You're Next

You're Next

Starring Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, AJ Bowen

Directed by Adam Wingard

It's a family reunion for the ages.  Crispian (AJ Bowen) brings his new girlfriend Erin (Sharni Vinson) to his parents' new house, where they reunite with his older brother Drake (Joe Swanberg) and his wife, his younger brother Felix (Nicholas Tucci) and his girlfriend Zee (Wendy Glenn), and his sister Aimee (Amy Seimetz) and her boyfriend.

At a very heated dinner, things are going very bad, but is about to turn worse.  An arrow shoots through the window, and the family finds themselves under attack by an unknown number of killers.  As the family scrambles, Erin takes charge and emerges as a surprisingly powerful asset against the killers.  Still, the question remains...who is doing this, and why?

"You're Next" is a compelling, gritty tale of a broken family trying to come together in the most deadly of situations, all the while raising suspicions on each other.  It's a brilliant addition to the new "mumblegore" subgenre of the horror field.  Mumblegore is known for its low budget production and no-name actors who focus more on a naturalistic dialogue rather than scripted ones. Director Adam Wingard is known for this style of filming, along with fellow actors Swanberg and Ti West, who are both well known in the mumblegore subgenre. 

Back to the film, the freshest addition is the "final girl" character in Erin.  Whereas most final girls scramble and almost accidentally make it to the end, Erin from the get-go rallies everyone together and hatches plans to defeat her foes, whether or not the others follow her.  She knows how to get out alive, and does everything in her power to make sure it happens.  It's a highly refreshing take on the classic heroine in horror films, and really gives you someone to root for right from the start.

My Rating: A-