‘No One Will Save You’ Director Offers His Take on That Peculiar Ending

It’s been just over a week since No One Will Save You dropped into the world on a whim and quickly established itself as one of the premier cult hits of 2023, complete with delectably twisted sci-fi meat and a uniquely physical performance from the ever-commanding Kaitlyn Dever. Indeed, the punch that No One Will Save You packs goes far beyond that live wire of a title.

Warning: Spoilers for No One Will Save You follow.

It’s no secret that the film had every intention of going against the grain, as was immediately apparent by writer-director Brian Duffield’s choice to be ultra-conservative with the dialogue, but even those who loathe any familiarity in film may have had a hard time grasping No One Will Save You’s unnervingly subversive ending, in which the aliens win, but so does Dever’s protagonist, Brynn.

Speaking recently to Fangoria, Duffield offered up his own take on the film’s ending, pointing out how the idea behind aliens not understanding us and vice versa doesn’t always have to lead to annihilation; what if their interest in humanity is entirely benign and intellectual, and they only need someone like Brynn to finally make good on that intention?

…anything that someone did that hurt an alien, I think they viewed as something of an occupational, “We’re at war” kind of thing, collateral damage, even if the war is one day long. They’re pleasantly surprised by [Brynn], and they’re really interested in people, in an anthropological way. In my heart, I think there’s probably other [Brynns] scattered around the world, and I liked the idea of [aliens] being like, ‘We’re here. We’ve won. And hey, you’re kind of into it? Teach us. What can we learn?’

Specifically, the film’s ending sees the aliens take over the minds of all the townspeople who have shunned Brynn for some time now, subsequently turning them friendly towards her in exchange for teaching the aliens about her culture from her rather isolated perspective, effectively enabling her grief-absorbed space to become something more rather than something to escape from.

Indeed, No One Will Save You’s ability to take tried-and-true sci-fi nuances and make them nearly unrecognizable is something to be admired, and there will be plenty of people hoping that Duffield gets back in the kitchen before long.

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

(featured image: 20th Century Studios)