Rated
R (Strong Bloody Violence, Language and Some Sexuality/Nudity)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 34 Minutes
Cast-
Sharni
Vinson-Erin
Rob
Moran-Paul Davison
Barbara
Crampton-Aubrey Davison
A.J.
Bowen-Crispian Davison
Joe
Swanberg-Drake Davison
Sarah
Myers-Kelly
Amy
Seimetz-Aimee Davison
Ti
West-Tariq
Nicholas
Tucci-Felix Davison
Wendy
Glenn-Zee
L.C.
Holt-Lamb Mask
Simon
Barrett-Tiger Mask
Lane
Hughes-Fox Mask
Kate
Lyn Sheil-Talia
Directed
by Adam Wingard
 |
| And you thought you were having a bad day... |
Note: Screened on Thursday, August 8, 2013 at AMC Loews 34th Street 14.
You
would expect a film that's been sitting on the shelf for close to two years to be
terrible given the fact that it's being dumped into theaters on the second-to-last
weekend of August during the infamous 'dog days of summer.' However, there have
been rare occasions where this wasn't the case, such as last April's surprise
hit "The Cabin in the Woods." Premiering at the Toronto International
Film Festival back in September 2011, director Adam Wingard's low-budget home-invasion
thriller "You're Next" reportedly left the audience cheering on its
feet and even set off a furious bidding war amongst a number of studios, which included
Lionsgate, Summit Entertainment, Paramount, The Weinstein Company, FilmDistrict,
and CBS Films. It eventually came down to just Lionsgate and Paramount, with
the former acquiring the picture for $1 to $2 million but then the film disappeared
off the radar after another well-received screening at Austin's Fantastic Fest
that same month. Apparently, its release was put on-hold due to Summit's merger
with Lionsgate last year, which created a scheduling nightmare as the studio suddenly
found its hands full of films. Well, "You're Next" has finally arrived
in theaters but was it worth the long wait? The answer is a resounding 'YES!' as
Wingard has skillfully crafted a horror film that not only feels fresh but also
proudly earns the distinction of being a crowd-pleaser thanks to its gleeful blend
of on-screen mayhem and dark comedy.
To
celebrate their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, Paul (Rob Moran) and Aubrey Davison
(Barbara Crampton) head out to their country house out in the middle of nowhere,
hoping to have a quiet dinner with their four grown children. Arriving for the
festivities are Crispian (A.J. Bowen) and his graduate student girlfriend Erin
(Sharni Vinson), Drake (Joe Swanberg) and his wife Kelly (Sarah Myers), and couples
Aimee (Amy Seimetz) and Tariq (Ti West), and Felix (Nicholas Tucci) and Zee (Wendy
Glenn). Although it's apparent that relations among the Davison siblings are
strained, Erin makes a sincere effort to endear herself to the family. However,
things quickly take a turn for the worse when the Davisons descend into petty bickering
at the dinner table. They are rudely interrupted when three figures (L.C. Holt,
Simon Barrett, and Lane Hughes) wearing animal masks launch a violent surprise attack
on the premises. With the body count piling up, Erin springs into action with
her survivalist upbringing as the mysterious killers find themselves meeting
their match.
At
first glance, "You're Next" looks like another throwaway home-invasion
thriller and while Wingard doesn't stray too far from the subgenre's roots, he does
tweak the formula just enough to keep
even the most jaded viewer guessing until the very end. The film opens with a
chilling prologue where an older gentleman (Larry Fessenden) is having sex with
a much younger woman (Kate Lyn Sheil). He 'finishes' rather quickly and goes to
take a shower, leaving the (unsatisfied) girl to roam around the house alone.
