Review by Ben Bussey
I daresay we’ve all been to family get-togethers at which we’ve quietly fantasised about something along these lines. Feigning joy at being reunited with blood relations with whom we share almost nothing but mutual resentment and contempt, obliged to discuss what we’re doing with our lives and (invariably) our careers, what we’ve achieved, what a shame it is we’re not doing as well as so-and-so, and shouldn’t we consider doing this instead… honestly, haven’t we all from time to time wished a band of homicidal masked maniacs would start peppering the place with crossbow bolts and spare us further indignity?
A great deal can be said about the plot of You’re Next, though it would prove hard to do so without venturing into spoilers – which, fear not, I intend to avoid here. While the central idea is strong, there are without doubt some elements which may strain credibility just a little. And yet, it works. It all works. While there’s an overriding air of naturalism, this is still very much a horror movie, very much following horror movie logic – which means, of course things happen which wouldn’t in the real world. And while it’s all played outwardly straight, it’s positively gushing with gallows humour from start to finish. (Particularly the finish. No lie, I genuinely barked with laughter at least three times in the final moments.)
Up until now, I really haven’t been feeling the Adam Wingard love. Plenty of people, including some of my Brutal As Hell cohorts, have hailed him as one of the best and most original horror filmmakers to emerge in recent years. To be fair I’ve still yet to see any of Wingard’s other features, but what I have seen – his contributions to V/H/S and The ABCs of Death – did not impress me in the slightest. All I got from them was hipster smugness and casual misogyny. All this being the case, I wasn’t expecting much from You’re Next. From the premise and what little I knew of the director, I anticipated something far more mean-spirited and sleazy, with dumber characters, cheesier dialogue, and more excessive violence, most likely with a sexual element. I’m very happy to say I was wrong on all counts. Other than wishing he’d turn the lights up a little and not shake the damn camera quite so much, I have nothing to say against Wingard’s work here.
Not only is You’re Next a refreshing step away from the predominant rape and torture fetishism of recent years – it is also manages to keep its fanboy elements in check. Absolutely, Wingard’s film wears its influences on its sleeve, from its Claudio Simonetti-esque synth score (very nice work from Mads Heldtberg, Jasper Justice Lee and Kyle McKinnon) to the Nancy Thompson-esque survivalist tactics employed by Sharni Vinson’s heroine, to the presence of scream queen legend Barbara Crampton in the mother role. But there’s no nudge-nudge wink-wink, no smug “see what we did there?” moments. It doesn’t beat you over the head with explicit references, and – praise be – it doesn’t ape a 70s/80s aesthetic in that wanky neo-grindhouse way. It may honour the spirit of yesteryear, but it’s very much a modern movie – and, while it’s perhaps not quite unique enough to be a gamechanger, I certainly hope it’s a good barometer for the kind of horror movies we can expect in the future, in which entertainment value is valued over fucked-upness.
Yes – You’re Next is first and foremost about having a good time. Forget about the guys in animal masks bursting through the window. Whatever the (frankly misrepresentative) marketing* might lead you to think, this really isn’t every home invasion movie from Ils to The Purge all over again. This is a smart blend of character-based melodrama with heavy comedic overtones, where the emphasis is not on pain and torment but on the personal journey of these characters. As such, it’s a great ensemble piece. The fraternal relationship between AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg and Nicholas Tucci is brilliantly realised; we don’t need to hear specifics to recognise decades of deep-seated tension and mistrust, and all three actors carry it off beautifully. I was a little apprehensive to see Ti West cast as a filmmaker – that’s about as near as You’re Next gets to the dreaded ‘nudge-nudge wink-wink’ – but happily this element was not overemphasised (and you just know the makers of this movie have been asked the same ridiculous questions Swanberg asks West here). We also have great work in the parent roles from Rob Moran, and of course Barbara Crampton. On which note… pardon me, but holy shit, Barbara Crampton. No word of exaggeration – you’d be forgiven for thinking they cast a 27 year old actress and put the tiniest dab of silver in her hair. She has still got it. And of course she’s still a damn fine actress, as well as being damn fine in general.
However, there is absolutely no question as to who owns this movie – and it’s Sharni Vinson. Again, this is someone I had no expectation of going in, having never seen her act before (I know, I can’t believe I missed Step Up 3D either), and as I was aware going in that she’d turn out to be a kick-ass heroine, I won’t deny a little anxiety in the first twenty minutes or so. Once again – adopts Kevin Spacey Lex Luthor voice – WRONG!** Rest assured, this is not I Spit On Your Grave 2; our heroine does not suddenly muster superhuman strength and a head full of military tactics out of thin air. Yes, the explanations behind her skills are a little larger than life, but – once again – this is a horror movie, and a little larger-than-lifeness tends to be part of the deal. The main thing is – she absolutely convinces, not only as someone with the ability to put boot to bottom with much gusto, but also as a (relatively) ordinary young woman going through quite the emotional rollercoaster. I’m so sorry I missed this in the cinema, as I can so easily imagine the kind of huge cheers some of her biggest scenes might have garnered from an enthusiastic audience. I certainly hope we see more of Sharni Vinson in the future, as she’s clearly got what it takes to be a grade-A action heroine. (And look, I got through that whole paragraph without once mentioning feminism…)
Watch all the way to the end of the credits, and you’ll see that the thank-you list ends with a simple “thanks for watching.” In a curious kind of way, that says it all. Sure, we could dissect You’re Next this way and that, relate it to the state of the modern family, modern employment problems, modern gender roles, the global financial crisis, and so on and so forth… but when all is said and done, You’re Next is only a movie, as someone said once or twice. It keeps things simple, aiming to captivate and entertain its audience throughout, and to handle some relatively sophisticated ideas without being all smarty-pants about it. You’re Next succeeds admirably in all these goals – and if, like me, you missed it on the big screen (not hard to do, as it really didn’t get the release it deserved), then here’s your first essential bit of DVD viewing for 2014 (and an eleventh-hour entry into my 2013 top ten).
You’re Next is out on Region 2 DVD and Blu-Ray on 13th January 2014, from Lionsgate.
* Another thing that might surprise you given the marketing – we don’t hear Perfect Day once.
** Strangely fitting how that’s the only memorable line in Superman Returns, don’t you think?