User reviews

Arriving at a run-down motel, a woman prepares for her significant other to appear so they can start a new life together, but as they stay at the motel come to believe that a savage killer from local folklore has taken up residence in the room next door and must try to get away alive.

This was an enjoyable enough effort, but it did have some issues. The biggest factor with this one is the strong setup that provides a great opportunity for this one to go with an intriguing thriller premise throughout. The central premise offering a fine bit of world-building with the backstory on the killer terrorizing the town and going uncaught for years since with them believing that there's a chance he's returned makes for a great setup, much like the resulting storyline about the couple staying at the next-door room. The way they come together with the room being used as a hideout after his fugitive status makes him go on the run and arrive there which sets him off into a panic when everything starts going wrong waiting for a pick-up to get out of the situation as the escalating tension trying to ensure nothing happens to him means that getting involved in the potential murder next door is all handled quite well. Given that this all goes with a strong secondary storyline about the potential killer following the girlfriend to her house as the atmospheric setting and tense stalking give this some great moments. Beyond this, there are some big factors here that come about more from viewers' expectations more than anything. With the setup about the legendary killer supposedly returning from an absence to start up a rampage once again with the setting taking place at the remote motel where the couple going through their own issues at the same time, the potential is there for this to delve into a stalk and slash template knocking off the rest of the motel guests before turning to the remaining couple. Instead, this opts for a thriller route about him trying to evade capture at the location rather than dole out the kind of body count or even slasher setpieces usually associated with the genre and leaves this one with a generally lackluster tone which leaves everything somewhat underwhelming with more focus on these factors that don't lead to the type of content you want. It's what lowers this the most.

Rated Unrated/R: Language and Violence.

In a town that's plagued by the memories of a killer in a mysterious pale mask, the setting takes place primarily in a small motel, where a wanted criminal has decided to post up from the police. Quickly you find out that not all is right in this motel as things begin to reveal themselves.

Actors give a solid performance that helps sell the uncomfortable uncertainty of this modern slasher.

The color grading, as well as the Halloween aesthetic, make for the perfect setting during the spooky season but doesn't limit this to a seasonal watch.

Simply, this was a beautifully shot, well acted, thrill ride.

He Never Left is a welcome addition to the Witching Season Films cinematic universe. The character design for Pale Face is exceptional, hitting all the right notes for a slasher. Colin Cunningham is masterful in his role, striking a delicate balance between pity and disdain for a character you'd want to avoid at all costs in real life. Jessica Staples delivers a standout performance, bringing raw emotion to her role and leaving you genuinely heartbroken for her character.

James Morris and Sean D. Hunter provide much-needed levity without making their characters seem incompetent-no easy feat, but one they execute flawlessly.

As a long-time fan of the work James Morris and Michael Ballif produce, He Never Left is another shining example of what makes Witching Season Films so significant-not just within the horror genre, but also for the Halloween season. Everything they create feels like a love letter to the genre and to the season that inspired it.

I'm eager to see what Witching Season Films releases next. I hope they never stop creating. No other filmmaker has managed to transport me into the heart of Fall and Halloween like Witching Season Films does with their short and feature-length films.

This is really good. I was pleasantly surprised. The writing is not bad.

The main character is troubled and having flashbacks. Police are looking for him for grand theft auto and a hit and run. Maybe more? His friend Carly is helping him get the hotel and food, but she is not staying with him as she has her own life.

He is waiting for someone to arrange things for him-waiting patiently in the seedy motel. It will take some time. He hears a woman screaming in the room next door. He tells Carly about what he heard when she brings him breakfast and she admonishes him for not helping, but what can he do?

Things quickly go from bad to worse very fast. Not just at the hotel, but for Carly too.

Starting with the opening shots, you can tell right away that the cinematography is such an important element to the movie, and it is. I've followed Witching Season Films for a while now and their ability to capture the moody Autumn and Halloween nostalgia is really like no other. The soundtrack is wonderful, which is another thing I appreciate in their storytelling.

Acting was everything I'd been hearing about and more. After seeing so many good things about the acting, I had high expectations. The scale of emotions that the two leads exhibit feels natural and real, not too dramatic unless the scene really calls for it. Casting was very well done and the actors really make this an easy watch.

As I've learned from past works, expect the unexpected. Though I guessed part of it correctly, I was caught off guard for some of it, in a good way. Without revealing any spoilers, I feel it was done well and even if some of it was very surprising, I feel that the surprises didn't "take" anything from the story, but rather added to it and I found the ending quite enjoyable.

Gore, mystery, a legendary killer, an old motel, and even a few minor supernatural elements; this is a fresh take on a niche of horror that I fully enjoyed.

This is not a slasher...it is something more. It is a fantastic character study, executed with a stylish sense of filmmaking whilst bathed in Halloweentime ambience. The writing and presentation recall a time when horror films (thrillers, if you prefer) were just as much about mystery and intrigue as they were about shock and schlock. He Never Left has all of this to offer in spades, plus a few surprises along the way. The wonderful Witching Season Films family never fails to impress, with James Morris masterfully manifesting the macabre mise-en-scène both behind and in front of the camera, beside Michael Ballif, who poignantly paints each frame in dual roles as cinematographer and editor and never allows the same motel setting to get stale. Randin Graves' score is composed with as much compelling, calculating complexity as the performances from Jessica Staples and Colin Cunningham who evoke unrelenting empathy as David McMahon and Charla Bocchicchio meanwhile offer quiet quirkiness to round out a truly classy cast. Also true is that this film may not go the way you want or expect, but it stands currently as an antithetical to so many of its contemporaries in the zeitgeist and if it doesn't find massive success now, it will certainly find a cult of its own in due time.

Witching Season Films has knocked it out of the park with their second feature film He Never Left. I was a fan of the series The Witching Season and their first feature They Live Inside Us. When I saw the Indiegogo campaign I knew I had to back it! That was a couple of years ago and let me tell you it was worth the wait!

The premise deals with Gabe on the run from the law and hides out in a motel in a town where a serial killer known has Pale Face disappeared decades ago. Only, Gabe is not alone in the hotel and Pale Face is making a long awaited return. I'm not giving more than that because you need to watch this!

This movie had everything you could want in a slasher film and while it has a different approach the film never loses its goal which is to give you an emotional and visceral experience.

Everything works on all levels. The filmmakers went to great lengths to give you a movie that feels right at home in your annual Halloween viewing. The cinematography is top notch and the colors just ooze October.

The music is first rate and has that 80's vibe which is always a plus. And it compliments a lot of scenes as well while adding depth of emotion in certain parts.

I could not have been more happier to have watched this!