You're Next (2011)

Review

"This wasn't a random attack! Our family's being targeted."- Paul

The whole Davison clan are gathering in a secluded house to celebrate the wedding anniversary of the parental units, Aubrey and Paul. Included amongst their adult children are various wives, girlfriends, and boyfriends. Naturally the typical family bickering erupts during dinner, which almost leads to blows as brothers Crispin and Drake have a go at each other. The family circus is interrupted when Tariq, daughter Aimee's movie making boyfriend, is nailed by a crossbow bolt to the forehead. Naturally panic ensures and Drake takes a bolt to the back. Surprisingly Crispin's girlfriend Erin, a plucky Aussie gal, doesn't panic and starts organising the Davison defence strategy.

With killers outside the house taking full advantage of the darkness and a solitary killer hidden in the house, things aren't looking good for our belaboured family. Erin proves to have more in her background than home economics and is giving as good as she gets, but there are a few twists in this home invasion she definitely wasn't expecting. Why are the Davisons being target, and what skeletons in the closet will come to light? A decent enough movie ensues that takes delight in twisting horror tropes out of alignment and isn't adverse to going black comedy on us.

Director Adam Wingard dropped this home invasion thriller on us with little in the way of fanfare, there weren't the normal massive teaser and trailer releases and little in the way of the horror sites big noting the flick, then it landed and horror fans went ape for it. We're talking one of the best movies of the year that rocks both the thrills and funny bone at the same time. Wingard knew what he was doing with this bad boy, clearly didn't have a huge budget, but managed to deliver unto us a classic. There's a huge re-watch factor going down and I'm here to tell you that it would be in your interest, if you haven't already one so, to grab an immediate viewing. On the plus side of the shinning silver disc we get another heroine to root for who is for sure in the Ellen Ripley category of kick arse chicks doing the business, and additional props for her being an Aussie.

Okay down to the basics and actually reviewing the movie, there's a lot here to like and for mine nothing in the disappointing basket of cinematic woes. Director WIngard gets this bad boy out of the station with two kills in quick succession. We're talking the wham bam thank you mam type of delivery here, but it quickly informs the audience that there is going to be little time for pleasantries as the meat meets the metal. If you define your movie viewing in terms of gnarly deaths, then get ready for a fun ride throughout, the gore hounds will be howling at the moon tonight. And for a slight appetiser can I present death by food blender; now that has to be one of the most wicked out there modes of dispatch yet dreamt up or Wingard is cackling at the viewer. So if one of those who can't watch death and mayhem on the screen then choose something else for your Friday night flick feast, perhaps something involving a Disney princess.

The pacing on this one is spot on with nothing like down time or filler distracting from the carnage happening on screen. Life is short and ends brutally in You're Next, whether we're talking one of the victims or one of the invaders, equal opportunity going down here. Speaking of our resident home disturbing team was digging their gradual move from farm yard masked ciphers to fully realised characters in their own right. Once again Wingard paces the revelation about what is going down exactly right, as things get down to the wire and heroine Erin starts taking toll of those tasked with ruining her weekend. Yeah I thought the initial introduction to a few characters was slow, but got the whole wanting to ensure the audience are aware of the isolated nature of the house and the various personalities Wingard sends our way.

What the movie is really good at is throwing curve balls at us; if M Night included this many twists in one of his movies you would have the hate brigade out in full force. Just when we think we have the big twist done, Wingard adds yet another to ensure we are keeping our attention fixed solidly to the screen. Okay I thought maybe one of them was stretching things a tad too far, but then I don't make movies, just ramble on about them really. So get ready to be shocked and awed out of your socks with this movie, just when you think you have it sorted something else pops up, got to love a movie that keeps on delivering like a wild night up the cross.

I'm also going to say I really enjoyed what Wingard had going down on screen, there's some beautifully crafted shots happening that really show the dude knows his way around scene setup. For example two characters are arguing at the dinner table, don't you love relatives, when another takes a crossbow bolt to the head. The audience immediately note this, but it takes our bickering family a few heartbeats to recognise dessert may be a tad delayed, and even then there's this sort of shocked disbelief shown by a couple of the characters at what they are seeing. Cinema gold right there, exactly the sort of reaction your normal citizen, myself included, would have if they came face to face with this sort of a development in your run of the mill situation.

While there isn't anything happening in the supernatural realm, the movie is steeped in the real world, there are enough chills going on to have you on the edge of your seat. Our crew of victims are facing real dangers both from without and within, and true to horror roots characters wander off alone, though I didn't hear any of them saying they would be "right back". Got to say however I was more on edge when our antagonists wore their masks than when they started taking them off. Erin certainly adds to the tension with a number of traps that wouldn't be amiss in a home alone movie. Actually one of the man disablers features prominently in the final scene, which adds a fresh twist to Erin's trials and tribulations.

Before anyone gets upset there isn't any T&A going down, sorry ladies no hunky dudes getting down to their Reg Grundies either. Wingard clearly doesn't think his movie needs spicing up, and I have to agree with him damn it. So put down those tissues right now, you aren't going to need them.

While I would argue that the movie fits squarely into the horror camp, even the ending was straight out of horror, I would definitely not go so far as to call it a siege movie. Sure a house comes under attack, but at no stage does this involve the residents boarding up and attempting to stave off the hordes outside. Home Invasion folks through and through, but naturally with a completely different slant on the sub genre.

Well I had a huge amount of fun with You're Next and will probably schedule another viewing in the next few weeks, as stated the rewatch factor is high kids. The movie id brutal at stages, without going over the top, brings the dark humour, and rocks along like a greyhound. Full recommendation on this movie, which no doubt is going to make numerous "best of" lists, you are in for a good time if you haven't had the pleasure of a screening already. Make sure you're next to get a copy of this well past excellent home invasion yarn.