Emily Bennett plays a powerful starring role in “Alone with You,” an independent film she co-directed with Justin Brooks. The downscaled horror film was shot during the early days of the global pandemic, so its cultural context certainly adds to the claustrophobic nature of the story. However, its thematic root extends far and wide from mental health issues, depression, suicide, and religious trauma. Bennett plays Charlene, a working makeup artist. With her girlfriend flying in from a work trip, she prepares her apartment for a big cozy home to celebrate her anniversary.
On the surface, everything reads normal, but the cracks around the edges tell a very different story. The hours pass and the paranoia increases to a suffocating level. Charlene leaves countless voicemails on her girlfriend’s phone, lamenting where she is, and the walls come crashing down on her shoulders. She starts hearing a whimpering cry from her vents, and her close friend Thea (Dora Madison) is too drunk to care. Her mother (Barbara Crampton) is a religious fanatic, and an awkward video call only adds fuel to the fire. Charlene sinks deeper and deeper into her delusions, bursting into tears and believing herself trapped inside the apartment. “Alone with You” tightens the screws on the mental turmoil in a way that’s a remarkable feat, and the filmmakers make sure to bring plenty of terror and unsettling emotions into the mix as well.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
If you or someone you know is dealing with spiritual abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at your website.
