I Stand Alone

I Stand Alone

1998
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 33m
The Butcher (known from Noé's debut "Carne") has done some time in jail and now he wants to start a new life. He moves to Lille with his mistress. She promised him a new butcher shop. She lied. The butcher decides to go back to Paris and find his daughter.
Your probable score
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I Stand Alone

1998
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 33m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 65.74% from 1104 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1104)
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Rated 18 May 2008
100
99th
A flawless portrayal of extreme hopelessness and desperation in modern day society. Noe perfectly captures one man's downward spiral into despair and anger brought on by the conditions of an unloving and selfish society. Utilizing unique cinematic techniques and aggressive intertitles, Noe brilliantly intensifies the seething anger and grim mood of the protagonist which draws the viewer in, making Seul contre tous a personal and incredible cinematic experience.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
92
96th
Very riveting, intriguing, disturbing and depressing. Noé does make a few artsy missteps, but they do little to diminish the power and intensity of the movie. The use of that horribly saccharine old tear-jerker, Pachebel's Canon in D, is particularly brilliant.
Rated 07 Mar 2008
5
96th
He is hate and hopelessness personified.
Rated 16 Dec 2008
90
90th
I have never seen a movie that has expressed so much desperate hate before in my life. This was a movie that made me both extremely uncomfortable and ultimately furthered my own uneasiness towards humanity in general, powerful.
Rated 22 Sep 2009
2
15th
Dumb piece of shit.
Rated 07 Mar 2007
90
85th
Very disturbing, to the point of actually making me a bit physically uncomfortable, but it all feels far too real to ignore.
Rated 27 Feb 2007
92
98th
Thematically similar to TAXI DRIVER. Noé is one of a handful of directors whom I consider to have directed a masterpiece with their first feature: the other three were John Huston, Orson Welles, and Terrence Malick. Existing DVD is a poor transfer.
Rated 22 Jun 2009
90
92nd
As much as you try not to like Noé and his tricks, it's hard to deny his ability to wander through the dark and the unspeakable with earnestness. The third act is completely hypnotizing.
Rated 22 Dec 2015
73
78th
Often compared to Taxi Driver, I Stand Alone, Gaspar Noe's confrontational debut, lacks the ambiguity of Scorsese's masterpiece, and perhaps gives us too much access to the 'protagonist's' thoughts, but it's hard to dismiss the gut punching clarity of its brutal single minded vision. Nahon is disturbingly effective as a working class man trapped in the margins, left to stew in the dark and deep recesses of his own increasingly deranged mind. Alienation manifested as psychological violence.
Rated 15 May 2010
88
86th
Noé is an auteur with an incredible handle on both how to uniquely and devastatingly relate some of the most extreme human emotions and how to create the experience the film's final product is intended to have on the audience (everything from cinematography, acting, editing, to incredible sound & title design). Noé distills as many of his country's darkest issues as he can into one man with a broken psyche, who demonstrates how this vile hatred and behavior produces people with broken psyches.
Rated 08 Apr 2007
80
94th
This might be exact opposite of Amelie in every manner. In the end I don't like Noe much, probably because of his poseur attitude. But for this once he nailed it masterfully. One of the most disturbing movies to date.
Rated 10 Oct 2009
5
69th
I admire the uncompromising bleakness of this film's perspective on life, the universe and everything, but the overall mood feels cheap. It is nowhere near as disturbing as some users claim it to be because the text is so overwrought and, as another put it, amateurish. I find that Noe's films are typically overrated by people who mistake shallow, exploitative nonsense for poetic nihilism. There are far better and more substantial films about the sort of lonely and depraved characters shown here.
Rated 12 Sep 2011
88
79th
"In the bowels of France", indeed. Seul contre tous is a character study about a desperate man swallowed by a non caring society and left to rot in its intestines. In this Paris there's no Eiffel Tower, no Champs Elysées, no City of Love. There are only nameless empty streets, hunger, total void. And my God, that ending. Comforting and disturbing at the same time.
