This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
The Last Kernel’s review published on Letterboxd:
This review may contain spoilers.
I went into this with very little hope and expectations on the floor. After all, while the Wrong Turn movies were a teen sleepover staple, it was for their gore and jump scares, not their storyline or Oscar-worthy cinematography.
Besides, what remakes actually go well?
While it was a slow start in terms of the horror elements, it did do a decent job (for a slasher) at setting up a storyline and introducing characters.
It was a surprise to see Matthew Modine (Papa, Stranger Things) in this as a more passive character, showing us a different side to his acting. While it was odd at first only just recently seeing him in Stranger Things which contrasts, he took the character on well.
It was refreshing that they did not try to remake the original series or veer too far from it, but gave it a newer feel moving with the times. The most jarring part was the Midsommer-esque Sandi sounding tribe. While I understand what they were going for, it could have been done with more tact and cultural unity. Instead it throws us from Middle America to somewhere deep in Europe almost.
The extreme gore and jump scares were not saturating the film, but gave you enough satiate the need and keep you hooked.
Overall, a pleasant surprise. And while its no A24 horror, it does a good job of providing a slasher to get teens a little bit scared at a sleepover.
- Alice