Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Creepy folk horror has violence, gore, sex, nudity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
You Won't Be Alone
What's the Story?
In YOU WON'T BE ALONE, Nevena (Sara Klimoska) is marked as a baby to be handed over to a witch (Anamaria Marinca) when she turns 16. Hidden underground by her mother, she grows up feral and alone, until she is captured as promised and turned into a witch herself. Given the grisly ability to live in the skin of others, the young woman lives as Bosilka (Noomi Rapace), Boris (Carloto Cotta), and Biliana (Alice Englert), learning about humanity as she goes. But can she ever find happiness as another, or is she doomed to live on the edges, like her vengeful witch-mother?
Is It Any Good?
Transcending genre to create something unexpectedly unique and endlessly fascinating, writer-director Goran Stolevski's first feature film is a brave undertaking that really pays off. With its roots in Macedonian folklore and tradition, Stolevski has created You Won't Be Alone from the branches of the past, twisting and guiding them into a new myth and message that will resonate long after the final scene.
Having the main character, Nevena, take on different forms can be a confusing and alienating experience for the audience. But the way in which the actors here -- Klimoska, Rapace, Cotta, and Englert -- maintain a group set of movements and expressions has the remarkable ability to join the performances in a way that really does feel like the same character is existing in different skins. The sense of awe and wonder carries through, and with it learning from others and developing understanding of humanity itself. It's still incredibly creepy in parts, and the amount of entrails alone will no doubt keep gore fans satisfied. But those looking for cheap scares and easy answers won't find them here.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence and gore in You Won't Be Alone. How much was shown, and in what context? What effect did it have? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
Was the movie scary? What makes something scary? How did this film compare with other horror movies you've seen?
Talk about the themes of identity raised in the film. How did living in other bodies and having different experiences affect Nevena's understanding of the world? Did you think it helped her develop empathy?
Discuss gender roles in the movie. How did Nevena's experience of the village dynamics for the first time help to draw attention to them?
How was sex portrayed in the film? Was it affectionate? Respectful? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 1, 2022
- On DVD or streaming : April 21, 2022
- Cast : Noomi Rapace , Sara Klimoska , Anamaria Marinca
- Director : Goran Stolevski
- Inclusion Information : Gay Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Focus Features
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Run time : 108 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence and gore, sexual content, graphic nudity, and sexual assault
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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