Tags
2000's, Desmond Harrington, Eliza Dushku, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Horror, Jeremy Sisto, Rob Schmidt, Wrong Turn
Film Title
Wrong Turn
Director
Rob Schmidt
Starring
- Desmond Harrington as Chris Flynn
- Eliza Dushku as Jessie Burlingame
- Emmanuelle Chriqui as Carly
- Jeremy Sisto as Scott
- Kevin Zegers as Evan
- Lindy Booth as Francine
- Julian Richings as Three Finger
- Garry Robbins as Saw Tooth
- Ted Clarke as One Eye
Rob Schmidt harks back to 70’s horror film such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills have Eyes with Wrong Turn, a derivative but effective slasher set in the West Virginia Mountains and woods. If it’s originality you’re looking for, this won’t be for you. If it’s a slasher film with nerve-shredding music, attractive cast and creepy assailants, Wrong Turn may well appeal to you.
Chris Flynn is a young doctor travelling through the West Virginia Mountains to an important meeting. Because of a chemical spill on one of the roads, he decides to take another route to get to his destination quicker. After taking this turn, he collides with a stalled SUV in the middles of the woods. The SUV belongs to six friends; Jessie, Carly, Scott, Francine and Evan. Their vehicle has stopped because someone has placed barbed wire on the road causing their tires to blow. Teaming up with the group, Chris follows them through the woods in search of help, while lovebirds Francine and Evan stay with the damaged vehicles and smoke pot. The rest of the group eventually come across a ramshackle cabin and they decide to enter. Once inside they realise that this is cabin does not exactly belong to the friendliest of people, as body parts, hoards of keys and blooded belongings to campers are discovered. Just as they are about to leave, the occupants arrive. It turns out they are cannibalistic mountain men who are horribly disfigured through generations of inbreeding. They have been turning the woods into a hunting ground and kill anyone who trespasses. Now it is a life or death battle as the group is pursued by the ravenous troika of mountain men. Cue for gory death, chases a plenty and the ambience of a 70’s horror flick as Wrong Turn shifts into fast gear and doesn’t let up until the end.
Whilst low on originality( the film owes more than a debt to Deliverance and Chainsaw Massacre), Wrong Turn still has enough thrills to last it’s 80 minute runtime. Rob Schmidt manages this through unusual camera angles and contrasting lighting. The make up department should be praised for creating menacing villains, we only get a few glances of their faces but the killers are still a startling sight. The trio is all the more scary for their interesting and modern hunting methods, one is a deft archer whilst another has an uncanny gift for smell. The atmospheric and exciting is perfectly attuned to the fast-moving pace of the film.
The two leads, Desmond Harrington and Eliza Dushku, turn in the heroics as the laconic de facto leader and athletic and resourceful babe of the bunch. Jeremy Sisto as the wise-cracking best friend has his moments, but is chronically underused. Emmanuelle Chriqui is also lumbered with an uninteresting character, the screaming girl of the bunch who is basically there to eventually die in some gruesome way. The lack of character development with these two can be distracting, though you probably won’t notice because of the breakneck speed of Wrong Turn.Although it has its fair share of gore( one victim has her mouth torn open with rusted barbed wire), it is the things we don’t see that are most chilling. This is illustrated when the cannibals arrive home and the young group who are hiding, watch in horror as the cannibals eat their daily meal of another unwitting teenager. We don’t really see anything, it is what we hear that makes the blood run cold. Schmidt manages some thrilling, nail-biting sequences such as the group’s discovery of a car and caravan necropolis and their attempt to sneak out of the cabin without becoming the next meal for the trio of mountain men.
So in short, Wrong Turn doesn’t bring anything new to the table. But, it does have two interesting lead characters, some seriously scary killers and a relentless pace that leaves the knuckles white and the blood chilled. Not the best horror film but one that surely packs a punch with gruesome discoveries and eerie surroundings.
davecrewe said:
This is a good summary and review of the film – nothing particularly original, nothing particular amazing, just a decent execution of hillbilly horror/survival horror with a retro feel. Have you seen the sequels? They, uh, take a slightly different approach 😉
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comment. No I haven’t seen the sequels yet.
