The 2020 Thriller ‘Alone’ Delivers on D&D “Dungeon Sense”

Impressions of the Film

I waited two days after watching the film to decide how I felt about it. I decided, I really loved it. It was the sort of kidnapping survival story that walked an amazing line of maintaining the tension between a VERY limited cast of people, and still allowed the shots to speak for themselves of environment instead of dialogue to walk the audience through what is going to happen next.

The writing in the film and the set design also did something beautiful that I cannot praise enough. The set wasn't superfluous to detail dressings that the main character could use. EVERY prop was carefully chosen and placed to make sure it followed the story of the script closely. The main character had decent "Dungeon Sense."

So what is Dungeon Sense?

This is a family phrase I grew up with, as both my parents taught me the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. It's what we say to one another when we encounter a scenario we aren't familiar with.

USE YOUR DUNGEON SENSE!

This means anything from checking the room for traps to NO TOUCHING THE CURSED LOOKING STATUE. And the occasional "Are you sure you want to drink from that cup the barkeep just gave you for free?"...

It means survivable sensibility and using your environment to your natural skills. This is how you win (with some D20 luck) at Dungeons and Dragons.

Think critically, walk it through. Let's go over the performance of this film and the creative team behind it before diving into how it delivers on a juicy, amazing, and satisfying dungeon sense story.

Budget and Critical Reception

Alone (2020) doesn't disclose what its film budget was, but considering the limited cast, and limited shooting locations this was likely a sub-million dollar budget film. And with a relatively unknown cast as well.

However, the box office numbers hit roughly $600k, so I'm crossing my fingers that they made their money back to perpetuate more films being made with this caliber of storytelling.

In the way of reviews, this was also all over the place. This is the sort of film where people (like me) LOVE it, and others have a reaction of "Whats the big deal? It was ok..."

As you can see in the below image. Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this article has given it a %90 fresh, but general Google Reviews is middle of the road.

Production and Cast

Director: John Hymas

John has a fairly limited resume in recognition but I have linked his IMDB to his name in this article. The most recent recognized projects would be Netflixs Black Summer (2019-2021), and Z-Nation (2014-2015). Both of which are zombie television shows.

Producers: Multiple

This was a passion project with ELEVEN Producers. One of which to mention is a main character (Marc Menchaca), another is an executive producer of The Ring (2002), Mike Macari. But here's the full list below:

I do find it a tad funny that the number of producers on this film tripled that of the core cast of this same project.

Jessica: Jules Wilcox

Jules has an interesting mix of projects, I'll link her IMDB resume on her name. She's had minor character spots in recognizable names like Netflix' Bloodline (2017), and Apple TV's Servant (2020-Present).

Man: Marc Menchaca

Marc has a very impressive resume. While he may not be a household known name yet, you've very likely seen him in widely known projects. His history includes Homeland (2011-2012), Netflixs Ozark (2017-2018), and Apple TVs The Outsider (2020). He's even in an episode of Black Mirror.

Marc did an AMAZING job of being the most hateable character on screen. There were occasions where (I'll admit it) I yelled at my TV "That's it. I'll kill him. I'll do it myself."

Having such a strong character to oppose the survivor makes their story that much more satisfying.

Robert: Anthony Heald

Anthony is the most seasoned actor in this core cast. This man has many feathers in his cap of projects he's participated in over his career.

From being in episodes of Boston Legal (2005-2008) to small spots on Murder She Wrote, Frasier, Cheers, and the original Law and Order. He was also in X-men: The Last Stand (2006), and in Silence of the Lambs (1991) as Dr. Fredrick Chilton.

Captive Themes and Kidnapping Intuitions

Kidnapping scenarios had been one of my most conscious fears as a kid (that and quicksand for some reason). “Stranger Danger” was DRILLED into me when I was little. I actually remember a guy on the playground (must have been 1990 or so) asking me to help him look for his lost puppy.