Rated 23 Feb 2014
70
57th
'Nihilistic' doesn't even begin to describe the pure, uncensored contempt that oozes out of this film's every hole. Noé powerfully and convincingly conveys a state of mind of utter emptiness (aided by a quietly expressive Nahon) and the monologues are as a twistedly entertaining piece of vitriol as you'll ever find. Although the film does hammer home its message and Noé isn't the one to shy away from torture porn clichés, the disturbingly 'happy' ending secures his work's power and memorabili
Rated 01 Aug 2008
90
79th
The most pessimistic film of the new millennium.
Rated 25 Jan 2014
54
32nd
hot guy, decent movie
Rated 14 Feb 2015
86
95th
Noé tackles the Taxi Driver formula and nearly reaches Haneke levels of nihilism in the process. Awesome.
Rated 10 Feb 2016
85
89th
With I Stand Alone, Gaspar Noe sets up a world that's unremittingly bleak, then introduces a character who leads such a grim and humorless existence that it can't fail to send the viewer into a deep funk. And then we're forced to see everything through the eyes of this protagonist - a man who despises the whole human race. Now that's a scary position to be in, and makes this one of the more disturbing films around.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
99th
amazing film director, amazing actor... one of the best film i have ever seen.... must see !!
Rated 14 Dec 2013
9
99th
an intensely subjective trip through the mind of the sort of person you could imagine perpetrating a politicized mass shooting. this subjectiveness is extremely important: partly because this is the mind of a character, not the director, and also because of the clear awareness the film has of itself as a cinematic object - the ending, if nothing else, is one of the most shocking subversions of film convention you'll ever see. clearly exploitative, but a huge mistake to label as shallow nihilism.
Rated 30 Aug 2012
88
86th
Gaspar Noe has his problems with society. And I don't usually fall for games played upon the audience BUT... that intermission gave me chills.
Rated 22 Feb 2010
70
56th
This is a film that will nauseate most people because of its sheer bleakness and nihilism yet it's not far fetched at all. There are people who experience these depths it's just that most are insulated from the thought processes. Noe takes us inside and digs right into ugliness, lust, racism, and hatefulness that is dormant and makes you experience it right along with the narrator. The biggest flaw is it feels exploitative and flirts with shock value most of the time but still thought provoking.
Rated 26 Nov 2009
92
93rd
ameilie's counterpart but he's not a likable character
Rated 08 Feb 2009
10
0th
I read such good things about this I got it as a xmas present and watched it with my mom on xmas morning. First, that's a questionable idea. Second, this was a very bad and very disappointing movie. Don't waste your time watching this.
Rated 23 Aug 2010
99
99th
Watching this film and listening to the almost never-ending rantings of The Butcher, you get a real sense that this character wasn't created for the film, but perhaps already existed, in a filtered manner, as the film-maker. Perhaps, perhaps not, but it certainly shows through Nahon's terrifying interpretation of Noe's seemingly personal script. An assault on the senses; prepare yourself for this one.
Rated 27 Oct 2014
8
78th
Mastering both technique and content with the aplomb of a bona fide auteur, Noé lures the viewer into a cold and forbidding world that delves into the deep recesses of the human psyche. Whether you love it or hate it, I can't imagine anyone remaining unfazed by the film's emotionally charged and visually stimulating nature.
Rated 03 Mar 2014
80
88th
The moral of the story is: Fuck your daughter, then you will be happy.
Rated 19 Sep 2013
64
68th
Depressed Frenchman waxes philosophical on hot topics including (but not limited to) murder, sex with obese women, racism, incest, horsemeat, and incest. Impact font and loud, throbbing pulsations are peppered throughout to enhance your experience.
Rated 27 Apr 2008
75
67th
I admire Noe's distinctive and unhalted vision here; his pessimistic outlook on the world, society and (even) individual is consistent and officious, making I Stand Alone into a unique cinematic experience. Merciless and completely naked, the film is at times almost difficult to fully absorb.