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davecrewe said:
I’d recommend the second one, though it’s a very, very different film from the first, taking a much more comedic, over-the-top approach. The next few sequels are mean-spirited trash, though I guess there’s worse trashy horror out there.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the reply, I may consider seeing the second one when I get time.
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Terry Malloy's Pigeon Coop said:
Nice review mate. Not a bad watch by any means, just nothing particularly brilliant either. I’ve seen a lot worse, though!
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, yeah it’s not that bad. As you’ve said, there have been worse movies than this.
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liamdoesfilm said:
Good review 🙂 I think the film is good for what it is and well it does horrify, wouldn’t bother much with the sequels i thnk the producers definitely took a wrong turn there.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, I may skip the sequels on that note.
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TBM said:
Might add this to my October scare-fest list.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, it would be a great addition to that list. Let me know your thoughts on it when you get round to seeing it.
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teny said:
Nice take; nothing new or innovative, still engaging. I like the movies of the series in this order – 2, 1, 3; they lost the plot with 4 and 5.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comment, I had been told that the series went off the rails after 3.
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Parlor of Horror said:
This is one of my fave films from the genre and it was all because of a good script and solid execution – I like it better than The Hills Have Eyes! I would avoid the sequels, some of them were so cheaply made the face make-up looks like its gonna’ fall off! A couple of the later ones were made for SyFy, if that tells you anything 😉
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comment man. Thanks for the advice regarding the sequels.
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lauren said:
It’s a fun film but I could have done with more of the lovely Jeremy Sisto.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comment.
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Nafees said:
one of my most favorite horror movies
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vinnieh said:
Thanks yeah it’s one I do enjoy watching.
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Alex said:
As a huge Eliza Duskhu fan, I do love this movie! It is the best of the franchise (mainly in part because it is the most serious of the bunch… the rest are a little…. eh… corny is not the word, or is it…?) I have had a few marathons of the entire series though….
Most epic scene in the movie? That FANTASTIC leap/jump/twist out of the watch tower near the end! lol
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vinnieh said:
I haven’t seen any of the other movies and don’t really have any desire too. That watchtower sequence was great, but the creepy part for me is when the cannibals return to their cabin and the four people hiding have to witness their dinner.
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Alex said:
Yea – I can’t imagine witnessing that and remaining unseen and unheard. Scenes like that are very powerful… how about Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning when she is hiding under the work table as that saw comes through…… ALL THE FEELS…
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vinnieh said:
It’s chilling to think about that’s for sure. I don’t think I’d be able to remain silent.
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beetleypete said:
I have seen a couple of these, and they are competent enough. OK for a telly watch, and decent examples of an overplayed genre. You hit the review spot just right mate.
Cheers, Pete.
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vinnieh said:
It is a largely derivative affair, but fun at the same time. Not a sterling example of horror but not the worst either.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I thought this was kind of “meh” as well, but I will watch anything with Eliza Dushku!
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vinnieh said:
She’s a kick ass chick with sexiness to boot.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Have you seen the series Dollhouse with her?
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vinnieh said:
No I haven’t but that title intrigues me.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
It didn’t last long–I think two seasons(?) but I thought it was pretty good.
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vinnieh said:
Why is it that there are really good shows that are short lived and then absolute rubbish that goes on forever? Never makes sense.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Such a good question.😕
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vinnieh said:
It is one of those things that really pisses me off. Particularly when you have crappy reality television that runs for ages and takes up airing space of quality shows.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
😡😡😡😡
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vinnieh said:
I feel your annoyance there Kim.
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vinnieh said:
Oh and I just started following a very good blog that focuses on horror that I know you’ll like. https://biggayhorrorfan.wordpress.com/
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Cool! Thanks Binnie!
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vinnieh said:
I know you’ll like that blog. Let me know what you thought.
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vinnieh said:
And as I know you are a fan of naughtiness, here was one of the first posts I saw on his site. https://biggayhorrorfan.wordpress.com/2013/10/28/the-backside-of-horror-martin-kemp-and-harrison-pruett-embrace-of-the-vampire/
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Vinnie. I’ll be sure to check it out.😊
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vinnieh said:
I’ve got an inkling you’ll find it sexy.
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