Del Gibson 
No Ters in Hell is an independent horror/slasher film directed by Michael Caissie and it runs for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
In Alaska’s winter darkness, a mother and son transform their house into a nightmare, drawing people in for abuse and cannibalism.
If you want to see a serial killer running around turning the streets into his own hunting ground, slaughtering the homeless and a few people he shouldn’t have, then you will really enjoy this film as much as I did. As the Alaskan streets become a bloodbath for his maddening desire to torture people for days before he kills them, we see some atrocious scenes of horror and gore to please all horror fans out there.
No Tears in Hell is definitely a slasher, with an edge. It has many references to notable serial murderers like Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Darma, that is because Alexander Nikolayevich Spesivtsev is an infamous serial killer dubbed the Novokuznetsk Monster and the Siberian Ripper, who with the assistance of his mother tortured then murdered homeless children and women in the township of Novokuznetsk in Russia during the period of 1991-1996. Even though this film is set in Alaska, it is the true story about Alexander Nikolayevich Spesivtsev. Which makes this film even more terrifying!
We meet Alex (played by Luke Baines) and his diabolical mother (played by Gwen Van Dam), and we soon realise that he’s not a normal person, as he has a very strange and intense relationship with his mother. Like most serial killers he has mother issues. He also suffered mental and sexual abuse at the hands of a stepfather in his childhood. The psychological theme threaded throughout the film massively sets the tone and adds tension and intensity that glues the film together. Alongside this we also see how mesmerising this character Alex is from start to finish. I was enthralled by the way he moved, that blank unemotional stare in his eyes, always calculating, always seeking new prey to toy with.
Let’s look further into the characterisation of Alex. It’s not very often one character can carry such a heavy film—but the way his character has been developed is expertly done, he is merciless, and his drive to murder innocent people is insatiable – which is what grips the audience in and how Alex carries the film is brilliantly clever. His mind is clearly messed up, and we can see this in the way he lures people back to the house of horrors; his apartment, where scratches mark the walls, blood is splattered on the surfaces, and a radiator in his bedroom becomes a place to keep his victims bound, until he is satisfied and receives his sexual gratification. This leads to the dismemberment of the victims, boiling the body parts on the stovetop and let’s chuck some cannibalism in for good measure. But wait there is more! He also derives pleasure in necrophilia! Yes this film does have many of the serial killer tropes, but it didn’t take anything away from the film – it enhances it.
The mother is a whole other story. She enables her son Alex, if not encourages him to lure victims, and she is complicit in everything, she even cleans up the crime scenes for him and I guess she does it because in a weird way this is how she shows her love for her son. It’s a grim reminder how messed up some people can be without consequences nor a conscience.
I also like the fact there are obstacles in the way for Alex to overcome in order to carry on his rampage without being caught, because it shows us how he handles himself under pressure. A runaway teen who is friends with several of the victims becomes suspicious and goes to the police where he’s introduced to Detective Watts (played by Mark Wilson) who of course can’t do anything about it until the teen can find their personal details so they can be reported missing.
The true essence of No Tears in Hell is in the torture and murder scenes. There are some explicitly graphic moments that bring the film to life. It makes the audience wonder many things, why does his mother help him? How did he get away with it for so long? Why does he do the things he does? These scenes will evoke your senses and turn your stomach inside out, so be prepared. I really think the flashback scenes where we see what happened in Alex’s childhood are perfectly placed at the right times and reveals vital information about his abuse.
Overall, the photography and the camera shots of the scenery and the wolves are beautiful and is in stark juxtaposition of the carnage occurring, which is incredible and adds layering and texture to the film in a fabulous way. The closeup shots are visceral because it brings us intimately close, so we see it all happen, and the way he delights in his appalling behaviours is profound to watch. There’s a dreadful atmospheric tone that encompasses the film in an elaborate way and it’s this sense of dread and moodiness that kept me invested in seeing how it all plays out. Attention to detail is spot on and everything has an intention. I also appreciated the pacing that keeps the momentum flowing so that there are no boring scenes.
I highly recommend this film. Serial killers are such interesting people who don’t fit into society, and this film showcases many different serial killer tropes, but it’s not overdone and it adds to the catalogue of serial killer movies that is one to watch, if you dare!
About the Author
Tommy Snöberg Söderberg 
