One thing you can say about You’re Next is that it’s a hack and slash movie with a purpose, that much is certain. Some might say that every hack and slash has a purpose and that’s not wrong, but this time around the mayhem is brought on in a measured and barely controlled manner that appears to be random and kind of ridiculous since there’s no rhyme or reason to who’s getting killed and why. But as the movie continues the plot continues to settle and finally thicken when it’s revealed that the carnage does have a point to it and that the killers, despite being deranged and obviously out of their gourd just enough to take on this job, have been hired by someone on the inside. The animal masks are an interesting touch since they do lend a bit of a dramatic and eerie feel to the movie since the idea of not being able to see the face of one’s attacker is definitely terrifying as this is a fear that a lot of people would admit to when asked how it would affect their mental state.
But apart from this, the movie is a hack and slash like any other in the fact that it does show a great deal of violence and gore that people came to see when the movie was released in 2013. The sheer brutality that was unleashed with this movie was kind of impressive since it didn’t really waste a lot of time on exposition once the action started, and the kills weren’t that elaborate, but they were brutal. There’s something to be said for movies like this when they don’t waste a lot of time once the action is joined, since a lot of movies tend to fit as much exposition and drama into the scenes while the murders are occurring, and unfortunately, this can really slow things down and make it less appealing since the movie tends to drag on and on. The one thing that is kind of typical is that within the group there is someone that has the type of skill set that not only allows her to survive, but also allows her to take the fight to the killers since she’s trained in survival techniques and knows how to fight, at least somewhat.
Such an element is kind of needed in a horror movie such as this since otherwise, it’s likely that believing that anyone could survive becomes much more unlikely. The will to live that people display in a horror movie tends to be varied elements that can be strong in some and horribly weak in others as it’s been shown over the course of history. It’s interesting to think that some people, when presented with a situation such as this movie presents, might fold under the unprecedented pressure, while others will rise to the occasion and show themselves to be capable of doing something that no one would have ever guessed was possible. In other words, exposure to high-stress situations that are literally life and death appear to bring out different qualities in people that some might have never thought existed.
Is this movie predictable? Kind of, but not entirely. Does it deserve a little more credit? Yes, definitely, since among slasher movies it’s one of those that doesn’t feel as though it focuses on much more than the need to get the job done and to deal with the issues as they arise. The twist that shows how three of the family members conspired to kill the rest is kind of interesting since like a lot of horror movies it does bring in the element of greed and the lengths that some people are willing to go to get what they want right now instead of waiting years for it. But it also shows how the need to survive can force people into a higher gear, stripping away everything but the need to push forward and take that next breath, and ensure that there’s a chance that one will see the next sunrise, is a human trait that is shown quite often in movies but to various degrees. You’re Next is a movie that has at its core a very simple reason for the blood that’s spilled, but it definitely awakens something else in the final survivor since the killers bit off way more than they could chew with her.
Apparently, there was a lot of improvisation in this movie, which is why it does have a more realistic feel to it at times. But if one is watching carefully they can kind of tell just who’s going to get it next at times, since it’s not much of a secret in a movie like this that the kills are going to be set up in a way that is hinted at. Despite that, however, this movie is still worth watching.
Follow Us
