Horrorthon idea

From collider, So, I know what you’re thinking, “Wrong Turn 2, what the…why does this even exist?” And you know what? You’re entirely justified in thinking that. There is no reason for Wrong Turn 2 to exist. The original was fun, but unremarkable, with only one truly memorable kill. It didn’t even make much money at the box office. But here we are, it’s 2007 and we have a Wrong Turn 2.

So what are we to make of these turn of events? Is it a sign of the apocalypse? Is it sub-Uwe Boll level tripe? Or, by some freak accident is a sequel to a knockoff of a second-tier horror series actually good.

Shockingly, it’s pretty great.

Wrong Turn 2 starts out strong by splitting an American Idol contestant in half, hotdog style, and only builds momentum. First time director Joe Lynch and veteran horror sequel writing team Turi Meyer and Al Septien (Candyman 3, Leprechaun 2) knock this one out of the park with buckets and buckets of the grue and fast paced, tongue-in-cheek style.

This is no average DTV sequel. The direction is solid, the writing is funny and some of the acting is actually good. The story doesn’t simply rehash the original cliché scenario of a group of people breaking down in the woods. Instead, the proceedings are to set in the realm of a reality series. Sure, this idea has been done (horribly) before in such films as Halloween: Resurrection, but here, Lynch and his cinematographer Robin Loewen create agile and sickening set pieces that use the gimmick to full potential.

The cast of young unknowns are attractive and reasonably talented. Also, the women have perky, often unbound breasts. But make no mistake; the real star of this movie is Henry (Black Flag) Rollins. Rollins plays the host of the intentionally ridiculous reality show, “The Ultimate Survivalist: The Apocalypse." He is an Ex-Marine who narrowly avoids horrible death 3 or 4 times before going Rambo and, literally, blowing up some of the cannibals. His scenes don’t always gel with the rest of the movie, but Rollins sells every moment with an earnest homegrown badassary that only makes this movie that much better.

The plot isn’t great, and by the halfway point, most of the reality show trappings have been abandoned altogether, but the kills are all original and gruesomely funny enough to keep things rolling all the way through the explosive and grotesque finale.

Not only does this film justify its’ existence as a sequel, it stands on its’ own as better than many theatrical horror releases in recent memory. Wrong Turn 2 is a real winner, and easily worth a purchase for any gorehound.