Alone’s Terrifying Horror Movie Follow-Up Repeated Its Genius Killer Casting 3 Years Later

John Hyams’ 2020 horror-thriller Alone established a genius casting trend that the filmmaker repeated three years later with his follow-up feature, Sick. Minimalist and suspenseful, Alone blends elements of classic slashers like The Hitcher, along with more modern horrors like Jeepers Creepers to create a taut, gripping tale of survival in the wilderness. However, while Alone‘s protagonist, Jessica, gives viewers a reason for remaining engaged throughout, it is the movie’s villain that steals the show.

Played by Marc Menchaca, the mysterious psychopath eventually identified as Sam is a menacing, relentless presence throughout the movie. Initially tracking Jessica down in his SUV, he reveals himself to be a remorseless hunter, seeing his torment of Jessica as more like sport than anything more sinister. Menchaca rightly received plaudits for his performance, anchoring Alone and establishing himself as an actor capable of creating genuinely menacing characters. It is because of this turn that Mancheca laid the groundwork for director Hyams to establish an exciting trend with his next movie.

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Marc Menchaca Played The Killer Again In John Hyams’ 2023 Horror Movie Sick

After impressing as Sam, Marc Menchaca collaborated with John Hyams once again in the director’s 2023 project Sick, turning in another performance as a killer. In the later film, Menchaca’s character is motivated by grief over the death of his son, rather than simple psychopathy. Nevertheless, by recasting him as a killer, Hyams has helped to establish Menchaca as an exciting new presence in horror.

There are some notable differences between Menchaca’s killers in Alone and Sick. Most significantly, his Sick character is part of a husband and wife team of killers exacting revenge. However, while this motivation makes the character arguably more relatable, there’s no doubt that Menchaca remains a genuinely menacing presence. In both movies, Menchaca’s characters are far removed from the hulking, monstrous villains of other slashers like Jason Vorhees or Leatherface. In fact, because he looks so normal, Menchaca’s villains are even more unnerving – highlighting just how clever it was of Hyams to cast him twice.

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Alone & Sick’s Success Proves Marc Menchaca & John Hyams Need To Make Another Horror Movie

While Marc Menchaca’s villainous roles in Alone and Sick are major selling points for both movies, the two films’ other strengths demonstrate that their success is not solely down to the actor. Alone sits at an impressive 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, while Sick ranks at 87%. This demonstrates that Hyams’ direction is an equally important part of the equation, proving that the pair are a potent combination. Given this sustained success, it makes perfect sense for Hyams and Menchaca to pursue future horror projects together.

Considering the nature of Alone and Sick as standalone projects, as well as the definitive ends of both Menchaca’s characters, a future Menchaca and Hyams collaboration can be very different from their first two projects. However, it’s clear from Menchaca’s performances and the success of both movies that not working together would waste a great team. Whatever the nature of their future work together, Alone and Sick have helped cement the duo as an exciting partnership in modern horror.