Wrong Turn
Deformed rednecks. I bet the minute you read that sentence you came up with several different horror movies that have them as the 
main protagonist. More angry than an ugly fat girl becoming pretty and more jilted than a mother who lost her child, the monsters of the deep south seem to be scooping up strangers and killing them without prosecution. That’s what makes them a scary and useful tool for horror, there is nothing more terrifying than stumbling upon a bloody, battered, abandoned car park where people have been murdered. So yes, while we are aware that there may be families in the woods of Southern America who don’t brutally kill, but with Texas Chainsaw Massacre, House of 1000 Corpse and more, there is definitely a bad redneck reputation.
So today we are looking at a lesser horror movie that still packs a few punches, Wrong Turn. Starring Desmond Harrington and Eliza Dushku, Wrong Turn revolves around a medical student who takes a different route than the main one only to end up colliding with another car. As they explore the route and try to find help (despite no one travelling down that route in a while,) they are suddenly ambushed by three unusual people who are willing to kill them without a thought. And it isn’t the first time this has happened…
Why is it Bad?
Re-read the opening paragraph because yes, this fills a lot of tropes of redneck monster movies. There’s deformed mutants, sexual scenes and cannibalism as well as some pretty brutal deaths. It doesn’t add anything new to the genre, the bad guys are still the ugly motherfuckers that they have always been and there are screams and shocks. Oh, these guys live in a cabin and eat people? They have killed hundreds before? The police die when they turn up? So this fits a lot of the clichés of horror movies.
Why is it Good?
It has Eliza Dushku in it which is always a plus when it comes to films (and she should be in more.) Also, my favourite Desmond Harrington (who appeared in Ghost Ship in the best possible way,) is in it and therefore it isn’t all bad. With these people as leads it is actually enjoyable, with your emotional investment behind it. This is mainly because they aren’t whiney teenagers or useless tropes and actually work for their survival. Not to mention there are grim deaths, but they are all surprising and jumpy.
There is enough here for an enjoyable ride, especially if you are looking for cheap thrills to make you jump. If you are a big fan of the horror genre, then it is one to pop in with countless amount of popcorn and some friends in a darkened room. While Wrong Turn is still as stale as anything, there are tense moments and bloody ones that will make you mindlessly happy. It will also be fun if people play redneck horror movie bingo drinking game. You’ll be pissed by the first five minutes.
You definitely won’t make the….wrong turn…watching this film.
You will if you pick up the four sequels
TTFN
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