Upon its UK debut at FrightFest back in 2011, team THN have been massive fans of Adam Winguard‘s home-invasion slasher, You’re Next. The film sees Sharni Vinson’s Erin, join boyfriend Crispian (AJ Bowen) at his family home deep in the country for the weekend. What begins as a get-together to celebrate their father’s retirement and wealth is soon interrupted by a group of animal mask clad strangers who are intent on causing them harm. Now celebrating its thirteenth year in the world, You’re Next has been gifted the Second Sight treatment.
Riffing on elements of both home invasion and slasher films You’re Next becomes a wonderful hybrid of the two, and one that helped kickstart a new wave of modern genre films. Winguard’s film also holds the accolade of being the film that made horror icon Barbara Crampton fall back in love with genre acting. Since then Crampton has gone on to produce and star in a wide range of independent horror films, with the star a keen advocate for the genre’s longevity. In many ways, You’re Next paved the way for Ready or Not, the two films featuring some plot similarities, though You’re Next’s Erin is far more deadly than new bride Grace. As Erin, Sharni Vinson is pragmatic and fierce. As the carnage reigns, she is the only character to keep her head, and after Vinson’s performance here, it is a massive shame that she was never a consideration for any of the number of Terminator films that have been released since.
The kills play out like a sick and twisted adult version of Home Alone with Erin utilising everyday items to create an eye-watering arsenal. The gory set pieces are fantastic, and the punchy pace keeps the story moving along beautifully. What’s even better is that Winguard’s film more than holds up on a second viewing. Even being armed with the knowledge about certain plot points doesn’t lessen the viewing experience and this is primarily because Winguard and writer Simon Barrett are sure to keep the tone light. Humour hugs every frame and helps remove that skin-crawling intensity of Funny Games, replacing it with the energy and vibrancy of Scream.
For this Second Sight release, the team have, as ever, left no stone unturned and created a bespoke edition of You’re Next that will be beloved by fans of the film and collectors alike. With the usual array of insightful essays in the limited edition release, to the impressive amount of bonus features available on the disc, Second Sight have once more left no stone unturned in their mission for perfection. You’re Next might be entering its teenage years, but thanks to Second Sight it will retain its legacy of helping freshen up a then stagnant subgenre.
You’re Next
Summary
A wicked spin on home invasion and slasher, You’re Next is far more than a prototype Ready or Not, thanks in part to a warrior level performance by Sharni Vinson.
You’re Next is out on Blu-ray via Second Sight now.
