I have to cop to being initially repelled by the marketing materials Lionsgate has put out for Adam Wingard’s excellent horror film You’re Next which, after two years of holding back, will finally be released on a a now crowded date in August. The grimy Saw approach to selling the killers with the carved out text doesn’t really capture the tone of the film, but I’m coming to realize that is largely the brilliance of it.
Without spoiling anything about the film, it’s safe to say You’re Next ends up subverting the expectations of most horror viewers, and by selling this in a traditional way and putting focus on the nasty, horrible villains, Lionsgate is actually setting up a great experience for cold viewers. It’s not all that different from the trick they pulled with Cabin In The Woods– a trick that didn’t work for everyone but still paid off critically and financially.
All that said, the synopsis they’re putting out leaves something to be desired…
“You’re Next is one of the smartest and most terrifying films in years, one that reinvents the genre by putting a fresh twist on home-invasion horror. When a gang of masked, ax-wielding murderers descend upon the Davison family reunion, the hapless victims seem trapped…until an unlikely guest of the family proves to be the most talented killer of all.”
Regardless, keep your eyes peeled for a review from me soon, and mark your calendars. If you can resist letting circumstances create a false sense of too much hype, you’re in for a treat.
Posters via Collider, Bloody Disgusting, Shock Till You Drop