Horror movies are becoming too complicated, or so certain fans would have us believe. However, in the same year that gave us both the lowest-common-denominator Terrifier 3 and the life-changing Longlegs, what to make of He Never Left, a slasher that if anything is a failure of ambition more than anything else? In trying to put a relatively new spin on the subgenre, director James Morris (who co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Ballif and Colin Cunningham, the latter of whom also stuns in a starring role) tries to do too much at once, in the process neglecting the elements that would truly make a scrappy, low-budget project like this stand out. Although it may sound like damning with faint praise, He Never Left actually would’ve been stronger as a by-the-numbers slasher rather than the mishmash of genres it turned out to be.
The setting is predominantly a small-town motel, where wanted criminal Gabriel (Cunningham) is holed up waiting for a ride that’s hopefully going to take him far away from the trouble he’s in, which is initially left vague. Although the fey manager (David E. McMahon) pumps his accomplice, Carly (a believably hopeless Jessica Staples) for information, the duo manages to keep Gabriel’s presence there under wraps until an incident in the room next door prompts a discussion over whether or not to call the cops, thereby essentially surrendering the wanted man to them. All the while, Gabriel is plagued by creepy visions of the plucky teenage boy he killed while attempting to put his life back together yet again. However, a prologue set at the very same motel suggests he’s not the only murderer lurking around these parts.
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He Never Left has a great sense of place, with the skeezy motel providing ample set dressing without, one assumes, the need to add much extra. The surrounding landscape is beautifully presented in all its orangey, Halloween-y glory – what did we do without drones? – and there are some decent shots of the masked killer Pale Face too, as well as a handful of decent frights. But Morris and his co-writers seem torn on whether to make this a gritty crime drama or a gory slasher movie and, in the end, it’s the slasher elements that are put on the back burner. There just aren’t enough memorable kills or spooky set-pieces to call this a legitimate slasher, even though the marketing (including the trailer and poster) both aim for a Town that Dreaded Sundown vibe. For much of the movie’s runtime, Pale Face isn’t even really a presence.
But maybe that’s because this isn’t really his movie. Once Gabriel bursts onto the scene in a fit of fiery, self-pitying negative energy, nobody else can compete with him. Cunningham, a jobbing actor for over 30 years, makes absolute mincemeat out of a role that in less capable hands would come off grating, even downright insufferable. Gabriel isn’t an easy guy to empathize with, at least at first. As the harsh details of his life slowly bleed out, Cunningham imbues this relatively decent man – who’s made a lot of bad choices in his life – with a sensitivity and a deeply-felt desire to do and be better. Upon entering his motel room, Gabriel places a towel over the mirror so he, quite literally, won’t have to face himself while a red-faced monologue about everything he’s been through, and how unfair it all is, is up there with Richard Brake’s iconic opening diatribe in Rob Zombie’s 31 and the camera, wisely, doesn’t look away for a single moment.
It’s just a shame that Pale Face doesn’t even come close to registering as much as a character, or that his backstory, such as it is, lands with a whimper rather than a bang. He Never Left feels a bit disjointed because of its split focus and there’s no sense of momentum about Gabriel and Pale Face finally locking horns, to the extent that the movie ends right as it’s getting going, making it all feel a bit anticlimactic. To Morris’ immense credit, though, he takes a huge risk by leaving the case unsolved, and the idea that everybody is hiding something, which is emphasized by the clever use of mirrors throughout, is communicated well. He Never Left is an interesting twist on the format, but the film is doing a bit too much for anything besides Cunningham’s winning performance to make an impact. Still, a failure of ambition is always better, and considerably more interesting, than a boring movie that plays it safe and refuses to take any chances whatsoever.
WICKED RATING: 7/10
Director(s): James Morris
Writer(s): James Morris, Michael Ballif, Colin Cunningham
Stars: Colin Cunningham, Jessica Staples, David E. McMahon
Release date: November 25, 2024
Language: English
Run Time: 89 minutes
