You're Next (2013), R, 3 stars

Two frightened people cuddling after seeing the sign.

Another good horror movie? Wow, we had The Conjuring, which I thought was the scariest film I have seen in a long time, even better than the slasher film last year, The Cabin in the Woods (which I still thought was very good too). But, this movie is more than just a slasher film. The genre of horror integrates itself with the genre of a dysfunctional black comedy.

The setup is that the Davison family gathers for an anniversary party celebrating the 35th anniversary of the parents (Rob Moran and Barbara Crampton). Each child has brought home a date and mockingly insults each other verbally and with some rude gestures. The family's boyfriends and girlfriends are not making a very good first impression. Imagine somebody bringing a boyfriend or a girlfriend to a party and you might not know what expectations he or she will bring.

This looks kind of stupid to begin with setting up the booby traps with arrows coming out the walls. Arrows come out through the windows and attack the victims by the arrows come through their heads and dying. Basically, the set up in a horror movie is when you have a secluded or suspicious building and people come in. You know that all of the victims will be traumatized and killed. Most of the scary suspense and jumps would be predictable, but they work out in a little cleverly way.

The masked killers.

"You're Next" is a violent horror movie, for sure, but most of the fates presented on the screen deliver unexpected chuckles. It's more on the league with the campy horror comedy with Sam Raimi's Evil Dead. The characters in this movie are not that interesting and we do not really root for anybody. I actually cared more about the story than the characters and in that particular aspect, it's a weakness.

The killers in this movie, however, create a nice touch when they wear on animalistic figures as masks as disguises. Director Adam Wingard creates some sort of intelligent aspect with these killers echoing John Carpenter's movies.

So, as you can see, I'm keeping this review short and sweet because I hate spoiling on what happens to these main characters and attackers. I think this is kind of a stupid, silly horror comedy but with some creative and fresh aspirations around the characters and story. I consider this as a marginal recommendation.

***