Horror Pick: You’re Next (2011)
This week’s horror recommendation is an easy one, and a relatively new movie added to the database, but the minute I was notified of its streaming capability, I knew my entry was set. Yes, this week I’ll be insisting that you watch Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett’s home invasion thriller You’re Next, which is anything BUT your typical horror flick about masked invaders ruining a family vacation. Wingard and Barrett bring new life to a tired genre, but even after being met with rave reviews on the festival circuit, this 2011 picture was shelved until a 2013 release – a silly decision that makes me wonder what drivel studios actually thought had a better shot at success?
Featuring a few familiar faces from Wingard’s circle of filmmaker buddies, the likes of AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg, Ti West, and Amy Seimetz, the plot revolves around a family who are celebrating their parent’s anniversary, until three assailants start murdering the guests one by one. Fighting for their lives, the Davison family fight back against their foes, but find their tactical skills unmatched – except for a surprise survivalist in Sharni Vinson’s girlfriend character Erin. Unbeknownst to the attackers, Erin has a few tricks of her own to combat the nefarious plant afoot, but mounting odds still aren’t in the Davison’s favor.
You’re Next is equally parts gory exploitation, fun-filled horror sendoff and tense invasion thriller, hitting all the necessary areas to really drive home Wingard and Barrett’s understanding of genre competency. Their creation avoids a generic fate by upping the ante tenfold with each act, culminating in a film that builds many different layers as far as storytelling is concerned. Mix that with a stupendous score and you’ve got this hybrid horror movie that fires on all cylinders, making for a memorable horror experience full of vibrancy, something I haven’t been getting a whole lot of recently.