No One Gets Out Alive
No One Gets Out Alive is a 2021 supernatural horror film directed by Santiago Menghini and based on the novel by Adam Nevill. Set in a gloomy, decaying boarding house in Cleveland, the story follows Ambar Cruz, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who struggles to survive in a foreign land after the death of her mother. With little money, no legal status, and nowhere to go, she finds temporary refuge in a run-down old mansion that rents rooms to women. What initially seems like a lifeline soon turns into a living nightmare.
Ambar is played with raw emotion and strength by Cristina Rodlo, who captures both the vulnerability and inner resilience of a woman caught in a system that exploits her at every turn. Early in the film, strange occurrences begin to plague her new home—whispers behind the walls, flickering lights, disembodied footsteps, and eerie visions of ghostly women. Her mental state begins to deteriorate as the house itself becomes a character, alive with secrets and a menacing presence that tightens its grip with each passing day.
The building is owned by two brothers, Red and Becker, who become increasingly suspicious and disturbing as Ambar digs deeper into the house’s history. She learns that their father was an archaeologist who returned from Mexico in the 1960s with a mysterious stone box tied to ancient Mesoamerican rituals. That box, hidden in the basement, becomes the source of the horror—a vessel for a monstrous entity that demands human sacrifice.
The film is a slow-burn descent into madness, where fear is layered with themes of displacement, grief, and exploitation. Ambar’s undocumented status makes her especially vulnerable; she is forced to live in secrecy, accept low-wage jobs, and endure exploitation. Her social invisibility mirrors the fate of the previous tenants—young immigrant women who vanished without a trace, absorbed by the house and the entity that haunts it.
As the horror peaks, Ambar is drugged and tied up in the basement by Becker, who uses the box to summon the creature. This being, inspired by the Aztec goddess Itzpapalotl, feeds on the emotional trauma of its victims. Ambar is forced to relive her worst memories, particularly the death of her mother. In a moment of defiance, she fights back both psychologically and physically, confronting her grief and choosing survival. She kills Becker, then sacrifices Red to the entity.
In the final moments, Ambar’s body begins to heal unnaturally, and butterflies fill the room—symbols of transformation. The film ends on an ambiguous note, suggesting she may have inherited the curse or power once held by the brothers. Her expression is calm, yet distant, leaving viewers to wonder whether she has escaped or become something new entirely.
No One Gets Out Alive blends supernatural horror with real-world struggles, offering more than just jump scares. It’s a haunting metaphor for the immigrant experience—where survival itself becomes a battle against invisible forces, both societal and supernatural. With moody cinematography, unsettling performances, and a quietly devastating message, the film lingers long after its final scene.
