I consider myself pretty knowledgeable when it comes to new movie releases. After all, it’s literally part of my job to stay on top of all the new flicks heading to theatres and streaming each month. But, despite my best efforts, there are always a few that slip through the net.
One of these was 2024’s “Die Alone,” a zombie-infested thriller starring Carrie-Anne Moss and Frank Grillo. It hit theaters in late September 2024 and totally passed me by at the time. However, its arrival on Prime Video and subsequent surfacing in the streaming service’s top 10 most-watched movies has brought it to my attention. And I’m glad to have discovered it.
“Die Alone” currently ranks in the No. 7 spot, which is a very solid placement for a movie that I’d wager most people probably skipped out on last fall. Having now streamed the movie for myself, I’ve come away pleasantly surprised with this simple but effective horror-thriller.
What is ‘Die Alone’ about?
In a time-honored genre tradition, ‘Die Alone’ focuses on a protagonist, Ethan (Douglas Smith), who is suffering from a wicked case of amnesia. If the holes in his short-term memory weren’t bad enough, he’s also living in a post-apocalyptic world overrun with very deadly creatures.
Taken in by a hardened survivor (Carrie-Ann Moss), Ethan has one goal: To locate his missing girlfriend, Emma (Kimberly-Sue Murray). This quest brings him into contact with the various inhabitants of this dangerous new world, including the mysterious Kai (Frank Grillo), who just might hold the secrets needed to unlock Ethan’s fractured memories.
But as “Die Alone” builds towards its shocking finale, Ethan learns that some secrets are best left buried. And perhaps his inability to recall his past might just be for the best.
Should you stream ‘Die Alone’ on Prime Video?
I’ll admit, I pre-judged “Die Alone” when I first saw it in the Prime Video movie library. Based on the generic name and even more bland poster, I assumed it would be “Direct-to-DVD” slop looking to cash in on the popularity of shows like HBO’s “The Last of Us" and Prime's own "Fallout."
To a degree, this may be true; there’s definitely a low-budget quality to much of “Die Alone,” with some of the cinematography in the flashback sequences especially rough (these scenes are very heavy on the fisheye lens), but this horror-thriller deserves more credit than I was expecting.
The central mystery of Ethan’s amnesia feels routine at first, but builds to something quite punchy. And the movie’s increasing sense of foreboding atmosphere can be quite chilling at times. It’s not redefining the zombie flick template, but “Die Alone” hits all the required beats quite well.
It’s also impressively paced. Running a lean 91 minutes, there’s very little time spent laying a foundation, and while this does lead to a few characters feeling thinly-sketched, it also helps to skip over some of the wooden dialogue, as there’s no time to reflect on the movie’s flaws. Before you know it, Ethan is once again fending off a deformed monster or encountering a wandering survivor with less than peaceful intentions.
The movie eschews CGI in favor of practical effects, which has pros and cons. Under the right lighting, the zombie-like creatures look seriously menacing, but there are a few shots where they look like actors in rubber suits, which does affect the fear factor. Still, it’s clear that “Die Alone’s” budget wasn’t huge, and the creatives stretched it surprisingly far.
Over on Rotten Tomatoes, “Die Alone” has managed a very solid 80% rating. Granted, this score comes from a small sample size of just 15 reviews, but that speaks more to the flick’s low profile. Viewers also appear to have enjoyed it, though slightly less than critics. On RT’s Popcornmeter (its silly name for viewers' score), it holds a respectable 60% rating.
“Die Alone” is by no means a contender for one of the best Prime Video movies. It’s pretty derivative of genre heavyweights, and while the core cast are all serviceable, it's only Carrie-Anne Moss who leaves a real impression. However, I enjoyed my time in “Die Alone’s” grim apocalypse. And it’s narrative races towards an ending that will surprise a good few.
I may not have heard about “Die Alone” until this week, but I’m pleased its arrival on Prime Video alerted me to its existence. It’s a respectable entry in the overflowing zombie-thriller subgenre, and a lot more watchable than I was expecting at first glance.
But if you want some alternatives, here’s a roundup of everything new on Prime Video in May 2025, including the debut of “Another Simple Favor.”
Watch "Die Alone" on Prime Video now
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