| Die Alone | |
| Director: | Lowell Dean |
| Producer: | Kevin DeWalt Danielle Masters Benjamin DeWalt |
| Cinematography: | Mark Dobrescu |
| Editing: | Tim Thurmeier |
| Music: | Todd Bryanton |
| Studio: | Minds Eye Entertainment |
| Distributor: | Filmoption |
| Runtime: | 91 minutes |
| Country: | Canada |
| Language: | English |
Die Alone is a 2024 Canadian horror thriller film written and directed by Lowell Dean. The film stars Carrie-Anne Moss, Douglas Smith, and Frank Grillo. It tells the story of a young man with amnesia who joins forces with a hardened survivalist during a zombie like outbreak, as they set out on a dangerous journey to find his missing girlfriend. The film was released in theaters on September 27, 2024.
Die Alone begins with Ethan (Douglas Smith), a lone survivor of a zombie apocalypse, contemplating ending his life. Struggling with severe headaches and memory loss, he is driven by the hope of finding his long-lost girlfriend, Emma (Kimberly-Sue Murray), an ER doctor who fled with him to a remote cabin when the apocalypse began.
After a disorienting episode, Ethan encounters armed strangers and a survivalist named Mae (Carrie-Anne Moss), who, for mysterious reasons, rescues him and takes him to her isolated farm. Mae cares for Ethan, who remains determined to continue his search for Emma. Venturing to a nearby farm, Ethan encounters a frightened woman and her teenage son, but no sign of Emma.
As Ethan navigates this world, he gradually uncovers its grim reality: a plant-based virus has turned most humans into plant-zombie hybrids, more resilient and dangerous than typical zombies.
Lowell Dean wrote the script for Die Alone before the release of WolfCop in 2014,[2] but production on the film didn't take place for almost a decade.[3]
In May 2023, it was announced that Moss, Smith, and Grillo were cast in the film.[4]
Principal photography for Die Alone began in June 2023, the primary filming took place on location in Regina, Saskatchewan.[5] In September of that same year, it was announced that production had concluded.[1]
The film premiered at the 2024 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival,[6] and in theatres on September 27, 2024.[7]
Shawn Van Horn of Collider awarded the film seven stars, stating: "While Die Alone is set in the aftermath of a world ravaged by the rise of the undead, it defies the conventions of typical genre fare. The zombie design is particularly impactful, featuring creatures so twisted and deformed that they could rival those in Resident Evil or The Last of Us. Impressively, the film achieves this through high-quality practical effects, without a trace of CGI."[9]
Film critic Mel Valentin of Screen Anarchy commented: "While Die Alone experiences a slow midsection, it regains momentum with the arrival of home invaders and a religious family led by Kai (Frank Grillo). The film explores the mystery of Ethan's struggle between self-destruction and survival, offering emotionally satisfying answers. However, Valentin also pointed out the film's budget constraints, which limit the depiction of the post-apocalyptic world and the plant-human hybrid undead to only a few brief scenes."[10]