Hulu’s New Sci-Fi Film Might Actually Benefit From Its Straight-to-Streaming Release

No One Will Save You has finally been beamed up to Hulu, but if we’re being honest, the trailer was all we needed to know without a shadow of a doubt that star Kaitlyn Dever and writer/director Brian Duffield took the gloves off with this one. Indeed, the film’s title alone seizes attention like no other, and those teases of the expertly crafted, explosive-yet-subtle tension have proven to be the real deal. 

It’s not the first time a Hulu original film has soared like this, with 2022’s Prey standing out in particular as a major franchise feature that somehow never made it to theaters—a fate that No One Will Save You now shares with its fellow sci-fi thriller, sans franchise involvement. In the case of Duffield’s film, however, its exclusivity to streaming just might be its secret weapon. 

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Duffield recalled that, despite its quality, No One Will Save You was never even considered for theaters, partially because the filmmaker himself was attracted to the idea of the home viewing experience in the context of the film’s terrifying home invasion ethos:

It never really came up, and it was also never really something that I pushed for. We shot it knowing it would be on Hulu, and I think I always liked the idea of people getting to watch a home invasion movie in the dark of their home.

It’s a refreshing remark from the filmmaker, given the pedestal that the theatrical experience has tended to find itself on in recent years. To say that home viewings and theatrical outings each have their strengths and weaknesses would be exhaustingly trite, but as a frequenter of both, I’m awfully sick of the theatrical experience’s romanticization. There’s no denying how important it is for the health of the film industry, of course, but I’d much prefer marketing material that just tells me as much, as opposed to trying to sell me on cold rooms, wallet-evaporating snacks, and suspiciously clammy seats. 

So, kudos, Brian Duffield. Way to flip the script on the optimal viewing experience discourse. 

No One Will Save You is now streaming on Hulu in the United States, and on Disney+ via Star in international territories.

(featured image: Hulu)