You’re Next (PG) * * * *

A Cut Above!
By ROBERT WALDMAN

Noted scientist Charles Darwin once upon a time coined a theory called Survival of the Fittest. Trust EOne Entertainment to unleash You’re Next. Classic horror never looked so good or is so chic. Sure to be a cult favourite this snappy thriller is now truly freaking folks out at Empire Studio 12, Colossus and Cineplex Odeon Theatres across B.C.

Beware what you wish for. In You’re Next we have your typical family holding a reunion of sorts somewhere in the wilderness. It’s all part of a reconnecting effort when a mother and father decide to buy a new home and renovate. Being out in the middle of nowhere strange things begin to happen indoors. Not before long the gathered group turn into fodder for a gang of ghastly villains out to create a blood bath. What the intruders don’t reckon in is that this group will fight back and in particular they have to deal with one woman not afraid to mixing it up and getting it on an equally violent way.

Bad seeds don’t grow far from the root. Happy couple Erin and Crispin just want some time to get to know each other, along with brother Felix and his girl Zee. Expert acting from Sharni Vinson, A.J. Bowen, Nicholas Tucci and Wendy Glenn keep you guessing throughout this family affair wrecked by a gaggle of horrific huntsmen out to terrorize and destroy.

In the past there have been other haunted house/slasher films but You’re Next ramps up the fear and takes the violence to a new level. All sorts of “tools” come into play as you have a family fighting for their lives against a menacing never die element. Director Adam Wingard delivers 96 minutes of sheer terror without a dull moment. Even common household articles come into play in this fight to stay alive.

Blood flows freely and often in this sparkling, graphic testament to the need to stay alive versus some truly demented monsters. Ghastly fun, indeed! Only releasing this movie during the Halloween witching season could have made the impact even greater. Any way you slice it, and any time of year, You’re Next is an unabashed horror success that rejuvenates the genre thanks to top acting and unexpected jolts designed to keep you awake at night no matter where you take safe haven.