You're Next
“You’re Next” has taken a long road in getting to theaters.
It premiered at festivals two years ago to raves and then had to sit on the
back burner until now because of messy distribution business. It’s been a long
two years waiting for this to come out, especially since legitimately good
horror movies are in short stock and the gems are sought after by horror fans
(like myself) as if they were gold. Fear not though, because while long delays
like that could also be a signal that the movie wasn’t actually as good as we
were lead to believe, “You’re Next” lives up to its hype, and the reasons why
are a little unexpected.
It’s the typical setup we’ve seen before in countless other
home invasion horror movies: a family goes out to their home in the woods for a
reunion dinner. Many of them haven’t seen each other in a long time, and
internal resentments begin bubbling to the surface quickly. But they now have a
bigger problem on their hands than petty squabbling, as multiple masked men lay
siege to the house and take out the family one by one. This general outline,
however, doesn’t begin to touch the little details that writer Simon Barrett
and director Adam Wingard (“V/H/S”) employ to flesh things out and even turn
some horror clichés on their heads.
That’s not to say that “You’re Next” is the next horror
deconstruction like “Cabin in the Woods” or “Scream.” Rather, Wingard and
Barrett start things out on familiar territory and then slowly begin twisting
the little things that frustrate horror viewers. Don’t you hate how everyone’s
cell phones in horror movies are always conveniently out of service? Well one
character suggests they might be using a jammer. Isn’t it frustrating when a
character just lays on the ground screaming in terror as the killer slowly
raises his weapon? That isn’t like survivalist Erin, who will roll out of the
way, kick the killer in the balls, grab the nearest weapon and begin wailing on
him until there’s no possible way he’s alive.
Everything that is unexpectedly smart about this movie can
be distilled into Erin, who takes the initiative when everyone else cowers in
fear and transitions the movie from straight slasher into a more fun thriller
territory. The second half becomes a game of cat-and-mouse where Erin, who must
love “Home Alone” given the traps she sets up, and the killers attempt to
outsmart each other around the house, often to very bloody ends. These are the
kind of kills that inspire both shocks and applause in the audience in equal
measure, and the darkly funny tone that emerges once Erin fights back is a
delight.
Of course, it’s not all perfect. It’s clear that Wingard and
Barrett have their heart more in the blood soaked laughs than in straight
horror suspense. The first quarter or so is rather routine and uninspired, as
if they felt an obligation to put in a “scary” section before turning the
tables. The acting from some parties can be suspect too. Sure, horror movies
don’t need great acting but when some of them are quite good then the lesser
ones stand out more. Sharni Vinson is the obvious standout, whose physical
performance and intensity plausibly sell Erin’s cunning will despite her
waif-like stature. Horror veterans A.J. Bowen and Barbara Crampton show up for
nice turns too, although a few of the other actors let them down with
unconvincing reactions to situations.
Yet sometimes when watching a horror movie, the minor
setbacks can be taken with a grain of salt when creativity and smarts shine
through the cracks. “You’re Next” of one of those. The uneven acting and slow
start eventually fade away when you’re having so much fun watching a character
who actually fights back against the psychos rather than bend to their will in
cowardice. This is the kind of horror movie best enjoyed with a big group of
friends (and/or audience) for the full experience.
3/4
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