What happens when two young consenting adults engage in a sexual act? If it’s an ’80s slasher flick, they end up… dead! That’s just how 2011’s You’re Next begins. From that dramatic beginning, the film changes gears to a dysfunctional family gathering at a country house to celebrate the parents’ wedding anniversary. The families’ problems soon pale into insignificance when their country home becomes the target of brutal masked assailants.
While initially appearing to be a typical home invasion horror, director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett cleverly subvert the subgenre’s conventions with a darkly comic approach. The family are so detestable that it’s hard to feel sympathy for them as they are violently and satisfyingly picked off one by one.
The film’s standout element is Erin (Sharni Vinson), the girlfriend of one family member. Raised in a survivalist commune, Erin’s hidden skills transform her from a mild-mannered guest into a formidable opponent against the intruders. What that woman can do with a wrench!
Barrett’s humorous screenplay ensures that the surprises and body count keep on coming. Vinson’s performance is particularly noteworthy, convincingly portraying Erin’s evolution from supportive girlfriend to resourceful survivor.
John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13 and Halloween are obvious comparisons. Likewise, the film also echoes elements of The Strangers (2008) and Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs, but it’s by no means detrimental. Wingard takes the well-worn slasher/home-invasion tropes and has fun with them, expertly weaving them together.
Second Sight’s special features are always excellent and You’re Next is no exception. There are two commentaries: one with Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett and another with Wingard, Barrett, and stars Sharni Vinson and Barbara Crampton.
Also included are interviews with Wingard, Barrett, producers Keith Calder and Jess Wu Calder, as well as stars A.J. Bowen, Joe Swanberg, Amy Seimetz, and Production Designer Tom Hammock. A video essay by Tim Coleman, animated storyboards, and a vintage making-of documentary round of the proceedings.
