YOU'RE NEXT is, unabashedly, yet another "nuclear family and/or rich yuppies besieged by masked psycho killers at vacation home" slasher, right down to the obligatory "last girl" element. But while the movie's schema is completely typical, its execution—smart script, decent cast, solid direction by Adam Wingard—is exemplary.
The major detail YOU'RE NEXT gets right is to provide actual motivation for both the villains' kill spree and for the heroine's ability to survive the abattoir (other than being yet another innocent virgin with gumption). This alone is enough to place the film at the pinnacle of its sub-genre. Moreover, director Wingard and screenwriter Simon Bennett demonstrate a talent for side-stepping annoying clichés. The assembled victims numbers ten instead of the usual half-dozen, with not one idiot teen in the lot; the squealing, screaming, helpless characters are winnowed out with audience-considerate dispatch so the more fit and bright can make the best of their situation. Meanwhile, refreshingly, the murderers are NOT portrayed as unstoppable killing machines until the final ten minutes: one even gets short of breath and needs a time- out!
The pacing and shock effects are crisp; the moments of black comedy are sparingly, intelligently planted.
All told, far more accomplished and satisfying than a genre fan has any right to expect.
The major detail YOU'RE NEXT gets right is to provide actual motivation for both the villains' kill spree and for the heroine's ability to survive the abattoir (other than being yet another innocent virgin with gumption). This alone is enough to place the film at the pinnacle of its sub-genre. Moreover, director Wingard and screenwriter Simon Bennett demonstrate a talent for side-stepping annoying clichés. The assembled victims numbers ten instead of the usual half-dozen, with not one idiot teen in the lot; the squealing, screaming, helpless characters are winnowed out with audience-considerate dispatch so the more fit and bright can make the best of their situation. Meanwhile, refreshingly, the murderers are NOT portrayed as unstoppable killing machines until the final ten minutes: one even gets short of breath and needs a time- out!
The pacing and shock effects are crisp; the moments of black comedy are sparingly, intelligently planted.
All told, far more accomplished and satisfying than a genre fan has any right to expect.