Guest Author Post: Movie Review

I recently reviewed The Endangered by S L Eaves (review here).  The author kindly agreed to a guest post for my movie topic and below are her thoughts and review on ‘You’re Next’.  I haven’t actually seen this movie so will have to go and hunt it down!!! Nothing like a ‘not your average slasher’ movie to get the nerves jangling…

Have you seen this?  Did you like it??  Or is it not really your cup of tea???

My thanks to S L Eaves for the contribution:

‘Not Your Average Slasher Movie

You’re Next was scooped up by Lionsgate when it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2011 only to fall into a distribution black hole for two years before finally seeing a theatrical release in 2013. Despite almost no marketing and a relatively unknown cast the film grossed twenty million thanks to word of mouth and critical praise. Critics are not often kind to the horror genre and with the slew of overused iconography, clichéd characters, and the digital hand-held trend that has everyone and their mother making found footage films, it is no mystery as to why critics and film buffs cringe at most recent entries in this genre. Which is why You’re Next, an unapologetically brutal slasher film shot on sleek, rich film stock stands out from the crowd.

The film starts off fairly predictably, with a family getting together in secluded vacation house. As we’re introduced to the family members, it is obvious there is a high level of tension from the start and the reunion plays out with a soap opera-esque level of melodrama; so much so that we welcome the interruption when the home-invasion part of the film kicks into gear.

A group of attackers descends on the house with meticulously planned traps designed to slaughter the home’s inhabitants. With razor sharp dialogue, fast pacing and merciless treatment of the “stupid” characters, this film wastes no time separating itself from the herd. In this film you can expect the dumb, annoying characters to be punished in wickedly clever ways, which let’s face it, we all enjoy to some extent. Predictable elements such as “no cell phone signal in the wilderness” are explained with the more believable “attackers are jamming the signal” and instead of the family being “trapped” inside the house some do manage to leave, only to have rather disturbing encounters when they do.

The writing is good, I’d say above par for slasher standards, and the unknown actors make the “Who’s going to live/die?” question difficult to predict. The main plot “twist” is predictable, but the film treats the audience as if they’ve figured it out for themselves already and not as some big revelation. And it propels the story forward, explaining who the attackers are and their motivation(s).

The attacker’s biggest rival emerges as one of the family member’s girlfriends, Erin. Erin defies the stereotypical victim tropes and proves to be more than capable of turning the tables on the bad guys. Her counter-attack propels the film forward and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats to the very end; an end that serves as a nod to a classic home-invasion film of the sixties.

Once you’re done enjoying the thrill ride that is You’re Next, I suggest checking out director Adam Wingard’s and writer Simon Barrett’s talented (and twisted) contribution to V/H/S. And look for this filmmaking duo to continue pushing the boundaries of contemporary horror.’