One of my favorite things to watch is survivors exploring abandoned wastelands for supplies. Will Smith was the ultimate in I Am Legend. I Think We’re Alone Now gives us Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning as legends.
Del (Dinklage) is the lone survivor in a town, going from house to house grabbing useful items and disposing of the bodies. One day Grace (Fanning) drives into town. He’s not thrilled to be disturbed but she welcomes the company.
There is so much glorious scavenging in this movie. Del has a methodical system and he also knew everyone In town so there’s a story to each one.
I love that batteries are the most important thing to find. For entertainment he goes from laptop to laptop using up the remaining power source. Could you imagine having a finite time left to watch DVDs? You’d have to make some pretty judicious chooses. Del watches Harold Lloyd so that’s not a bad decision.
Then there’s the supermarket, figuring out what’s still good. They don’t say how long it’s been since the world died, but it’s long enough that many canned goods have expired.
We don’t get to see every house. Director (and cinematographer) Reed Morano has a clever alternative to a montage to show their progress cleaning the town.
There is a bigger picture to this apocalypse that I won’t spoil but it goes to a dangerous place. It’s not all fun home alone romps, not that the first half plays it that way either. That’s just my fantasy.
The sound design is meticulous. Morano designed it for the latest Dolby system. I found some of the upper levels of rock music and score unnecessary. I’d rather hear the subtle sounds of emptiness than be blasted with non diegetic music (look it up. I went to film school so I’m gonna use it.)
Dinklage and Fanning have great chemistry, especially when Del and Grace do not. She pushes his buttons and he grudgingly realizes he could use the help.
I realize most people probably don’t have as specific a fetish for post-apocalyptic supply runs. Not to worry, I Think We’re Alone Now is for everyone, especially fans of Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning.
I Think We’re Alone Now premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.