What Keeps You Alive - Colin Minihan 2018

[horroru]

I've been wanting to write up my thoughts on this for a while, as it's one of my top favorite movies of last year - and I was shocked to see it didn't have its own thread yet.

"What Keeps You Alive" is a horror movie that works best going in BLIND - even the trailer gives away way too much of the plot so steer clear.
I'm doing my best here to provide a review that is purposely vague but hopefully communicates the quality of this top tier horror film.

All you need to know is married couple Jackie and Jules go to Jackie's family summer house on a remote lake to celebrate their 1 year wedding anniversary.
A car pulls up to the house in the middle of the night, and a knock on the door puts slowly mounting horrifying events into motion...

The two lead actresses Hannah Emily Anderson (Jackie) and Brittany Allen (Jules) carry this movie - their performances are amazing and absolutely believable. Their character's experiences are the heart of this film, and both actresses bring an intensity that drives the story. Without full dedication to their characters, this movie fails - and thankfully they bring all they've got.

Director Colin Minihan gets better with each film in my opinion. He directed "Extraterrestrial" and "It Stains the Sands Red" (which is also excellent) but "WKYA" is his best so far.

Minihan has a great eye (as does his Cinematographer David Schuurman); the film is beautiful and atmospheric, capturing the isolation of the house in the woods and the seemingly abandoned lake. The locations are gorgeous, immersing the audience in the desolate woods with the characters.

Some sweeping shots that swoop in over the lake, I assume done by a drone, give this film a production value beyond its small budget.
There is a brilliant and chilling sequence which uses a black light that is quite spectacular to watch.

The choice of music is perfect for the film, some of it written by Brittany Allen herself. At the beginning of the film, the couple is listening to "their song" as they drive to the house, and that song is used to powerful effect later in the film.

If you enjoy horror films with mounting tension and mystery (and of course some bloodshed) you should absolutely give this film a spin, easily one of the BEST indie horror films of last year.
I can't wait to see what Minihan comes up with next.

[Rockercub]

I really liked it too. My one complaint would be that it's a bit derivative. I kind of felt like I'd seen it before. But it's very well done, and I appreciate the gay angle.

[horroru]

Originally Posted by Rockercub

I really liked it too. My one complaint would be that it's a bit derivative. I kind of felt like I'd seen it before. But it's very well done, and I appreciate the gay angle.

It did remind me a bit of another favorite horror film of mine:

[Show spoiler]High Tension came to mind.

But I definitely think it's different enough from that one, more like in the same vein.

[Richard--W]

My curiosity about this film piqued in the indy horror thread. I'm getting
this and Hell House LLC. Meanwhile I'll put off reading the review until
after I've seen it.

[Scoot79]

One of the best of 2018. I love it. Very well done, excellent actors/characters, and some absolutely beautiful scenery/locations. Plus a lot of suspense and tension and some nasty gore too. If only there was more films like this...

[Rockercub]

Originally Posted by horroru

It did remind me a bit of another favorite horror film of mine:

[Show spoiler]High Tension came to mind.

But I definitely think it's different enough from that one, more like in the same vein.

[Show spoiler]It has the lesbian thing going on, but it really reminded me more of Revenge, which I also found a bit derivative, but still enjoyed. They both deal with finding out a significant other is a psychopath and turning the tables on them.

[horroru]

Originally Posted by Rockercub

[Show spoiler]It has the lesbian thing going on, but it really reminded me more of Revenge, which I also found a bit derivative, but still enjoyed. They both deal with finding out a significant other is a psychopath and turning the tables on them.

I had just watched that pretty recently too Rockercub, hadn't even thought of it but you're right they're the same type of plot.
I would argue WKYA isn't derivative of that film though because

[Show spoiler] Revenge didn't get released in America until May 2018, and WKYA was August 2018 - even if Minihan saw it in Sept 2017 in Toronto, I think it would be quite a feat to write the script and get his entire production done less than a year later. So I'm saying I don't think his idea for this film was derived from Revenge. Again just conjecture on my part though.

Plus in Revenge he treats Jen as a possession - she's just a mistress to him. IN WKYA, I feel the betrayal is deeper because they're supposedly a loving married couple.