31 Days Of Horror(Day 2): You're Next

Director: Adam Wingard

Writer: Simon Barett

Starring: Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, A. J. Bowen, Wendy Glenn, Joe Swanberg, Margaret Laney, Amy Seimetz, Ti West

Release Date: August 23, 2013

Plot: A chilling warning scrawled in blood on a neighbor's wall starts an evening of bloody mayhem for the Davison family. A lively reunion is abruptly brought to an end when a gang of mysterious killers, disguised in animal masks, wage an all-out assault on the Davison's secluded home. Using a series of sophisticated traps, axes, crossbows and machetes, the family are slaughtered one by one until nowhere is safe. But neither the attackers, nor their victims, have counted on Erin; an innocent girlfriend who has the killer instinct to fight back...

"Fuck me next to your dead mom then."

The past few years the horror genre has been somewhat of a dying art with very little exceptions, You're Next being one of those. This is a film fans of horror have been asking for. Was it perfect? No. But it did everything a horror film is supposed to.

You're Next is gore filled thriller with a hint of comedy that follows the wealthy Davison family, who become victims to a gang of masked killers. Little do our masked murderers know, one of the victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back.

At first glance this film is nothing more than your everyday slasher film with an uninspired plot about a home invasion, but in depth it is a brilliant take on the dying genre. It takes all you thought about modern day horror and flips it on its head

The films beginning is far from special. It gives nothing and develops in no visible way, and at first glance our characters seem far-fetched and completely bland. As the film develops this thought begins to change. They are consistently the same characters throughout, but become amplified. Their attitudes are in fact what get them killed. It almost seems that they are so self obsessed with their own welfare and being that they don't care what's going on around them and this is is what makes them so great. In one scene where they're deciding on who should run out of the home to try and call for help, we find ourselves amidst the bickering of sibling rivalry. Which made absolutely no sense to begin doing in a scenario where people are getting murdered. It's scenes like this that bring the film together and add that touch of comedy. It pokes fun at the absurd characters we see in horror films today. As these characters die you have no sympathy for them. In fact, you root for the next killing to happen.

The only character you don't want to die is Erin. Who is perhaps one the most badass female protagonist of today. Her back story was that she lived in a survivalist compound with her father. There she learned everything she needs to know about fighting and well, surviving. Her abilities are kicked into full effect as the film progress. She almost has that Home Alone(esque) way of thinking, but with the intention of fatally harming the unwanted trespassers. Sadly, her character is bit one sided and is only shown as this badass killing machine who also happens to be the cliched innocent virgin with gumption. Which isn't a bad thing! She just doesn't seem to stand out from all the other characters. Besides the fact that she can think rationally in stress induced situations. Even thought she seems to blend in with this unimaginative cast of characters you actually begin to feel some sort of emotion towards her. You don't feel sympathetic, but you want her to live and you want her to continue kicking ass.

The best thing about these characters was that they were given motivation. Of course, it wasn't a reason that was completely plausible, but it was there. It helped add this extra dimension to them. Not just making them axe wielding homicidal maniac who have no souls. In fact, there is never moment where you feel like these killers are invincible. They get hurt, they die, they have emotions and in some cases they need to stop and take breather. All this made the whole scenario feel real. It took us away from that “it's just a movie” mentality and threw us right into the picture; fogging the line that divides fiction and reality. This something modern day horror needs to take note of.

Just as a side note, this film has one of the best soundtracks that I’ve heard in a while! It gave the film this 80's feel which is something I generally love! Be sure to check that out.

You're next was an unabashedly, gore-filled, and hilariously fun ride. Sure, the plot was a bit uninspired, but it did give us a new take on the slasher-film genre. It mixed the old style of an 80's film with intelligence and wit. Which all came together to make a successful and entertaining film!

3/5 Tonies

Written by Anthony Centeno