You're Next

(2013)
*** 1/2

I took You’re Next for granted as one of the home-invasion horror movies with predictable plot twists, opening with a couple getting brutally murdered, post-coitus, inside their perfect forest abode. It could either be a horribly tragic way to go, or an infinitely gracious way to go, depending on one’s bed partner.

What I got was an edge-of-my-seat viewing experience starting with Crispian introducing his Australian girlfriend Erin at his parent’s 35th wedding anniversary, which is located next door (actually about ¼ of a mile) from the couple in the first scene. Sibling rivalry picks up where it left off years ago as Crispian argues with older brother Drake and their father helplessly stand by, passively allowing Drake’s bullying to continue in adulthood rather than diffusing it.

That's right, I stole your axe from the last photo. What are you going to do about it?

There are eye-rolling moments like a cell phone going off when a protagonist is trying to remain hidden and lengthy antagonist monologues preceding the next kill, so overall You’re Next didn’t blow me away with evolutionary contributions to the horror genre but it certainly earned my recommendation.

More details are revealed in JSP and JPX's reviews of the movie.

The only letdown was that nobody actually said, either to another character or to the 4th wall audience, “You’re next,” which would have tickled me beyond words AND could’ve been utilized at least three times during the movie.

"You're next! There I said it!! . . . Too late?"