iris and the predicament she is in. Luckily, Asbille turns Iris into a sympathetic protagonist. Her grief is perhaps not unique to the horror genre, but only a monster wouldn’t feel for her.
On top of this good baseline for drawing us in emotionally, Asbille’s performance is very physical. For a good part of the movie, she’s starting to get paralyzed, is paralyzed, and starting to snap out of paralysis. However, even when she can seemingly only blink, Asbille shows off a range of emotions. She conveys nervousness, but also many key moments showcase rousing determination.
On the flip side is Wittrock, who plays the killer. While not shown a lot in the trailers, I think he makes quite the impression here. It’s sometimes very hard to ride the line of charming and psychopathic. Wittrock does it with ease.
His first encounter with Iris shows a seemingly genuine connection and bond through shared grief. However, it’s mostly a mask. The way the killer states matter-of-factly what will happen to Iris is chilling, and when obstacles occur through societal interaction, the weaselly charm makes you almost believe his stories. His energy is perfect for a story like this.
How unique is the final product?
The term “elevated horror” gets thrown around a lot these days. While the debate about whether it’s an appropriate term is ongoing, it’s true many expect a bit more from their horror. Clichés can be good, but it’s fun to use them against audience expectations.
Inherently with its premise, Don’t Move plays with the typical cat-and-mouse games between woman and killer in these thrillers. Rarely is paralysis a key element to the plot, and part of the fun is seeing how Iris will be able to escape certain doom when she can barely move. Yes, sometimes it’s due to sheer luck, but contrivances are in many movies.
For the most part, directors Schindler and Netto wring tension out of a lot of scenes. The underlying subplot of Iris’ grief also comes up sporadically, and while it’s not masterfully handled, it leads to an effective conclusion. Some people might be sad that this is more of a nuts-and-bolts horror movie. However, nuts-and-bolts can be super entertaining! I’d rather have storytelling basics that thrill me than a metaphorical think-piece that isn’t that smart.
Is Don’t Move good for Halloween?
Monsters like Frankenstein and slasher villains like Freddy Krueger are probably more popular for a time like Halloween. People like gore, blood, moody atmosphere, and superstition. Compared to even the worst of those sorts of movies, Don’t Move doesn’t really fit that criteria.
Is there blood and kills? Yes, but mostly in spurts. Do you become frightened? Yes, but not because of ancient legends and folklore. On the surface, this doesn’t feel like something that would be in the rotation for a Halloween watchlist.
However, I’d still encourage you to check out Don’t Move! Visually, it’s a cut above your typical Netflix originals. It crafts suspense just as well as any other thriller, and it boasts very strong central performances. Kelsey Asbille and Finn Wittrock have great chemistry, and there’s tons of adrenaline flowing through you as Iris tries to escape and thwart her pursuer’s plans with limited motion.
Don’t Move may not be an instant classic, but I think it has enough merit to find an audience. Whether it’s to close out October or you are just in the mood to be scared, it’ll get the job done!