You're Next - A Movie Review

Stay away from the windows. Someone is out there!

You’re Next is a 2011 film. The Davidson family gets together for dinner. Except, it’s not the happy evening they were hoping for. Attacked by mysterious killers wearing ominous masks, one family member unexpectedly fights back.

When you notice a horror film getting a lot of recommendations then you need to put it on your watch list. You’re Next is your average home invasion film. I didn’t find the film original and to me, the film has too much hype copying most tropes and themes. However, the best aspect of this film is the female protagonist.

Whether you like them or hate them, the characters don’t matter in You’re Next. Playing your typical dysfunctional family, most scenes contain a lot of quarreling. And I mean a lot of quarreling. The dinner scene is drowned out by everyone talking and fighting over one another. The ensemble's main duties are fighting and getting killed in gruesome butchering.

The film is obviously more about the kills than any character development. Sans for one character. Erin (Sharni Vinson) is a survival powerhouse! Has anyone nicknamed her ‘a female Kevin McCallister?’ Acquiring fantastic survival skills, this character deserves an award for her toughness. The film is worth watching for Vinson’s performance.

If anything, You’re Next taught viewers what to do if they are ever in a sadistic situation like this. Erin teaches the others how to dodge a window safely, mend an injury, and how to make other traps. Did her backstory really need to be explained?

As for the sadistic killers, they’re here to kill people and that’s it. They have creepy appearances. You don’t want to see them outside your window. However, with the revelation, these characters had more depth than expected. That was interesting.

Adam Wingard added clever twists. It’s the usual setup for a home invasion film. To increase the tension, You’re Next was shot entirely with handheld cameras.

Let’s talk about the location. An antique home that was empty for twelve years was completely trashed for this film. In a way, the house is also a character. The house takes the most hits out of anyone. The props department designed creepy animalistic masks.

Maybe it’s because I’ve seen a lot of home invasion films where the killers wear masks, but I didn’t find this film scary. You’re Next is just another incorporation that experiments with what else you can do with the scenario. No doubt, home invasion is scary along with this film.

The film tries a hand at dark comedy. I’ll admit, it worked. There’s no emotion at play though. Am I supposed to feel sorry for these characters? With the revelation of what is really going on, all I can do is shake my head at their actions.

Did we really need to understand why all this is happening? The idea is not as original. Of course, the film is all about the murders and not the story.

The film is violent and bloody. Very bloody. An excessive amount of blood is used. So bloody that it is splattered on the walls, soaked in the rug, and all over the shattered windows. The villains use weaponry like arrows, shooting into characters' backs or even their heads.

You’re Next is not a film I’d rewatch. The whole premise is brutal and sadistic. Every minute someone is murdered in the most grotesque way. As the film continues, blood covers every part of the house.

If you want to watch You’re Next, go ahead. Others will have another opinion.