You're Next

Adam Wingard has been struggling lately. While I thoroughly enjoyed Pop Skull and A Horrible Way To Die, his entries in ABC's of Death and both V/H/S anthologies came off as sloppy and lazy, too focused on getting cosy with his group of fellow directors (Ti West, Joe Swanberg, Simon Barrett) instead of producing good films. With the release of You're Next, things are looking up though.

Then again, You're Next was actually shot before he did the anthology projects, held back until now by a battle of rights between Lions Gate and Paramount. It's a small miracle that You're Next still ended up in theaters, especially when you consider the film isn't exactly megaplex material. At first sight it may look like a pretty typical house invasion flick (think Ils or The Strangers), but there's a bit more to Wingard's setup.

The film starts with a family reunion in a remote vacation house. Even though the family strains are obvious from the start, the quarrels and bickering between the brothers and sisters isn't all that out of the ordinary. It doesn't take too long before arrows are whizzing through the windows though, while the family feuds are quickly replaced by genuine panic and a renewed sense of survival instinct.

The killers are both deadly and creepy, but You're Next is actually a mixture of horror and dark comedy. Even though the score (pretty awesome) and visuals (atmospheric camera work) may suggest otherwise, the overly manic screams and blunt kills make it clear that this film isn't just about the scares and gore. It's a nice little twist, although Wingard never really goes 100% in, which weighs on both the horror and the comedy aspects of the film.

In the end You're Next shows a lot of potential, but is bogged down just a tad too much by its schizophrenic nature. It's a solid horror flick with some good smirks and creepy moments, but a feeling remains that Wingard could've made a better film if he'd just opted for a purer execution (either straight-up horror of unapologetic horror/comedy).