In Larsen City, a serial killer known as the Pale Face Killer murdered dozens of citizens and then just stopped. In James Morris’ horror feature, we find that He Never Left.
Gabriel (Colin Cunningham) is a fugitive on the run on the suspicion of murder. His girlfriend, Carly (Jessica Staples), who is having troubles of her own, reserves a seedy motel room for Gabriel under her name. Unfortunately, that motel room is in Larsen City, and on this Halloween night, people have gone missing—lousy timing.
The police suspect the killer is Gabriel and are on a manhunt. Though Gabriel is innocent, no one believes him, and Carly wavers in her belief in him. As fate would have it, the Pale Face Killer is back and knows exactly where Gabriel is hiding…and Carly, too. Can our heroes escape the deadly hand of the Pale Face Killer or do we have a new franchise on our hands?
“…the Pale Face Killer is back and knows exactly where Gabriel is hiding…and Carly, too.”
Coming to us from Dread (formerly known as Dread Central Presents), He Never Left is a nice and tidy slasher film that takes a solid step forward with what I’m sure is a new horror franchise. The first half of the film follows Gabriel as he tries desperately to hold onto his freedom. Carly loves him but can only do so much, and it becomes an intriguing first half of cat and mouse between the pair, the police, and Gabriel’s deteriorating mental state. It doesn’t help that the Pale Face Killer lurks in the background.
The second half flips the switch as it becomes a true slasher film. Lots of people die slow, painful deaths. I’m not sure; I buy a lot of the lore of Pale Face, but in He Never Left, establishing a new killer is pretty on par with low-budget indie. The lore leans too much toward light pathos when the story should be more dark, ominous, and piss-your-pants horrifying.
In the end, I like the look, feel, and pacing of He Never Left. Production-wise, it’s above average compared to other films with Dread, and Colin Cunningham and Jessica Staples are cast perfectly as Gabriel and Carly. Their fates surprised me.
In He Never Left, director James Morris also laid the groundwork for what could be an intriguing franchise. While the lore of the Pale Face Killer doesn’t always land, the film’s engaging leads and its knack for keeping viewers guessing make it a worthy slasher horror. If you’re in the mood for tension, blood, and chaos, this indie thriller might be your next Halloween watch.
"…Lots of people die slow, painful deaths."