I had such alarm bells go off in my head I screamed "NO" and started looking for my mother immediately. Why? Because that is what my mother practiced with me before we went to the play park every time.

And on another occasion when some A**H*** rang my house doorbell. When he saw that I answered it alone he then asked me to help him look because he was new to the neighborhood and pointed to where he "lived" (A neighbors house I didn't know).

He had a boy with him about my age he said was his son. Not a year goes by when I sincerely wonder if that kid was in trouble and I was too young to realize he needed help until years later when it occurred to me. Still makes me feel sick thinking about it as that was a scenario I wasn't prepared for.

After these events, my mother asked me to sit down to watch a VHS tape recording she had of Oprah (in 1991) from earlier that day. I was surprised. Oprah was a grown-up show that I usually wasn't allowed to watch.

But this one she was adamant. Below is Oprah talking about the instruction received to her audience of NEVER GO TO THE SECOND LOCATION WITH A CAPTOR.

Oprah had a guest on her show that discussed what to do if you are being attempted to be kidnapped what you should do.

Up through this point in 1991 the stigma for all women when being mugged or threatened was "Just do as you're told and resist as little as possible." The guest on this episode got up from his chair and made a demanding and impassioned plea with every woman in the audience.

NEVER go to the second crime scene. If I remember correctly the odds of your survival from location 1 to location 2 go down something insane... like 80% down in PROBABILITY of getting out alive at that point.

If you pre-determine what you're willing to do for your survival, and can picture yourself doing said violent action, the likelihood of you working up the courage to actually kick the assailant in the balls, goes up and you're far more likely to follow through.

What Game Storytelling Tools In Dungeons and Dragons Live In This Film?

Gather The Best Skills Together

Well, I'm sorry to disappoint but I'll come clean and say there are no D20's in this film, we're only talking D&D game principles today.

The first thing you do in D&D is assess your group strengths and weaknesses as a collective adventuring group. Who is sneaky? Who can pick-pocket? Who can talk around characters in the game to do what you want with pure charisma?

But our main heroine is an everyday woman. So what skillsets does she believably have?

This is the beautiful part... she has no skills.

The writer and director were so unbelievably careful about each scene that it feels like this could be anyone who survives this (that can reasonably run and endure pain.)

She's not sneaky apart from what all of us have done to lightly walk across a floor, she knows that rainfall covers the sound she makes as she runs in the woods (rainfall in a forest is LOUD). But she attempts to barter with her captor, when she realizes no one is going to find her she begins to look at her environment for what she can use.

Shoot, even the first half-hour I raised an eyebrow wondering how she could be kidnapped because she did all the things I believe I would have done considering the conversations, circumstances, and public environments she was in.

Check for Traps

What to do when in a scenario you believe is dangerous? Listen to your gut and "Check for traps". If you feel something is off, it is, it just is.

"Check for traps" is a loose term to investigate what pitfalls you're going to run up against and prepare/dismantle them before they hit you hard.

Understand the Patterns of Your Environment

I get that real life isn't a puzzle. But as I became more and more invested in this film I'd watch the "bad guys" habits. What hand was he dominant in (so I can break it)? Which pocket does he naturally put his car keys in? Are there multiple keys on the key ring that would make a noise if I grabbed them?

Is there something I can do to fool him into running out to the woods ahead of me making him think I've escaped and run the opposite direction he goes? Is there errant junk mail nearby where I am to grab to give a literal address to police later?

ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS.

Assess Threat Level Against Your Experience Level

Our main heroine is very clearly a level 1 against a level 10. This guy has done this who knows how many times. He confidently and unflinchingly tells her "You really think you're the first person to offer me this?" The best she can do is level the playing field somewhat by leaving his territory.

In Conclusion

I really suggest this film. Its good fun, and really satisfying as I felt like much of the survivalist coaching (I'd apparently been preparing for since I was a kid) I would yell at the TV was done well.

Check it out!