The only previous knowledge I had of this film was it’s title. I believe it’s very fitting for how you just get thrown into it as well. It’s a tale of mystery and survival all tied together into a terrifying story of the unknown.
The story starts with our lead character Chloe waking up in a dirty run down hotel room. The room is littered with other bodies of women similarly tied up and clothed. Not much is shared of why she is there or why everyone is dead, until another girl (also trapped in the room) helps her get untied and gives a brief summary of what she has seen thus far. There is a masked man who comes into the room to take a live girl only to return with them as a corpse. This somewhat explains the multiple bodies in the room but why he does it is still unknown. All windows are boarded up, the front door is locked from the outside, and chances of escape seem minimal. A majority of the movie takes place in this small hotel room.
The rest of the movie shares a tale of a man, Andrew, down on his luck. He is delivered a small package with a phone number. Curious, he calls the number to get to the bottom of this. On the other side of the line is a man wanting to give him some easy delivery work, something that he can do for quick cash. As weird as it is, it seems harmless for the time being but as time goes on, Andrew realizes what he is getting into. He then weighs in on whether he can continue to fulfill his needs in life. As you would expect these two stories will tie in somewhere down the road .
Wants versus needs – this is one of the big themes presented throughout All I Need . What you want in this world versus what you need to survive. Presented later in the movie, it ties a lot of Andrew’s story together with Chloe’s, her wanting to know why she is in the hotel room vs her needing to escape before she is the next victim.
One of the things I really loved about the film is the setting of the hotel room. It was dim and dreadful, and it really makes you feel claustrophobic. The struggle of trying to escape is heart racing. The tension is high, and the stakes are as well. The acting from both leads is enjoyable and the supporting cast in the film adds what depth they can with the short dialogue given.
All I Need is enjoyable, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a good survival thriller. I did want a little more in the end though. The payoff kind of seemed to fall flat. Even when revealed, it felt like the mystery brought to you was kind of anticlimactic in the end, or maybe that is the point. You want something more, but you get what you need to finish the movie.
All I Need [Review]
Good
All I Need provides a decent story that leaves you wanting more.
July 29, 2020
[…] The only previous knowledge I had of this film was it’s title. I believe it’s very fitting for how you just get thrown into it as well. It’s a tale of mystery and survival all tied together into a terrifying story of the unknown. (continued…) […]