Panic Fest 2025: The Only Ones

Defying slasher expectations, “The Only Ones” lures you in with horror tropes before unleashing a series of surprising twists and thrills.

As The Only Ones begins, with its heavy homage to old-school slashers, you could not be blamed for thinking, “I’ve seen this film before… a million times before.” You’d be wrong.

Admittedly, it’s a great beginning. A narrator tells us of a chilling local legend involving a psychopathic masked madman with an eerie backstory. He supposedly stalks the woods where he was discarded as a boy and exacts bloody vengeance on all who trespass in his domain.

This opening scene introduces us to a truly imposing killer with an effectively nightmare-inducing design. Writer-director Jordan Miller manages to hook horror fans immediately, delivering an intriguing premise and some great practical gore within the first few minutes.

Even if you’re sure you’re about to watch a derivative hack-and-slash heavily inspired by Friday the 13th and other 80s slasher classics, you’ll be more than happy to buckle in for the ride.

The truth is, slashers can be unapologetically paint-by-numbers and still a hell of a lot of fun if they’re executed with style and a flair for visceral thrills.

Miller gives us every indication early on, from the gorgeous cinematography to the unnerving sound design and go-for-broke kills, that he’s more than capable of delivering a formulaic but fun ride worth taking.

Only Miller isn’t interested in taking us down a well-tread road; instead, he’s here to subvert expectations every chance he gets.

That’s going to be a bit of a blessing and a curse because, damn, that opening promises the kind of sick slasher we never really get—and I’d still love to see that film from Miller someday, akin to Eli Roth turning his mock Grindhouse trailer into the wildly fun feature Thanksgiving.

However, what we do get is something so much better.

After taking time to introduce some killer lore, Miller introduces us to a group of friends loaded in a van to accompany Nicky (Paul Cottman) to the secluded mountain home of his recently deceased uncle so he can help settle the estate.

In a wild tonal shift, we get some pretty funny meta humor as the friends pull up to a remote gas station attended by two grizzled old men and cheekily banter about this being the part where one of them warns them about impending doom. It’s a playful scene that elicited quite a few chuckles out of me, with the old men really stealing the show.

Among the twenty-something friends, comprising a diverse cast, we have shy ex-jock Nicky who spent summers at his uncle’s home to avoid his overbearing and impossible-to-please parents, his long-time best friend Jude (Jeb Aufiero), podcaster Zach (Zach Ruchkin), his aspiring documentarian girlfriend Casey (Cayla Berejikian), their friend with a troubled past Sarah (Tatiana Nya Ford), and her girlfriend Valarie (Emily Classen).

We quickly establish some very expected tropes of the genre: a secluded cabin in the woods, cell phones that don’t get reception because they’re in no man’s land, a big storm on the way threatening to make travel and communication harder, and a car that has to be parked far away because the road dead ends.

However, as the friends settle in, we get one significant deviation from the slasher formula.

When Jude encounters a couple of squatters in the home—James (Christopher Inlow) and his wife, a couple out camping who decided to take shelter from an impending storm in a seemingly abandoned home—he pulls a gun on them, quickly escalating a tense situation.

As Nicky attempts to diffuse the situation, the couple leaves, and we follow them back out into the woods where it’s clear James is struggling with some mental health issues and may not have been the best person to piss off. Vibrating with rage, he slashes the tires on the friends’ van.

I won’t say more, as much of the film’s fun derives from never knowing where it’s heading or what twists and turns it will throw at you next.

All I’ll offer is that the film does some great character work as we start to unpack who these friends are and what personal demons they are battling. For the most part, the acting is strong, and the dialogue is convincing, making it feel as if we are eavesdropping on real and raw conversations.

A devastating turn of events kicks the film’s action into high gear, and nothing is what we expected.

Though it ends up being a very different film than its opening minutes suggest, there’s still plenty of carnage, and Miller has a real flair for the theatrical when it comes to delivering creative and gnarly kills.

At a brief hour and fifteen minutes, it runs at a brisk pace, wasting precious little time getting into the mayhem. At the same time, ample care is spent to invest you in the characters and give the film’s potent ending the necessary impact.

The chaotic ending is an absolute thrill-a-minute and packs a mighty punch.

With its ample atmosphere, top-notch editing, well-crafted homage to 70s aesthetics, and some truly stunning visuals from a cinematographer turned first-time director, The Only Ones is made with love and technical prowess, making it a joy to watch.

If you’re looking for a clever and unexpected horror film that keeps you guessing, The Only Ones is a brisk and riotous romp that doesn’t disappoint.