31 Days of Halloween Reviews #10: You’re Next
The Lowdown: Three douchebags in creepy animal masks crash a family reunion happening out in the woods. But not everything is as it seems, and to tell you the truth, saying anything more would be spoiling too much.
The Breakdown: You’re Next slapped me so hard I’ve had it stuck in my head since I saw it. Combining the best elements of the home invasion/horror/survival genres, You’re Next is a very accessible cocktail of everything true horror fans want from a scare flick. Taking the simple, almost overdone concept of family-stuck-in-the-woods-gets-brutalized, You’re Next takes that typical torture porn, gives it the finger and provides a much different type of entertainment by its’ finale.
The scares come early in You’re Next, but they feel like carnival fun-house gags more than anything else. There’s nothing wrong with this, as a lesser film would go for the cheap torture porn scares. You’re Next attempts to do something more, and almost becomes a commentary on its’ own genre. While I’ve covered films in my previous reviews, such as The Cabin in the Woods or Funny Games, that were more self-reflexive than straight horror films. You’re Next certainly belongs in the same category as it takes unexpected turns throughout the film. If I sound vague, it’s because ruining anything about this movie can really sour the experience for you. I will say that this films’ heroine, who really doesn’t emerge until the second act, is probably the most competent survivor ever put in a slasher film. She’s badass and intelligent and completely goes against the way most actresses play that role. She’s a big part of what makes You’re Next work.
The Comedown: Because this film is so fresh in peoples’ minds, I really skated around the details of this film, but after seeing it once it instantly has become one of my absolute favorite horror films, with good reason. It has an effective script, good scares, some great (possibly) hilarious death scenes and an against-type heroine as the lead. Slasher films don’t get much better than this, so if you haven’t seen this make it a priority, as it’s chock full of so many great horror references and moments that even average fans will fall in love with it.