Review of A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) by Cole E — 02 May 2015

I was blown away by this film. It's so incredibly unique and well-made, it was difficult for me to believe that this was the director's first feature film. The mood is dark, the writing is brilliant, the cinematography is gorgeous, I could go on and on. Really the most important thing about this movie, though, is the blend of genres. Director, Ana Lily Amipour, has already been referred to as the next Tarantino; her style may not completely resemble that of Tarantino's, but the combination of genres that make the movie fit into no certain category certainly does. Quentin Tarantino's films fit into no other genre than "Tarantino film", and I expect the same theme to occur in Amipour's filmography. A Girl Walks Home is scary, romantic, funny, witty, atmospheric, thrilling, and oh yeah, it's even a spaghetti western. I really have never seen any other movie like this one.

There is another thing about the movie that I feel I should praise because it's excellent and not mentioned enough, and that's the music. The film does such a phenomenal job of genre-blending, it's even noticeable in the score. When the film begins, it follows one of the two protagonists, and in these beginning scenes the film resembles more of a spaghetti western and so does the music. The beautiful finger-picking acoustic guitar and whistles are all there. Then when we get to the other protagonist, the vampire woman, the music is tense and scary. Heavy bass, droning sounds, unexpected silences or climaxes, they're all there. Soon, the two protagonists meet, and the music collides. It's this beautiful mix of horror and western music that I would have never thought could sound so good. Not to mention, there were some pretty good choices of non-composed songs as well.

I know that everything I've said so far makes it seem like I'm absolutely in love with this film, but I do still have some issues with it. For one, there isn't much of a story. The film is basically a character study, which is good, but there's just not really anything to follow or look forward to. The lack of a proper narrative then makes some sequences of the film, not quite boring, but less compelling than others. These are small complaints, but complaints nonetheless.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is truly unique and a must-see for any frequent film-goer. It will impress any filmmaker, or anyone who appreciates filmmaking, because of how wonderfully made it is (by a newcomer no less). The average viewer may not see the things that we film lovers find so spectacular, and may see the movie as boring, but whether they know it or not, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a magnificent achievement in film.