To Die Alone

A psychological drama thriller written and directed by Austin Smagalski and starring Lisa Starrett and James Tang.

Following a terrible tragedy, Irving (Starrett) goes hiking in the Pacific Crest Trail in the hope of finding solace. Soon , she encounters Ford (Tang), another hiker who is a paramedic and the two of them end up continuing their journey together. Things go smoothly until Inrving suffers a nasty and potentially life-threatening leg injury. Alone in the wilderness and unable to call for help, Irving and Ford must find a way to get medical attention, before her wound worsens.

A tough and emotional journey that takes place deep in the mountains. The screenplay focuses on the rapport that builds between the two hikers as they desperately try to reach civilization, which begins amiably and turns unstable as their ordeal starts taking its toll on them. The film also explores their personal struggles, particularly traumatic past experiences. A lot of drama and arguing ensues and things move towards horror territory as the troubled travellers come across a variety of sinister things including a dead animal and blood on trees.

Massive praise goes to Smagalski's superb directing and Shelby Lee's terrific cinematography, both of which effectively capture the magnificent beauty of the landscapes. And the ominous, mesmerising and tense music by Tared Newman greatly enhances the atmosphere.

Redarding the plot twist at the end, it is dramatic and unexpected and it does work well. However, one might wonder if it was essential. Without this revelation, the story would still be effective. Some might approve of the former and others might prefer the latter.

Both Starrett and Tang deliver strong performances. Starrett's character is a young woman who has been through very tough times, having escaped from an abusive relationship and suffered a loss. She is plagued by nightmares and is unable to come to terms with everything. Tang portrays a sympathetic, understanding and helpful man who has his own personal struggles.

As much as this is a story about survival and desperation, it expands to other dark places that involve painful memories, loss, domestic violence and remorse. On a more positive note, this is also a film about support, self-reflection, nature and hiking.

This could be classified as a road movie, an outdoors drama, a psychological thriller or a survival in the wild or maybe all of these. It centainly is an emotional and tense story, with great acting and directing and efficacious character development.