MOVIE OF THE WEEK #3 (8/21-8/23/14): YOU'RE NEXT


"Seriously - you could have just sent me an email instead of writing in blood on the wall!" Felix (Nicholas Tucci) and Zee (Wendy Glenn) embrace after yet another brutal murder in a scene from Adam Wingard's bloody horror movie YOU'RE NEXTCredit: Corey Ransberg © 2013 Lionsgate. All Rights Reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE: 


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Shari Vinson, AJ Bowen, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, Joe Swanberg, Amy Seimetz, Rob Moran, Barbara Crampton, L.C. Holt, Simon Barrett, Lane Hughes and Ti West

WRITER(S): Adam Wingard

DIRECTOR(S): Simon Barrett


60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS: A throwback to 70s horror movies in theme, execution and soundtrack, You're Next stars Shari Vinson as Erin, an Australian traveling with her boyfriend Crispian (AJ Bowen) to his parents' new home in the woods. Saying his family is a little "different," Crispian has Erin's interest piqued about what he means, only to discover it quickly once he begins bickering with his brother Drake (Joe Swanberg). While Drake's and Crispian's parents (Rob Moran and Barbara Crampton) try to diffuse the situation, Felix (Nicholas Tucci) and Zee (Wendy Glenn) are busy taking everything in ... As is Tariq (Ti West), who sees something just outside the window ...

Let's just say what happens next puts everyone on high alert and into a panic once the body count starts piling up. But what the killers – who have a very specific reason for why their racking up the carnage – didn't count on is that one of their potential victims has a very specific set of skills that might make their job a lot tougher than expected.

And once pushed to the limit, the statement of "you're next" is quickly changed to "who's next?"

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST?: Horror movie connoisseurs, people who enjoy films with a good mix of humor, plausibility (given the situation) and genuine scares and people non-predictable

WHO WON'T LIKE THIS FILM?: People who don't like violence, blood, gore and people who are always saying things like "See, what I would have done ..." or "Now, they should have seen that coming!"

BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? Very, very good – and better than most attempts at a horror movie in recent years.

WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: You're Next is easily one of the best horror/thriller films to come about in the last few years. There's no spirits seeking revenge, demons possessing young children or zombies running around causing chaos. Nope, this is just a good ol' fashioned hide-and-seek, kill or be killed movie with plenty of violence, gore, humor and a hero that, once realizing the situation, takes control and fights back with as much brains as braun.

It's hard to say much more without spoiling the film, but let's just say the lead actor who plays the hero does it with conviction while the rest of the cast adds their own unique flavors, be they creepy, stupid (intentionally in terms of making the story work, not in their actions/reactions being completely unreasonable) or badass. In order to have a decent horror movie, you need convincing killers whose actions aren't predictable, which You're Next has. To make a good horror movie, however, you need a lead actor who can shine, twists which deliver shock value and entertainment and an ending that ends with one final punch. Credit is due director Adam Wingard for keeping things moving along well, bringing out scares and laughs with equal force to make the most of writer Simon Barrett's simple-yet-solid screenplay.

In other words, if you are looking for a film that offers thrills, chills and kills ... While also offering some well-timed jokes and good ol' fashioned-revenge, You're Next should be the next thing you see at the theater. You'll be missing a bloody good time if you don't.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN): 


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