[nyrating]

Just like his friend Joe Swanberg with Drinking Buddies (2013), low-budget horror director Adam Wingard turns a bit more to the mainstream with his new film, You’re Next. In contrast to his prior films like the amateurish, but original acid-horror Pop Skull (2007) and A Horrible Way To Die (2010), often referred to as a ‘mumblegore’ film, You’re Next aims at a larger audience. Still, it took them two years to get a wide release.

Even though it’s a rather conventional horror film, the roots of independent filmmaking of the 21st century (mumblecore and low-budget horror in particular) are impossible not to notice due to its cast. Joe Swanberg, Amy Seimetz (mumblecore actress and director of Sun Don’t Shine (2012) ), Ti West (known for directing The House of the Devil (2009) and other horror films), Kate Lynn Sheill (mumblecore actress), Larry Fessenden and Calvin Reeder (director of absurd horror films like The Oregonian (2011) and The Rambler (2013) ) all play a part. Some of them don’t even appear on screen more than a few seconds, but still I thought it worth to mention.

I think it must be a whole other experience for someone who, like me, knows all the people involved in this film and for someone who doesn’t. As the latter would expect nothing more than an ordinary (scary?) home invasion horror flick and the first would want something more. I wouldn’t know which of the two gets served best at the end.

You’re Next is a nicely made movie, but not as original as Wingard’s previous work. Still, it’s surely a good horror film, but you shouldn’t hope for it to be scary, because that, it never is. Working best as a black comedy/horror with a really cool and cold twist in it, it’s not that much like other horror movies I’ve seen – as there’s certainly something satirical to be seen in this one – , but it’s not that different either…

Good job, Mr. Wingard, but, next time, would you make something a bit more courageous, please?