The next set of reviews we’ll be publishing are some of the ones Roger Thomas has done exclusively for The Stanly News & Press. Roger has written movie reviews for The Stanly News & Press and other outlets for years, long before starting this blog. So we decided it would be good to give readers a sample of his previous work, in addition to posts of reviews of current films. Other reviews will run daily.
Sharni Vinson comes out swinging in ‘You’re Next.’
This summer has produced horror films that have been impressive for their level of quality. I wrote very positively about the horror movie laced with social and political commentary entitled “The Purge.” I still believe it was one of the best films of the summer. Right behind “Purge,” with less commentary but many more scares, is “The Conjuring.” I liked these two films for multiple reasons and both are on my short list for showing at my annual Halloween Horror Movie Party.
And now, a third horror film that is worthy of an audience opens in theaters just as the summer is winding down. “You’re Next,” like the two previous titles, is a well-crafted movie with plenty of jolts, surprises, and of the three, the most gore.
“You’re Next” tells the story of a family gathering together to celebrate the parents’ anniversary. The couple has four grown children, three sons and a daughter. Each of the four siblings brings along a companion for the weekend. They all gather at a really large house that the extremely wealthy parents own. The audience knows that the neighbors down the road have been brutally murdered the night before, but at the start of the film, no one in the family seems to be aware of any danger lurking.
The script of the film does a fairly good job of distinguishing between the 10 people who come together in this large old house. Some of them are more likeable than others. Some of them survive longer than others. In a movie with a hefty body count, the trick is trying to guess who will survive the longest. Another hallmark of films like this is that the longer one survives, the more gruesome the death will most likely be.
Ultimately, the greatest strength of the script is that the film continues to surprise. There are hints along the way of what might happen, but there were plenty of moments that were jarring. This is not a “Friday the 13th” or Halloween movie with mindless slashing and very little plot. Between the violence, there is a clever and conceivable plot. It is the presence of this plot that elevated the film for me.
One aspect of the “Next” that really surprised me, and in a good way, was that the fact that when the credits rolled I thought to myself, “Well, I am not sure there could ever be a sequel to that.” Far too often these days it seems almost all horror movies are set up to launch new horror franchises. This practice lessons the impact of some film’s story.
Of the three good horror movies of the summer, “You’re Next” would be my third choice. It is good, almost surprisingly good, but I think it would lose something in repeat viewings because the secrets have been already revealed. On the other hand, I believe “The Conjuring” will always give viewers that wonderful feeling of surprise, no matter how many times they see it. Then there’s “The Purge,” my favorite for the ideas of the film, not the chills. These thoughts about society and where we could end up if we continue to pursue an “Every man for himself” attitude are debatable, but the very concept of a horror movie stimulating conversation is grand.
With that said, see all three. “You’re Next” may be third among the three, but it is still good enough for the price of ticket, especially if you like mysteries, odd families and “slasher” films.
Box Office results
Domestic gross: $18,494,006
Foreign gross: $NA
Production budget: $NA
Opening weekend: $7,020,196
NOTE: Information from Boxofficemojo.com
Cinema Corner 