A man headed for a job interview ends up running into a group of
vacationers and a family of cannibal hillbillies after attempting a shortcut. HORROR
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Wrong Turn (2003)Directed by Rob Schmidt
Written by Alan B. McElroy Starring Desmond Harrington, Eliza Dushku, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jeremy Sisto, Kevin Zegers, Lindy Booth, Julian Richings |
Here’s an interesting horror series. One which had only this installment released in theaters and was met with a modest reception at the box office. It certainly wasn’t anyone’s guess that five straight-to-video sequels and a recently released reboot would follow after. But, it did and now here we are with a long running horror series. It’s literally the little horror series which just won’t stop. I don’t know if it’s the gore, the villains themselves, or the later sequels gratuitous sex scenes, but it’s been a success so far. So, because of the surprise success and the recently released reboot, I decided to go back and check these films out. Do they stand the test of time? Or they passable entertainment or something more akin to the Leprechaun franchise? Let’s find out and start at the very beginning.
Admittedly, right off the bat, it’s easy to see why this wasn’t a huge hit at the box office. The plot isn’t exactly the most original I’ve seen in horror. If you’re familiar with films like The Hills Have Eyes and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, then you know how this goes. A group of young college students end up lost in the wrong area of town and a group of cannibalistic freaks start to pick them off one by one. Nothing new here. And now that I’ve mentioned the young group of characters, on to my next point. The cast doesn’t do a whole lot to stand out, rather, they are forgettable. To be even honest with you, I only recognized Eliza Dushku. And that is only because I’m a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Not all is lost, though. The gore effects, at least the ones they do show, are actually really good and boosted by tremendous practical effects. The villains also benefit from some great makeup effects and are suitably terrifying. I’m honestly impressed with how this has become such a long running horror franchise. It’s not even that this movie is terrible. It’s merely just a serviceable film which offers some great grotesquely good gore effects and villain design. It’s just hampered down by forgettable characters and a tired plotline. |