While filming a pilot for a new reality TV series, the
cast and crew are hunted down by a cannibalistic family. HORROR
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Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007)Directed by Joe Lynch
Written by Turi Meyer and Alfredo Septién Starring Erica Leerhsen, Henry Rollins, Texas Battle, Aleksa Palladino, Daniella Alonso, Steve Braun, Crystal Lowe, Ken Kirzinger, Jeff Scrutton Sequel to 2003’s Wrong Turn |
Wow. Talk about a movie which shows what the original could have been. A sequel which does exactly what they’re all supposed to do: improve on what didn’t work the first time around and give us more of the stuff that did. This is a film which takes the admittedly low expectations placed on it and completely shatters them, in turn creating a gory, fun, and scary good time at the movies. I’m not alone in this either. Widely considered by critics and longtime fans alike to be the best of the entire series, I was really looking forward to checking this one out. In a nutshell, I agree with them and this has quickly become my personal favorite of the films. So, let’s dig deeper and see what makes Wrong Turn 2: Dead End such a well beloved horror film.
To start, I have to give credit to Joe Lynch and his writing team on this one. I’m a big fan of Lynch’s other work and really admire his ability to balance scares, humor, and gore so well. All of this is evident in this installment. To the point that it actually feels like Lynch and the writers discovered the unique identity for this series which it needed a bit more of in the original installment. Instead of a bland roster of characters, we get a more unique cast who are far more memorable. The standout being Henry Rollins. His turn as an ex-Marine on the hunt to kill this sadistic family is extremely fun and funny. Speaking of which, the cannibals are even more fleshed out with the use of a new family and some twisted backstory. But don’t worry, Three Finger from the original still plays a part in the macabre proceedings. And, finally, the gore. Whereas the first film showed the good stuff occasionally, this installment goes all the way. The practical effects look great and make for some awesome kills. I got to give a lot of credit to Joe Lynch and his writing team for making such a darn good sequel. They literally upped everything from the original while also creating the franchise’s unique identity in the horror genre. Scary villains, great gore effects, memorable characters, humor, and some well-done horror references all come together for a fun movie to watch with some fellow horror hounds. |