Rated 17 Feb 2012
92
81st
Gaspar Noé hit the nail on the head with this one, an incredible and intimate journey of a life of nihilist and a man without any hope of happiness. Many repressed truths are spoken, ones that are tough to dispute. The performances were spot on, the cinematography had a chilling intensity, and the the voice-over narrative style fit this film perfectly. No matter how disturbing and demented this film might seem, there's something in it that anybody can relate with. If not, you are in denial.
Rated 21 Jan 2019
72
85th
Homofobiyi ve iç sesi abartmayı kesseler başyapıt. Bu haliyle ise ancak güzel bir düş.
Rated 19 May 2020
96
94th
Masterpiece. Definitely bold in terms of both the style and the story. Can never think of another ending that provokes such smiles and such tears.
Rated 04 Mar 2016
47
7th
Just say Noe.
Rated 27 Jan 2016
80
76th
Noe is able to create a character in which you're to find no solace. Sure, there's the occasional moment where you pity him but there's no acceptance. Loved the end sequences (obviously!)
Rated 26 May 2008
74
48th
I feel like the talent behind this should have produced a better end product. It's bizarre and haunting, just as you'd expect from the premise, but there is too much flash here to be justified through the subject content. Very Tarantino-esque but in a bad way, in a way that is just out of place given the cold, chilling setting and story. Overall I do like the movie but I feel it could use time in the editing room with some large changes.
Rated 21 Sep 2012
85
85th
The finale leaves you pondering: "I'm relieved. Am I? Should I be and why?" And I think the relief is what Noe warns us about (with the famously breathtaking "DANGER"-countdown), not the violence - this kind of alienation is bitterly a part of our societies, beyond cinematic redemption. Violence is a result, not a reason.
Rated 14 Jul 2009
3
74th
Extremely bleak and pessimistic stuff. Taxi Driver for the new millennium. Invites the viewer to join in on the protagonist's subjective and extremely pessimistic view of the world, and does it in a way that obviously must have been inspired by the german cult film "Angst", which I actually feel is a superior movie. Still, this is a very powerful and interesting piece of cinema.
Rated 16 Mar 2011
48
52nd
It started of great, got me interested, I was intrigued... however my interest kept fading with each minute. The film just ended up boring me.
Rated 20 Oct 2013
50
38th
Slight, and perhaps the butcher could have been a more intriguing character if it weren't for Noé's decision to peel him open and extract all of his droning, blandly cynical thoughts to voice-over. The addition of intertitles which are self-indulgent and patronize the audience further detracts from whatever value the film may have. The final sequences were interesting, making refreshingly better use of the stream-of-cosnciousness device, but that was too little, too late.
Rated 14 Jan 2016
5
81st
I prefer Observe and Report.
Rated 10 Mar 2011
98
98th
Powerful Movie by Noé. A man bothered by self doubts and the unhumanity of our society. He comes to only one conclusion. Let the whole world bleed and suffocate on their hate. "I stand alone" is a journey into Hell. Uncommon, brutal and shocking. But you watch Noé. What do you expect? A movie about misanthropy for all Misanthropes.
Rated 24 Oct 2011
85
92nd
Completely cynical and depressing, filled with characters who are trapped in an uncaring world from which no escape is possible, presented with ugly colors and merciless editing. Some extremely dark moments that made me uncomfortable as hell.
Rated 27 Feb 2012
82
56th
Hard to watch, feels a bit pointless at times but manages to distress and disgust in equal measures. Not one I would watch a second time.
Rated 02 Jan 2016
70
15th
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uco5Ed-5y2U&feature=youtu.be&t=182
Rated 27 Feb 2010
68
31st
Seriously, there's no reversing directions once you've gone that far. And the warning is about 40 minutes late.
Rated 12 Jun 2014
8
82nd
hatred and despair redefined.
Rated 11 Oct 2015
85
89th
The beginning cracked me up bad.
