You’re Next ***½ (R) My rating does not mean this is an above-average film. It’s an above-average slasher flick. The acting is mostly mediocre, and the set-up is standard. A bunch of people go to a big old house in the woods for a weekend celebration. Maimings ensue. But there are some crowd-pleasing novelties in the mix, even moments in which everyone in the audience is almost certain about what will happen next.
Instead of your typical group of young revelers, we’re served a wealthy family, with four adult kids and their partners re-connecting to help mom and dad celebrate their 35th anniversary. Some old resentments flare. Then after an almost tedious introductory phase, the mayhem cranks up rapidly, with plenty of diverse displays of splatter for genre fans. Several of the killings and plot twists are quite clever, as well, offering something fresh for discerning gorefest afficionados. Eventually we learn who the masked assailants are, and how their assault on this seemingly benign gathering relates to the opening pair of murders. For purely visceral escapist entertainment, this ranks as one of your better recent options. (8/23/13)