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No One Lives Blu-ray Review

While nothing special, “No One Lives” is an improvement over past WWE Studios films.

A couple (Betty and an unnamed man) out on the road cross paths with a gang of 5 robbers/criminals led by the veteran Hoag. Thinking they can profit off the couple’s wealth, the gang decides to kidnap the two. What the gang doesn’t know, however, is that the quiet, weird, and creepy unnamed man has a secret of his own. To make matters worse for the gang, the nameless man further becomes agitated when his girlfriend winds up dying and a “possession” of his is taken. I could say more, but this is the type of film that is hard to discuss without spoiling the twists.

After a number of by-the-numbers action films (and sequels), WWE Studios has opted to return to the horror genre with their latest release “No One Lives.” The big difference between this and their last few films is the level of talent attached to this project. Aside from a brief role by WWE star Brodus Clay, this film is not driven by WWE actors or actresses. Instead, rising star Luke Evans (of “Fast and Furious 6” and the upcoming “The Hobbit” sequels fame) stars as the character without a name. Additionally, WWE Studios also got respected genre director Ryuhei Kitamura (“Midnight Meat Train” and “Godzilla: Final Wars”) to helm this picture. Between Evans and Kitamura, the film certainly feels more professional and less like a cheap direct-to-DVD outing. Unfortunately, there’s just not much depth to this film at all. The film (which strongly reminds me of the “Masters of Horror” episode “Pick Me Up”) is pretty much a slasher film at heart and as such there’s little more than lots of gore and death. A majority of the characters get little screen time here and are merely on screen to die. Had the screenplay not relied so heavily on plot twists and focused more on characters, it might have been more appealing. As is, it’s just mediocre horror fare.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.40:1 1080p. How does it look? The transfer is not going to amaze anyone. It’s rather fuzzy at times, but it’s satisfactory.

Audio Track: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 How does it sound? “No One Lives” runs the gamut of  your average horror film audio tracks and it does it well.

The only extras are a trailer for “The Lords of Salem” and a spoiler heavy featurette titled “From The Script To The Crypt” which contains cast and crew interviews, film clips, and discussions about the story and violence.

Summary: While it’s not saying much, “No One Lives” is arguably WWE Studios’ best film to date.

August 20, 2013 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Luke Evans, No One Lives Blu-ray Review, No One Lives DVD, WWE Studios