Rated 28 Nov 2011
80
72nd
Dark, in many fields. Let's keep it that way. The honest version of Taxi Driver. Noé's most static film.
Rated 19 Aug 2017
50
24th
I think this is a wake-up call more than anything else. It certainly is no enjoyable experience, and might seriously disturb the sensitive viewer.
Rated 21 Mar 2017
70
64th
The follow up to Noe's short film Carne sees Philippe Nahon reprising the role of Le Boucher, and what an unsavory character he is. Noe excels at unpleasant characters in unforgiving situations. Definitely for mature audiences only.
Rated 24 Dec 2023
70
30th
22.12.2023 Kartal, İstanbul.
Rated 06 Aug 2010
43
18th
Some interesting bits but too bleak
Rated 21 Jul 2009
86
82nd
Though not quite as disturbing as Irreversible, I Stand Alone is the bleaker and more depressing of the two. This feels more like a character study of a very sick and ruined man. The scene at the end where Pachelbel's Canon is played is one of the most memorable scenes ever. I just wish there was an anamorphic Region 1 DVD for this movie.
Rated 30 Jun 2008
90
88th
29 Haziran 08, yonetmenin izledigim ilk filmi & rahatsiz edici ve sinirlari zorlayan bir film.tipki sinemanin olmasi gerektigi gibi yani.mukemmel goruntu yonetmenligi ve kurgu filmin en buyuk artilarindan.basrolun dusunceleri uzerine tezler yazilabilir.dusuncele monologlari cok iyiydi.sinemada biraz degisiklik ve biraz da sinirlari zorlamayi ariyorsaniz kesinlikle izleyin.Basrol ve filmin gidisati Taxi Driver'i animsatiyor."keske ben yapsaydim" dedigim az sayida filmden biri.
Rated 14 Jun 2008
86
96th
Very Great
Rated 22 Mar 2010
50
24th
A film that deserves to be defended from the monkey choir who believe that Saw is ok and this is bad because it is dark but "not even entertaining" - sadly, I cannot bring myself to defend it from much else, because... well, it's just not very good.
Rated 17 Feb 2019
70
70th
"The Butcher" has lost everything, and has to put up with an obese woman he despises more than anything. His suffering is endless, and his way of dealing with it certainly doesn't reduce it. It's a great tragedy both for The Butcher and those who come in contact with him. The movie is more sad than it is disturbing... because beneath the gruesome acts, there is a very lonely man, that is suffering from uncontrollable anxiety and rage. I feel pity for him.
Rated 18 Aug 2008
65
21st
Pretentious, looks a lot like Taxi Driver and has a lot of cliche sentences between the scenes. Don't waste your time with this crap, watch any Michael Haneke movie, instead.
Rated 13 Dec 2009
86
90th
This film is like a battleaxe. Shocking, depraved, utterly despairing and the only sliver of joy is an audaciously perverse joy. The problem is that it feels like Noe wants to shock rather than simply concentrate on the desperate, bitter anger of the lead. This creates a slight air of pretension (particularly in the end) that cheapens the brunt of the force.
Rated 19 Jan 2012
75
81st
This was really good. Considering that I've seen two of his other films, I shouldn't have been surprised by the brutality in this one, but it was still shocking. The film presents a pretty bleak world-view but with some interesting optimistic notions also. Amazing direction, editing and sound design make this a very good film.
Rated 12 Nov 2014
95
92nd
As always, Noe sucks us into a uniquely immersive, uncommonly singular cinematic vision, but unlike his masterpiece Irreversible, the real brutality here is inside the head of the protagonist, which is explored more explicitly and literally than any other subjective character study I've ever seen. He has reached the end of his rope but has nowhere to fall, muddled in his psychotic joust with the outside world.
Rated 14 Jan 2009
93
45th
Philippe Nahon is amazing as an an unhinged and desperate bastard internally coming apart at the seams.
