Wrong Turn (2003)
It's the last one you'll ever make
Starring: Desmond Harrington, Eliza Dushku, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jeremy Sisto, Lindy Booth, Julian Richings, Kevin Zegers, Garry Robbins, Ted Clark, Yvonne Gaudry, David Huband, Joel Harris, Wayne Robson
Director: Rob Schmidt
Running Time: 90 minutes
US MPAA rating: N/AUK BBFC rating: 18
Action, Horror, Thriller, (teeny horror)
Randy Newman once said that rednecks 'don't know their ass from a hole in the ground.' Well, 'Wrong Turn' doesn't provide any evidence of that per se, but it doesn't exactly portray cabin-dwelling mountain folk as nicely-raised, well-mannered and impeccably-hygienic either. Oh well, at least they've got their looks. Don't they?
This mega-formulaic slasher flick follows a troop of easy-on-the-eye twenty-somethings as they run around the West Virginian woods with a trio of inbred munters in hot pursuit. Chris (Desmond Harrington) is the unfortunate doctor who joins forces with five gormless holiday-makers (including Eliza Dushku from 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer') after his car crashes into theirs on a remote dirt road. From then on it's run-for-your-life time as the slobbering hicks close-in and, one by one, hack their way gleefully through the cast.
Other than some flashed-up images of newspaper clippings to set the scene as the opening credits appear, no effort is made to explore the origins of said yokels or how they've been getting away with their murderous and presumably-cannibalistic ways for so long. Why bother when you can just dive straight into the grunting and slicing? After all, who's going to question the criminal motives of a group of people so horribly unattractive? They're just plain ugly, and that's all we need to know.
The tale borrows heavily from the likes of 'Deliverance' (which even gets a mention), 'The Hills Have Eyes' and 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', but there's a teeny feel to the whole thing with the apparent intention of bringing it in line with 'Scream' and other contemporary horrors. Director Rob Schmidt does a good job of building the tension, but it would work much better if it wasn't so wholly predictable. Everything you think will happen inevitably does, and you can even take a pretty good guess at the order in which the characters will be picked off.
It's Got: Wheezing hoof-handed mountain-types.
It Needs: To add some real shocks to all that tension.
Alternatives: Review by Anton Bitel, Deliverance, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, Breakdown
Summary: A predictable but well-made slasher - it would be much better if only it didn't stick so rigidly to a formula we all know off by heart.
Review by Gary Panton
Review Date: 7th January 2003
External Links
Wrong Turn at the IMDB
Comments13 Comments |
| Theirs has no apostrophe! |
| Comment by:- Kevin Riley | | 05 May 2004 | ip: logged |
| Indeed not and we have removed the errant apostrophe. Thanks for letting us know. |
| Comment by:- Editor | | 05 May 2004 | ip: logged |
| As the man responsible, I apologise to all who were unfortunate enough to come across the apostrophe in question. I promise my grammar will be much gooder in future! |
| Comment by:- Gary Panton | | 02 August 2004 | ip: logged |
| This film is difficult to describe. The film gos nowhere. There is one really suspensfull moment in which we see a character in the back of the car. But thats it. The plot goes nowhere and the ending feels as if the writer couldn't think how to end the story and just came up with it. I took it back to asda and brought Hulk. |
| Comment by:- grant | | 28 August 2004 | ip: logged |
| Ignore my last review i thought it was dead end. |
| Comment by:- grant | | 28 August 2004 | ip: logged |
| Super acting by Emmanuelle Chrinqui. Oh and by the way, I love the character name !lol (my name is Carly) |
| Comment by:- Carky | | 29 August 2004 | ip: logged |
| Its a bone chilling thrill its a very disturbing movie I liked the movie but the ending seemed to have just left us hanging and I also wonder about the man in the gas staton he looks a bit like he were part of the incest family.Is he? Whats the story behind the man at the gas staion?Please explain this to me.I definatly would like to see a sequal to Wrong turn.What happens to the last survivers? |
| Comment by:- Brittnay | | 06 September 2004 | ip: logged |
| I agree with Brittnay and HOPE they will provide, eventually, a sequal to this cool thriller. Yea, some hated but everyone's entitled the 'their' opinions!!! I Loved it and in accordance the end? C'mon...don't leave us in suspense! Give us a sequal!!! And, yes, IF utterly possible, Keep the Cast!!! Eliza Dushku and well, the guy. Sorry, forgot his name :( But PLEASE Let them be in it unless you make it just as good if not better, if there MUST be a new cast. I watched it a few times. Well, I had no choice. My 1st 2 attempts at recording on my digital cable box had long stopped pauses during the movie and well digital garb. It took 2 more tries which were the best!! I won't go dish!!!! Anyway, let's get a sequal sometime soon???? |
| Comment by:- Anjel | | 01 October 2004 | ip: logged |
| Desmond Harrington The guy I meant! Sorry people!!! |
| Comment by:- Anonymous | | 01 October 2004 | ip: logged |
| It is not a classic by any stretch of the imagination. Still, I would not want to watch it before heading out on a trip through the woods. Nope, not at all. |
| Comment by:- DKSmit | | 05 November 2004 | ip: logged |
| i hope there will be atleast a prequel or sequel to wrong turn |
| Comment by:- nathan | | 05 December 2004 | ip: logged |
| Be interesting to find out how the cannibals came to be there ( with no women )living together. I heard at one point that the cannibals were going to be shown having 'relations' with the dead bodies but they decided against it as they thought it would take away from the plot too much. Anyone else hear this? |
| Comment by:- Missacorah | | 03 January 2005 | ip: logged |
| This movie ruled, it kept me interested and entained the whole time. I loved the gory scenes and the mountain men were cool. |
| Comment by:- matt30 | | 22 May 2005 | ip: logged |
