You're Next (2011)
Directed by: Adam Wingard
Written by: Simon Barrett
Starring: AJ Bowen, Amy Seimetz, Barbara Crampton, Joe Swanberg, Rob Moran, Sharni Vinson
YOU’RE NEXT (2011)
Available on Limited Edition Dual UHD and Blu-ray set and Standard Edition 4K UHD and Blu-Ray from Second Sight Films
A family must fight for their lives when they’re attacked by a group of masked intruders during a family get-together at their holiday retreat.
When it comes to my opinion on Adam Wingard’s tongue-in-cheek horror thriller YOU’RE NEXT, my thoughts sit between that of our writers Matt, who adored the film at FrightFest and gave it a glowing 5 stars, and Ross Hughes’ verdict, who was entertained but had seen it all before and gave the film a more reserved 3/5. I’m somewhere in the middle. I probably side more with Ross’ point of view that the film doesn’t take the genre to new heights and is quite limited in its story, but what it did do was bring life and energy to the home invasion genre by giving a brutal take on an Home Alone concept, turning the violence against the perpetrators in a thrilling 95 minutes that hardly comes up for air once the first bolt is shot into the Davison’s rural family estate.
Bickering and sticking the knife in is more than just verbal foreplay in YOU’RE NEXT once all hell breaks loose. Panic and fear cause impulsive actions from the frightened Davison family and their spouses. It’s nail-biting stuff as you wonder what they’ll do next and what lengths the masked killers will go to to annihilate their prey. From the opening scene, we know they mean business but what is their end goal? And how will the family and their guests survive such an onslaught that seems unrelenting and always two steps ahead of them?
The jewel in YOU’RE NEXT‘s crown is, of course, Sharni Vinson, whose badass Erin quietly reveals herself as someone who knows a thing or two about being prepared for situations like this. Her calm, level-headed approach is so refreshing, as is her systematic approach to protecting the group and shielding them from attack, from the securing of the windows and urging the family to stick together, to creating defensive obstacles for their attackers. She’s instantly likeable as a character and although some of her advice falls on deaf ears, it isn’t long before people start to take note…
The danger and threat the characters are exposed to is at such an intense and vicious level that the resulting strike back is such a sweet relief when delivered. Normally with home invasion flicks such as this, the outcome is a depressingly bleak one, but here we get to live out the fantasy of being able to turn the tables on the killers without it feeling too fantastical or out of reach. The audience thrives through Erin, delivering the delicious swift hand of revenge as she fights for survival and to put a stop to their antics once and for all.
The creativity involved will certainly draw a few laughs, alongside the sibling rivalry and awkward dinner table chit-chat, with YOU’RE NEXT proving that home invasion horror thrillers can be enjoyable and fun and don’t have to take themselves too seriously. Sure, the plot, when all that is pulled to one side, is a bit thin, mimicking the shallow reasoning for the assault in the first place, but what are we really watching it for? The movie plays and has fun with the genre whilst honouring it, relishing in the depravity of the situation whilst turning it on its head. It refuses to be a victim and sit alongside the others, tied to a chair. Instead it gives horror fans what we all need every now and then – a gritty, blood-soaked horror where the bad guys get a taste of their own medicine. When you’ve been watching a lot of horror films, after a while it’s just the tonic you need!
Rating: 
YOU’RE NEXT looks tremendous on Blu-Ray and I’m sure the 4K restoration and HDR Dolby Vision grade looks equally impressive on UHD, though it’s only the Blu-Ray I can personally comment on. The claret that splatters the screen really pops from the country manor’s duller shades of greens and browns, providing a wonderful, eye-catching contrast.
The Limited Edition Dual Edition release of YOU’RE NEXT sees 4K UHD and Blu-Ray packaged in a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Nick Charge and accompanied by six collectors’ art cards and a 120-page book with new essays by Martyn Conterio, Andrew Graves, Kurt Halfyard, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Shelagh Rowan-Leg and Heather Wixon.
This new release of YOU’RE NEXT is loaded with new special features, and accompanied with a few older ones too. With the cast and crew reviewing this film 10 years on, a lot of the special features provide a nice little insight into how they perceive the film now compared to upon its first release, with Wingard having since gone on to bigger projects, such as Godzilla vs Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
YOU’RE NEXT – Second Sight Films Special Features
*NEW* Audio Commentary with director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett
In this brand new audio commentary, director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett reflect on YOU’RE NEXT, over 10 years since they did their first commentary for the movie. Time gone by has given them a new perspective and offers up opportunities to discuss how they feel about the movie at this stage of their careers. As you would hope and expect, Wingard and Barrett are extremely generous in the detail they share about the film, giving terrific insight into the shoot, right from the opening sequence which involved a reshoot with Larry Fassenden. Wingard compares the new 4k scan versus the original release and details the changes which he feels improves the film, with certain aspects of the colour grading technology at the time being above his level of expertise when initially editing the film all those years ago, but something the film benefits from now, having gained so much experience since. Film fans will find plenty to enjoy from Wingard and Barrett’s comments, both as a fan of the movie and of filmmaking as an artform, with the depth of detail on offer regarding the scenes in the movie, the choices made, the casting and even grievances with the film. A terrific listen.
