Review of "Wrong Turn" (2003)

In the 70's, it was nothing to run into a big cannibalistic family while getting lost in the middle of nowhere. They were everywhere. On the way through Texas (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and even in the desert on the way to California (The Hills Have Eyes). During this time, even though people were aware of this going on they still continued their inbreeding ways. This brings us to present day West Virginia, the setting for one of our latest trips into inbred cannibalistic tribesmen, "Wrong Turn".

Released at the start of 2003's "Big Horror Boom" (and available on DVD October 14) "Wrong Turn" kind of came and went seemingly unnoticed. The theatres weren't packed yet the movie developed an early cult following, much like it's early predecessors in which the makers of "Wrong Turn" never denied trying to mimic. People liked this movie. I, for one, was one of those people.

So how does this flick match up to "The Hills Have Eyes" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" storyline-wise? On his way through the woods via a detour down an old road Chris Finn's (Desmond Harrington) car is sabotaged by a creatively placed booby trap. Now Chris and a group of teenagers who were wrecked just ahead of him which include Jessie (Eliza Dushku), Carly (Emmanuelle Chriqui), and Scott (Jeremy Sisto) are lost, looking for help, getting more lost, and getting stalked by a group of cannibalistic, wild, deformed inbred mountain men all the while. It doesn't get any better (or old school) than this folks! Some don't make it out of this movie alive as if you couldn't figure that out.

The look and feel of the film is great. The mountain men are rather creepy looking and look familiar (I'm from Kentucky). The cast plays their rolls really well for this type of film. Once the movie got intense, it kept that pace throughout much to my suprise. I didn't expect this film to be as fun as it was.

A lot of folks didn't give "Wrong Turn" a chance when they should have. It was definitely a throwback to 70's cannibal horror and did so tastefully (no pun intended) and stylishly. Often slightly compared to "House of 1000 Corpses" due to the whole "taking a wrong turn in the middle of nowhere" storyline much like "Hills" was to "TCM" back in the late 70's. I personally enjoyed "Wrong Turn" ten fold over House of 1000 corpses. It never really tried to be a dark comedy (yet there was some small comic relief with the hillbillies) and it was overall a much better experience. If you like 70's stranded-stalked-cannibal horror you shouldn't be disappointed by this "tribute" to those flicks.