You're Next

****
Release Date: August 30th 2013

When the Davison family comes under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway, the gang of mysterious killers soon learns that one of the victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back.

Director: Adam Wingard (V/H/S, V/H/S 2)

Starring: Sharni Vinson, Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen

The key to a successful horror with plenty of characters is to have a fairly unknown cast so as not to side with anyone that the audience already knows (e.g an A-list celebrity).

This is top notch with You're Next, as the Davison family slowly turn up one by one at a country home for a reunion. We at first follow ne'er-do-well Crispian (A.J. Bowen) and Australian girlfriend Erin (Sharni Vinson), leading us to believe that these will be the ones to focus on, the ones that we will be routing for their survival. This is upset by the switch of restrictive narrative (following the family) to omniscient (seeing the events of all participants) halfway through the film. This works in our favour because You're Next offers us the mystery thriller genre followed by survival thriller; what are the intentions of the killers... is it a random attack?

'I just want you all to know, how much it means to us that you're all here' says the mother, knowing full well the rifts already set between (mainly) the brothers. The irony of it is part of a vast list of generic codes and conventions horror/thillers have to offer. The most notable are decisions built from quick thoughts (the Dad letting the daughter out of the house on her own), people screaming SO loud, making them easier to find, and the Scooby-Doo classic, splitting up.

All of this is done with a pinch of dark and dry humour. The use of a blender as a weapon is both gory and funny.

The biggest cliche of them all arises mid point when the audience finds out one of the characters isn't as useless as the rest. An unexpected heroine appears, popping out as the femme fatale.

You're Next is always a step ahead of the audience, just when you think you're done working it out, another unpredictable hand has been dealt.

Overview: Plenty of gore, plenty of slapstick foolery. Keeps you guessing until the end.