She pops in the Dwight Twilley Band's Looking
for the Magic on the stereo and it's at this point where the sh*t starts
hitting the fan, culminating in a really clever reveal of the film's title by having
it smeared in blood on the bedroom windows. The choice of music here (which is played
on a loop throughout) also increases the creep factor, its jaunty tunes standing
in stark contrast to the bloodshed that will follow. We're then introduced to
the Davisons and its here that "You're Next" takes a completely unexpected
detour into dysfunctional family territory. There's an underlying tension amongst
them, which explodes into a shouting match when Drake smugly provokes Crispian at
the dinner table. Wingard gleefully plays up their frivolous arguments for laughs,
until one of the guests notices something at the window and is subsequently killed
with a crossbow bolt to the head. The film almost descends into a farce, with
Drake getting wounded in the shoulder and most of the women screaming hysterically
but Wingard keeps a tight rein, preventing the film from spiraling into a parody
of itself with several brutal and creative deaths, one of which is caused by running
into a thin wire that slashes one character's neck, spraying blood everywhere
like a broken fountain. For the hardcore horror fan, this is the kind of stuff
we live for.
As
the masked goons quickly descend upon the Davison's home, the film satisfyingly
turns the tables on them, with Sharni Vinson's Erin fighting back and refusing
to let herself become just another a victim. What follows is an immensely
entertaining cat-and-mouse game as the masked assailants find themselves genuinely
taken aback that there is someone among the family who's not as helpless as
they appear to be. Wingard brilliantly uses the confined space of the house for
maximum effect while the John Carpenter-inspired synth score lends the picture a
sense of tension that builds to a crescendo over the film's 94-minute running
time. The violence is disturbing but they're presented in a darkly comic manner,
which actually makes it even more disturbing
because now we're laughing at someone getting their face repeatedly smashed by
a meat tenderizer. There are also several standout kills, including one
involving a blender that will have audiences talking long after they've left
the theater. However, as good as the film is, the script (written by Barrett) does
make a few concessions in regards to the motives of the masked killers. At
first, we don't know why they're going after this innocent family and that
sense of unknown heightens the scare factor because it initially comes across as
some kind of random sick game. Once it's revealed why they're doing this, you can't
help but feel somewhat underwhelmed since it's so…obvious. The final twist is rather
predictable as well yet Wingard plays it off so well that you won't even mind
that you weren't the least bit surprised at the outcome.
The
cast won't be familiar to casual viewers but this is a good thing because it
will allow audiences to buy into the illusion that these are 'real' people. The
standout is without a doubt Sharni Vinson as survivalist Erin. It's a breakthrough
performance, with Vinson carrying the entire second half in a role that's physically
demanding and requires her to display a sense of emotional vulnerability at the
same time. What's great is that the film never makes the mistake of presenting
her as invincible. Despite her innumerable skills, she still has to struggle
tooth and nail in order to stay alive, and we struggle along with her. The rest
of the supporting cast may not measure up to Vinson but they manage to put in
some good work, especially Joe Swanberg's (a major figure in the mumblecore
movement) smarmy turn as Drake, who is comically struck with a crossbow bolt in
the shoulder during the killers' initial attack. A.J. Bowen lends Crispian a
sense of earnestness yet also subtly laces the character with shifty ambitions.
Amy Seimetz handles Aimee's insecurities by hiding it under a bouncy exterior
while Rob Moran's low-key performance as family patriarch Paul is perfectly
contrasted with Barbara Crampton's (from the 1985 cult hit "Re-Animator")
anguished histrionics. Ti West and Nicholas Tucci are somewhat bland, although
the latter is paired with a seductive Wendy Glenn.
Finally
released on August 23, 2013 after its premiere at the Toronto International
Film Festival two years ago, "You're Next" has received largely
positive reviews with 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it as an 'energetic
and effective mix of brutal gore and pitch black humor [that] will please
horror buffs and beyond.' Unfortunately, the film doesn't look like it's going
to be the breakout hit that Lionsgate is hoping for as it has only earned $2.9
million since Friday. Given the relative dearth of good horror films, I highly
urge people to go check this one out, although I suggest seeing it as a matinee
in the morning in order to avoid having inconsiderate moviegoers ruining the
experience. The audience at the advance screening was one of the worst I've ever
had to sit through and I don't want you guys suffering the same fate. "You're
Next" doesn't reinvent the wheel as far as home-invasion thrillers go but Wingard's
handling of the film, from its gore-filled set-pieces to the surprisingly funny
black humor, is so well-executed that you can't help but leave the theater with
a smile on your face.
Final
Rating: 4 out of 5
"Grab
anything you can use as a weapon."
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