Film review: You’re Next (4 out of 10)

I was in a bit of a quandary after seeing this horror movie - was it supposed to be funny in places or not?
By Steve Payne
Published 3rd Sep 2013, 10:58 BST

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Sharni Vinson in You're NextSharni Vinson in You're Next
Sharni Vinson in You're Next

If it wasn’t then we were all laughing when we shouldn’t have been. If it was, then it was another reason to dismiss the movie.

Watching the trailer, I was expecting a seriously dark tale of a family being terrorised by mysterious men in animal masks.

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What I got was some death scenes so over the top that I wondered if this was some kind of spoof film.

Sharni Vinson in You're NextSharni Vinson in You're Next
Sharni Vinson in You're Next

In fact, one scene reminded me of Shaun of the Dead with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost clubbing a zombie for around a minute.

You’re Next starts in the right horror frame of mind with two people being attacked in a house in America.

The scene then moves to a neighbouring home where a couple are celebrating their wedding anniversary at their country estate.

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They’ve invited their (grown-up) children who arrive with their other halves.

However, it becomes clear that the siblings have issues and during a meal-time argument (ridiculously over the top) the masked men begin their assault.

Director Adam Wingard then decides to use the hand-held camera technique to extreme - it looks as if it’s being thrown around the room rather than held.

Wingard also uses the old trick of dramatic loud music to make you jump.

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Murder and mayhem ensue until one of the girlfriends, Erin, start to fight back.

The reason why she is able to do is rather convoluted but by now I’d given up on the plot.

I’d also given up asking myself why the killers continued to wear sight-limiting masks even when it didn’t matter anymore.

Sharni Vinson who plays Erin is best known for her time in the Aussie TV soap Home and Away.

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She’s pretty good in this role, but to be honest doesn’t have a great deal of competition.

Amy Seimetz, currently fascinating audiences in the controversial intellectual movie Upstream Colour, has a brief role.

Wingard and writer Simon Barrett have worked together before on A Horrible Way To Die and their bit of V/H/S.

And there’s elements of You’re Next that promise a lot.

The final twists and turns are OK, but can’t make up for the disappointment that preceded them.

The movie was actually made in 2011 but only just released.

Perhaps they should have left it on the shelf.

Film details: You’re Next (18)

Director: Adam Wingard

Starring: Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci

Screening courtesy of Cineworld Crawley