Wrong Turn review.
It’s been twenty years since Wrong Turn hit theaters. Let’s take a look back at the minor 2003 hit that spawned five sequels and a reboot.
Classic movie reviews will contain spoilers.
Wrong Turn
Directed by Rob Schmidt
Written by Alan B. McElroy
Starring Eliza Dushku, Desmond Harrington, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jeremy Sisto, Kevin Zegers and Lindy Booth
Wrong Turn Review
Ahh…the early 2000s. Don’t get me wrong…there was some real good stuff in that era. Shaun of the Dead, The Others, The Ring, Final Destination, May, Dog Soldiers, Ginger Snaps…there’s good stuff in any era. But this was also the period that saw the worst Scream movie, Jason in space, Busta Rhymes fight Michael Myers and everything started getting a remake. Often referred to as the post-Scream era. Not because every movie felt the need to have a meta-commentary on the genre…that’s always been an inaccurate take…because no one knew what to do next.
2003 brought us Wrong Turn. I can’t really tell you that it knew what to do either. But it does commit to a simpler, more straightforward, story than you’d expect. It doesn’t take many risks along the way…but it does find some fun in its inbred cannibal monster chase. It boasts a fine cast and some good creature effects. Kills and chase scenes keep the pace moving well enough.
The biggest knock against Wrong Turn is that there’s nothing especially memorable about it. As time goes by, movies start to be judged by how they hold up more and more. Wrong Turn holds up well. So many movies from the era look and feel dated (primarily the ones with an abundance of CGI) that it really shows what some make-up and practical effects can do for a film’s longevity. The cannibals (Three Finger, One Eye and Saw Tooth) don’t suffer the same fate as CGI monsters of the early 2000s because they’re performed by actors in kick ass make-up design. They’re probably the most memorable thing about the picture. Compare that to the virtual reality sequence in Jason X, released a year earlier. Just one of many examples.
The perpetual motion of the story also helps Wrong Turn work for modern eyes. It wastes little time getting into the action and sustains it throughout the movie. Our characters meet after a car accident…giving us six young people to watch try to survive. As mentioned, the movie doesn’t take risks…so you’re probably going to guess who will be left standing pretty quickly. You can probably guess the order they’ll fall in based solely on how they’re introduced or familiar their faces are. Still, predictability doesn’t hurt a movie when the journey can provide thrills. Wrong Turn does.
Those familiar faces include Eliza Dushku, Jeremy Sisto and Emmanuelle Chriqui. The acting in Wrong Turn is (no pun intended) a cut above most slashers of the time. Sure, they all went for faces that CW would cast in a teen dramedy if they could (and in some cases did) …but Wrong Turn gets some of the better ones. There’s some star quality in the bunch that shines through the dirty, bloody nature of the film.
The standout sequence in the film involves our heroes hiding in the cannibals’ cabin as their friend is dismembered in front of them. It’s mostly an implied dismemberment (they weren’t ready to go full Art the Clown) but it really works as a frightening piece of business. The kind of horror that will always play to an audience…regardless of era.
From there it’s a standard cat and mouse (or cats and mice) game through the woods. The cannibals at home in the environment…the intruders lost and running for their lives. Standard as it may be…it works. Like the creature effects and cabin scene…it will always work. By keeping things moving and focusing on a simple, familiar story…Wrong Turn accidentally unlocked the secret to longevity. A lack of risks keeps it from consideration as a classic. The familiar pursuit and in camera magic won’t allow it to become outdated either.
If you’re looking for extended chases with memorable monsters decapitating innocent victims…Wrong Turn gives you what you want. More importantly, if you’re looking for a movie from the early 2000s that holds up due to its practical effect fueled kills and fine pacing…Wrong Turn gives you that too. We weren’t always so lucky when it came to the early aughts.
Scare Value
Wrong Turn is a surprisingly straightforward movie in a post-Scream horror world. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, focusing its efforts on an extended cat and mouse survival game. It does what it tries well enough to be entertaining…but leaves you wishing it had more ambition. For its era, however, Wrong Turn is (and holds up) better than most.
3/5
Wrong Turn Links
Rent/Buy on VOD from VUDU
Buy on Blu-Ray from Amazon
Wrong Turn Trailer
If you enjoyed this review of Wrong Turn, check out another movie celebrating a 20th anniversary…Darkness Falls
