Review of You're Next (2013) by Mad M — 07 Jun 2014

You're Next is a wonderful, blood-soaked horror/thriller that feels like a throwback to films from the 70's and 80's, with the right touches of the self-aware horror craze of the 90's. It's truly a gorehound's delight, as well as a delight for anyone who loves this recent trend of throwback horror films that seem to be popping up out the woodwork. If you love gory or old-fashioned horror flicks, let me explain why you should watch You're Next.

The Davison family is having a reunion to celebrate their parents' 35th anniversary in their beautiful mansion in the middle of the woods. It's a time for happy reunions, not-so-happy reunions over bad blood and superiority complexes, introductions to new flings, and some headbutting thrown in for good measure.

During their dinner, things go horribly wrong when three masked men begin to kill them one by one in the most brutal and horrific ways. With threats all around them and not knowing when these three will attack, a girl named Erin (Who's not a family member, but the girlfriend of one of the sons), takes the charge to fight back and survive by any means necessary, while also trying to unravel why this family is being hunted.

The story is certainly nothing new, but You're Next puts a fresh, lively, and fun spin on the home invasion film, while also effectively blending multiple genres into one fun and scary experience. I also enjoyed how unlike many other horror films, this one actually takes some time to develop its characters, especially as the truths are revealed as to why these people are being hunted. I especially enjoyed the main character, Erin, who was a very well-rounded and intriguing character as her past is revealed.

You want scares? You'll find them here. You're Next opens very slowly at first, but when it explodes, it definitely explodes with terror, tension, and thrills. Every scene, no matter how familiar the setup, were always filled with suspense as the characters encounter the killers, or how they fight back against their attackers. Plus, the film never let up until the credits rolled, making for an experience that was always scary and always suspenseful at every turn.

On top of being a damn good horror/suspense film, the film also works incredibly well as a very darkly humorous comedy. I laughed at every morbid joke that this film offered because they were so well crafted and also expertly performed with deadpan expressions.

Plus, the acting is also very good for a horror flick, as the genre a lot of the time is not particularly revered for good acting. While the acting as a whole is very good, the one who really steals the show is Sharni Vinson as Erin, who through her own terrific acting abilities added another layer of depth to her character than what the script already graciously provided. She was always engaging and intense, with just the right amount of dark humor sprinkled into her scenes.

For those who don't mind buckets of gore and familiarity, You're Next will be a great viewing for those who love old-fashioned horror flicks. It's a scary, suspenseful, well-acted, thrilling, funny, gory, and tremendously fun film from beginning to end and I fell in love with it completely.