You’re Next is a 2011 American slasher movie directed by Adam Wingard. It revolves around a family that is terrorized during their dinner reunion. While it does sounds like another rich family reunion movie , what sets it apart is the execution. Below is my You’re Next (2011) movie review
When Wingard and writer Simon Barrett were coming up with ideas on how the story would play out, they wanted killers to have some form of a motivation to their actions. In movies such as The Strangers (2008), the killings are all random where the victims are part of a “wrong time at a wrong place” scenario. Each one of the killers in “You’re Next” not only has a different mask but has a different personality and style. It was another way that the director wanted the movie to stand out. They are not killing for the sake of killing, but have a purpose to their actions.
The movie is unique in a sense where it blends horror and comedy, but it never completely takes one side. It doesn’t rely heavily on cliches as the directors were very story-driven and wanted to have unique characters with some having very unexpected qualities. What this does is blends the whole cast of characters and gives them “are they good or bad people?” angle that is often misleading, which plays on our expectations. With a sprinkle of dark comedy thrown about at just the right moments and you have a movie that is a nudge above other slashers.
On top of this we have some kill scenes and plenty of blood to satisfy horror fans. It never comes off as gratuitous. The main heroine is tough but has a reason as to why she is tough. The movie has some great tense moments that are well paced and memorable. Many people complained that the movie was too predictable. I think they are wrong. It wasn’t trying to reinvent the genre of home invasions. However it did try to be different in the approach and the execution of the events. For me, the fact that it tried to stand out was good enough.
Perhaps you will see the twist coming at the end, but I was surprised by it. It didn’t floor me, but it made the decision to watch the movie worth it. After all, I wanted entertainment and that is exactly what I got.
Thanks for reading my You’re Next (2011) movie review
