Honestly, most end-of-the-world movies are just too loud. You know the vibe: explosions, screaming, some hero trying to find a cure while zombies gnaw on a bridge. But the I Think We're Alone Now film is different. It’s quiet. Like, unsettlingly quiet. Directed by Reed Morano—who you might know from her incredible cinematography on The Handmaid’s Tale—this 2018 flick doesn’t care about the "how" or "why" of the apocalypse. It cares about what happens when a misanthrope finally gets the peace and quiet he always wanted, only to have a chaotic teenager ruin it.
Peter Dinklage plays Del. He’s a librarian. Naturally, when the world ends and everyone drops dead, he doesn't panic. He cleans. He spends his days methodically clearing out houses in his small town, burying the bodies, and organizing the local library. It’s his dream scenario, basically. Then Elle, played by Elle Fanning, shows up with a literal bang. She’s loud, she’s messy, and she’s everything Del hates.
What Actually Happens in the I Think We're Alone Now Film?
If you’re looking for a plot fueled by radioactive monsters, look elsewhere. This is a character study wrapped in a grey, overcast sweater. The movie starts with a long, almost wordless stretch showing Del’s routine. He uses a small fishing boat. He siphons gas. He marks houses with an "X" once they've been sanitized. It’s strangely therapeutic to watch, but it also highlights his deep-seated isolation. He wasn't just alone after the apocalypse; he was alone long before it.
The tension kicks in when Elle arrives. She’s a survivor from further south, and she’s desperate for companionship. Del tries to kick her out. He really does. But eventually, he relents, mostly because he’s human, even if he tries to pretend he isn't. They form this weird, domestic bond. He teaches her his system of cleaning and labeling. She brings a sense of life back into a dead town. But there’s a nagging question throughout the I Think We're Alone Now film: why did everyone die so suddenly? There are no wounds. No signs of struggle. Just people who seemingly stopped breathing mid-sentence.
The Mid-Movie Shift Everyone Forgets
About two-thirds of the way through, the movie takes a hard left turn. If you haven't seen it, this is where things get "Stepford Wives" meets "Eternal Sunshine." We find out Elle isn't just a random wanderer. Her "parents" (played by Charlotte Gainsbourg and Paul Giamatti) show up to take her back to a community in Grace Falls.
This isn't a happy reunion.
Grace Falls is a cult-like experiments-gone-weird facility. They’ve developed a way to "cure" the trauma of the apocalypse by basically lobotomizing the bad memories. They want everyone to be happy and productive. It’s terrifying because it’s so polite. Paul Giamatti is incredible here, playing a guy who thinks he’s a savior while he’s actually erasing people's souls. Del has to decide if he prefers his lonely, grim reality or a fake, pleasant one.
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Why Critics and Audiences Disagreed
When the movie hit Sundance, critics loved the visuals. Morano acts as her own cinematographer, and it shows. Every frame looks like a painting. The lighting is naturalistic, often dim, reflecting the lack of power in a dead world. But the audience's reaction was... mixed. Some people found the pacing glacial. It is slow. If you’re checking your phone, you’ll miss the subtle shifts in Dinklage’s facial expressions that tell you more than five pages of dialogue.
The movie sits at around 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the definition of "divisive." People who love "mumblecore" sci-fi or slow-burn dramas usually rank it highly. Those expecting a The Walking Dead vibe usually turn it off after twenty minutes. It’s a film about the ethics of memory and the necessity of pain. You can't have a real human connection without the baggage that comes with it. That’s the core message Del eventually realizes.
Technical Brilliance: Morano’s Vision
It's worth noting that the film won the Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Filmmaking at Sundance. That’s not a participation trophy. The way Morano uses silence is a masterclass. You hear the wind. You hear the scraping of a shovel against dirt. These sounds become characters. Mike Makowsky, the screenwriter, wrote a script that relies heavily on "show, don't tell."
- The Lighting: Deep shadows and cool blues dominate.
- The Soundscape: Minimalist. No sweeping orchestral scores to tell you how to feel.
- The Acting: Dinklage proves he doesn't need a "Tyrion Lannister" monologue to command a room. He does it with a sigh.
The Problem With the Ending (For Some)
The ending of the I Think We're Alone Now film doesn't wrap things up with a neat little bow. After Del rescues Elle from the memory-erasing cult, they head back to their town. But the world is still dead. There is no magical fix. They are still two people in a graveyard. Some viewers hated this. They wanted a revolution or a sign that humanity would bounce back.
But that would have betrayed the film’s DNA. The movie argues that being alone isn't the worst thing—being forced to forget who you are is. By returning to the town, they choose the truth. Even if the truth is lonely. Even if the truth is hard.
Real-World Context: Is This Based on a Book?
A common misconception is that this is an adaptation of a novel. It isn't. While the title shares a name with the famous Tommy James and the Shondells (and later Tiffany) song, the story is an original screenplay by Mike Makowsky.
Wait. Let’s talk about that song for a second. It appears in the film in a way that is both haunting and ironic. When you hear it in the context of a literal empty world, the lyrics "Look at the way we gotta hide what we're doin' / 'Cause what would they say if they ever knew" take on a much darker, more literal meaning.
How to Watch It Today
If you're looking to catch the I Think We're Alone Now film, it’s usually available on VOD platforms like Amazon Prime, Apple TV, or Hulu depending on your region. It’s the perfect "rainy Sunday" movie.
Before you hit play, keep these things in mind:
- Turn off the lights. The cinematography is dark, and glare will ruin the experience.
- Pay attention to the background. There are small clues about the "white noise" that killed everyone hidden in the set design.
- Don't expect an action movie. It’s a drama first, a thriller second, and sci-fi third.
If you enjoy films like The Road but wish they were a bit more focused on the psychology of the survivors rather than the cannibalism, this is your niche. It’s a movie that lingers in your brain. You’ll find yourself thinking about Del’s library long after the credits roll.
To get the most out of your viewing, try comparing the first ten minutes (Del's solo life) with the final ten minutes. The change in his body language is the real story of the film. It’s not about the end of the world; it’s about the end of a man's self-imposed exile. It's about how we need people, even when we're convinced we don't.
Stop looking for a "how-to" guide on surviving the apocalypse and start watching how these two characters survive each other. That's where the real tension lives.