Let's keep the home invasions rolling with
YOU'RE NEXT, the 2011 horror flick from Adam Wingard. Like FUNNY GAMES, and I
guess a shitload of other horror movies, YOU'RE NEXT attempts to walk the fine
line of being a horror movie and subverting horror movies. It doesn't get all
intellectual or anything like that, but it has fun both embracing and ignoring
the clichés.
The plot involves the many adult children (and
their significant others) of a family coming together at their parents'
isolated vacation home. The family is not broken beyond repair, but there's a
few disagreements between them, and the bickering starts at the dinner table
and then, in one of the early signs that this flick's tongue is securely in its
cheek, the bickering continues as the family is besieged by crossbow wielding animal-masked
assailants who have surrounded the house.
The bigger-than-usual ensemble is weeded out
pretty quickly, and one of the sons' girlfriends (Sharni Vinson) begins to
emerge as our hero. She's the most capable of the group and makes the least stupid
decisions and most good decisions, and eventually leads the battle against the
attackers, who move from crossbows in the woods to machetes in the family room.
YOU'RE NEXT is action packed, funny,
entertaining and even has a few legit surprises in it. Wingard's follow up, THE
GUEST, was also great, though I watched it last month so it doesn't count for
Horrorfest. Then he went on to make the new BLAIR WITCH movie, but judging from
the lackluster reviews, I don't think I'll be checking it out any time soon.
Still he clearly has talent and I'll look forward to whatever he lines up next.
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