You Were Never Really Here

Story: Based on a book by Jonathan Ames, Lynne Ramsay's neo noir film explores the psyche of a troubled war veteran turned contract killer Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), who makes a living by rescuing underage girls from sex trafficking. During one such rescue missions, he is forced to face and resurrect his buried emotions when he uncovers a deadly conspiracy.


Review: Lynne Ramsay, known for telling sombre stories on aftermath of a troubled past without resorting to much dialogue, does it once again. She straps you to the edge of your seat throughout the course of this intense, spine-chilling thriller that is strangely reminiscent of John Krasinski’s ‘A Quiet Place’.


Like Krasinski’s survival horror, Ramsay’s psychological mystery leaves you transfixed by fear and suffocated. Both films exude this rare ability of turning their viewers into the protagonists, thus making you live the horror instead of merely watching it from a distance. You dread to make a single noise, let alone breathe freely at the fear of being the next casualty.


What makes this Cannes favourite vastly distinct is its ability to showcase the protagonist’s contradicting emotional and moral arc. Joe is brutally violent, makes living out of killing people but won’t trade his conscience for anything. You feel for him and his scarred, abusive childhood despite the barbaric ways he chooses to carry on. Atmospheric and terrifying, you watch Joe’s every move like a hawk. There’s not a single dull moment as Ramsay keeps building the tension throughout with an odd mix of consistent eerie silence, throbbing sound effects and disturbing flashbacks. You get lured into unravelling Joe’s traumatic past by wanting to piece the puzzle together.


While the film is supremely engaging, it is Joaquin Phoenix, who breathes life and intrigue into its cold existence. One of the greatest actors of today, only a Phoenix can play both — a caring son who looks after his old mother and a hired gun that nonchalantly beats people to death with a hammer.


You Were Never Really Here is taut, gritty, weird and unsettling. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but if you fancy such psychological thrillers, this one’s a must watch, especially for the raw brilliance of Joaquin Phoenix.