Rated 07 Dec 2014
70
41st
Noé's self-satisfied nihilism is a almost unbearable, but he has made a pretty compelling study of the madness induced by extreme poverty (though obviously this dude had mental problems from the beginning). I'd heard this was super disturbing, but it's mostly just an old guy walking around fantasising about killing people. I loved the anxiety-inducing overlapping narration in the climax, but I thought the ending was a bit of a cop-out. A pretty good movie, but as a provocative statement? Eh.
Rated 10 May 2010
85
90th
Anger. Pure, transparent, lucid, manic, unadulterated anger that seeps from every pore of this grimy masterpiece that heralded a new direction for contemporary French cinema.
Rated 08 Dec 2010
92
92nd
pachelbel's kanon won't be same again for me since it's been used in this movie for a different purpose, first it makes you feel relieving and then uncomfortable. Noé simply mocks with the audience by reversing the music's "happily-ever-after" effect on people into a part of the "disturbing" scene.
Rated 29 Jan 2019
86
50th
Carne kısa filmindeki kasabın devam filmi gibi ilerleyen 2. film I stand alone , Gasper Noe'yı tanımak adına izlenmesi gereken ilk filmlerindendir. Sizi rahatsız edebileceğinden kuşkunuz olmasın. Puanım 8.6
Rated 18 Jun 2018
80
82nd
This movie revolves mostly around the main character and his meditations and inner dialog regarding himself and the life he has surrounded himself with. A stoic approach to love, responsibility and self - hatred.
Rated 24 Jan 2019
86
95th
Imagine you are a kid and someone tells you "in 15 years you're going to love a movie that the lead character fucks his daughter and calls it an extremely powerful love, and that's a happy ending for you." That's fucked up!
Rated 25 Mar 2019
65
42nd
Yeah not really into the endless self-hating misanthropy all over this.
Rated 03 Apr 2019
0
0th
God I hated this. A self-indulgent project glorifying hedonism with all the low passions put on a pedestal in what is an almost religious worship of nihilism, resulting in its only logical progression and conclusion: the unholy fall of a man revelling in and adoring the hideousness of his life, "redeemed" by not murdering his own daughter, but settling for the happy ending (?) of an abominable incestuous act. The film reaches almost overtly satanic realms in its purveying of ugliness as beauty.
Rated 21 Jun 2019
89
57th
harbi iyi ha
Rated 20 Aug 2020
78
59th
VOUS AVEZ 30 SECONDES POUR ABANDONNER LA PROJECTION DE CE FILM
Rated 08 May 2020
95
95th
Un "revoir" après plusieurs années... En tant que personne contre l'humanité et la morale " Le Boucher" est l'un des personnages les plus irritants de l'histoire du cinéma. Gaspar Noé utilise une fois de plus son talent naturel de narrateur et le résultat est louable.
Rated 14 Aug 2020
75
89th
Disturbing, no surprise it's a Gaspar Noe film.
Rated 02 Jan 2021
85
44th
I am sick
Rated 21 Feb 2021
80
57th
Descend, descend, descend was all I felt.
Rated 24 Aug 2021
90
87th
It's not a movie I would exactly recommend to folks since it's a very ugly experience that deliberately fucks with you and offers no release of any kind. I do think it's brilliant though, for whatever that's worth.
Rated 15 Jun 2022
80
62nd
Having come to this after some of Noé's more blatantly hostile efforts, this seems charmingly quaint by comparison (especially the countdown “warning” – you ain’t got nothing on IRREVERSIBLE!) This restraint makes this literalised regurgitation of TAXI DRIVER easier to take, but it's still pretty potent stuff, with Nahon quite extraordinary in capturing our hero’s obsessive and angry descent (?) into madness, coupled with Noé's masterful evocation of a bleak, near-dystopic world.
Rated 04 Aug 2023
90
79th
sick bastard
Rated 10 Aug 2023
80
26th
It's a good movie primarily because it's about things that a vast majority of people don't believe exist.

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