The new horror movie You’re Next is not groundbreaking. It’s not all that original in its ideas or execution. Heck, it’s fairly predictable, and it’s not even very scary. So why did I enjoy it so much? I guess sometimes just being a whole lot of fun is enough.
That’s certainly the case with this movie, where home invasion meets Home Alone. You’re Next is pure ‘fun house’ horror. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of gore here, but all most all of it comes with a liberal amount of dark humor. There were more laugh-out loud moments from the audience I watched it with than I’ve experienced in some “comedies.” Let me be clear, this isn’t a movie trying to be scary and falling into the unintentional comedy zone. You’re Next is a hard-R horror film that wants you to laugh along, and it works.
If you’ve seen a trailer, or even if you haven’t, you know the plot. This is Home Invasion 101. A rich family gets together in their secluded mansion of a vacation home. They sit down for dinner together, when suddenly a group of masked strangers attempts to enter the house to kill them. From there it is pure survival mode for the people inside the house, hi-jinks and bloodshed ensue. That’s it in a nutshell.
When it comes to home invasion, most people think of The Strangers, or maybe even this year’s The Purge. You’re Next is no different than those films from a plot standpoint, but is worlds apart in tone. This is a twisted Looney Toons nightmare.
Like any fun house, just because you know what you’re walking into when you buy your ticket doesn’t mean you won’t have a good time. Director Adam Wingard (V/H/S, V/H/S/2) does a great job of balancing absurdity with tension. I’d give you some examples, but here’s my problem: It’s not plot spoilers I’m worried about. The plot here is paper thin, and its twists are easy to spot. There’s an old saying, “It’s not the destination; it’s the journey.”
That sentiment applies perfectly to You’re Next. To give away any of the parts of the journey would be a crime.
Just know this: If you consider yourself a horror fan, go see You’re Next. If you’re not really a big horror person, but have some understanding of how watching a person’s head fall off can still cause a theater to erupt in a combination of gasps and laughter, then you should see it too.
You’re Next is bloody, violent, and absolutely hilarious. I’ll be damned if I didn’t have a whole lot of fun watching it.
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