Wrong Turn 2 (2007)

Director: Joe Lynch

Starring: Erica Leerhsen, Henry Rollins

Run Time: 93 mins

Certificate: 18

 

Plot Outline: Six contestants taking part in a survival reality TV show find themselves pitted against a family of hideously deformed and inbred cannibals in the woods in West Virginia.

The Review: A belated sequel to 2003's Wrong Turn, you would be forgiven for thinking that this would be a straight rehash with more blood, guts and a bigger body count. That's what horror sequels are supposed to do, right? Well if you think that Wrong Turn 2 is going to be any different, you're wrong! Sticking to the same formula of a bunch of pretty boys and hot chicks being stranded in the woods and hunted down one-at-a-time by a bunch of inbred cannibals, it surprisingly doesn't seem stale at all. The original Wrong Turn is a particular favourite of mine from the last ten years of horror films, simply because it didn't skimp on the visuals when someone was sliced and diced. It got nasty when it needed to and it was just a fun all-round watch (having Eliza Dushku in a glorious white top didn't harm things either). This sequel sticks rigidly to the formula and ups the ante with some more gruesome kills - in fact some of the best damn kills I've seen for years.

The original tried to go for a more serious atmosphere more akin to one of the late 70s backwoods horror films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This one goes for the jugular and becomes just a fun, light-hearted, no-brains hardcore splatter fest! The pacing is cranked up. There's more characters to dispose of (the good ol' "sequels have a higher body count rule") and the blood flows freely. One of the reasons the film works is because of the script. Not just your cut-and-rush job like most sequels, the writers actually spend a bit of time getting us used to the characters before all hell breaks loose. Granted the characters are all stock (the slut, the comic relief, token black guy, ex-army ranger, etc) but at least some of them are made out to be more than just things where axes and sharp objects should be inserted. Even the inbred cannibals are given some development - you realise towards the end of the film that they're not just maniacs but actually a loving family who know no better than the life they have chosen. It still doesn't stop the brutality though and believe me, lovers of gore and splatter will find plenty to marvel here. I don't really want to spoil the film for those who may be pondering a look but there's some hilarious deaths, some nasty ones and some of both. The film opens with a kick ass kill and it doesn't let up from there right until the final showdown. Get the sick bags ready. Out of the cast, you'll no doubt recognise Erica Leerhsen from the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre but that's about it for the younger cast. It's rapper-turned-spoken word maestro Henry Rollins who steal the show as the gung-ho presenter of the reality show who reverts to type when the threat of the cannibals hits home. Also of note is the gigantic Ken Kirzinger who plays the dad of the cannibal family - this is one big dude you don't want to mess with.