Audio Commentary with director Adam Wingard, writer Simon Barrett, and actresses Sharni Vinson and Barbara Crampton
In this audio commentary with the director, writer and two cast members, we get an insight into the film upon its first release, with Sharni Vinson and Barbara Crampton probing Wingard and Barrett about their choices, whilst the group breakdown the scenes and provide some fantastic detail into the making of the movie. Wingard and Barrett discuss the direction of the movie and choices, like the song that runs throughout the film on the neightbour’s CD player. It’s quite a fun and relaxed commentary to listen to, full of juicy details about the movie, such as the shots, locations and obstacles they had to overcome.
*NEW* Children of the 80’s – An Interview with Director Adam Wingard and Writer Simon Barrett (1 hour 43 secs)
This extensive interview allows director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett to go into great detail in their approach to filmmaking, specifically You’re Next. Barrett discusses his writing style, how he wrote to a budget, and had a great number of ideas for short movies centred around the home invasion genre, where Wingard discusses how they narrowed down to pick one style to turn into a feature film. From there, they provide a breakdown of the film, from the shots to the characters, working with the actors and the development of the story.
*NEW* The Most of Us – An Interview With Producers Keith Calder and Jess Wu Calder (23 mins 24 secs)
You’re Next producers Keith and Jess Wu Calder discuss their approach to indie filmmaking and how it was through their joint passion that they met Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett. They talk about how excited they were to get involved with You’re Next and how they went about financing the film. A thorn in their side initially was finding the right house in which to host the film’s action, but fortunately everything came together when it was looking bleak. The Calders also discuss the casting process and other aspects of production which is great insight for any film fan on the obstacles of getting a film like this made.
*NEW* Script As A Blueprint – An Interview With Actor AJ Bowen (27 mins 31 secs)
In this interview, AJ Bowen talks about the origins of his love for acting and how he struck up a friendship with Ti West and Adam Wingard. His work with Joe Swanberg on Wingard and Barrett’s A Horrible Way To Die meant he was accustomed to their processes and their improvisation techniques going into You’re Next, where they riffed on the original script to get the result we see on screen today.
*NEW* Down In The Basement – An Interview With Actor Joe Swanberg (16 mins 43 secs)
In this interview, Joe Swanberg professes how he loved the idea of You’re Next and enjoyed trying to work out the tone of the movie, and trying different approaches through improvisation, such as the dinner table scene at the beginning of the movie with Tariq and his character’s relationship with brother Crispian, played by AJ Bowen. Swanberg discusses how his character develops over the course of the film and also details his final scenes in the movie, as well as the shooting schedule of the film.
*NEW* Be Funny and Die – An Interview with Actress Amy Seimetz (14 mins 30 secs)
In this interview, Amy Seimetz talks about reuniting with her A Horrible Way To Die co-stars AJ Bowen and Joe Swanberg, and Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett for her role as Aimee in You’re Next. Amy talks about how she was allowed to improvise and give an extra layer to her character, making her a proper daddy’s girl who relishes being rich. Although her screen time is minor in the film, Amy gives great insight into elements of the film, including the stunts involved with her running scene.
*NEW* Falling Into Place – An Interview With Production Designer Tom Hammock (15 mins 35 secs)
In this interview, Tom Hammock talks about how he met and got involved with Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett, and onto the project of You’re Next. Film fans will relish the detail he goes into when describing finding and decorating the house that takes centre stage in the film as the setting of the home invasion, with Hammock explaining the details that they addressed to get the house just right. He also discusses other aspects, such as the objects in the house, and the animal masks that the killers wear in the movie.
Slashers Don’t Die – Tim Coleman on You’re Next (12 mins 23 secs)
An intellectual essay narrated by Tim Coleman on slasher tropes and the ingredients of slasher movies and how that compares to home invasion film and You’re Next.
Who’s Next? The Making of You’re Next (19 mins 16 secs)
The cast and crew talk about making the film in this featurette, with some great behind the scenes shots of some of the scenes and stunts, such as the window jump and Aimee’s run scenes.
Animated Storyboards (5 mins 14 secs)
Pretty cool animated storyboards of scenes such as Tariq’s death, Aimee’s death, and the Kitchen Assault, amongst others.
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