Every time I hear the words remake or reboot I cringe. In fact, I usually avoid them altogether, but after watching the new Wrong Turn movie that may be changing. It’s proof that they can be better than the original. The trailer piqued my interest so I decided what the hell, I’ll give it a shot, and boy am I glad I did.
In the film, while hiking the Appalachian Trail, a group of friends begins stumbling into traps. Believing that someone is out to kill them, one of the group kills a hunter, setting off a disturbing chain of events.
The Wrong Turn franchise is known for its brutal kills from both the inbred hillbilly family and their nasty traps. In Mike P. Nelson’s new version we get the traps that we’ve come to expect and the kills are still brutal, but it’s a very different movie than the original. While the 2003 original has its own unique charm, the new film, written by the franchise’s long-time writer Alan McElroy, is an elevated, more sophisticated story with one hell of a twist and killer special effects!
The story isn’t the only thing different, the characters have more depth and the heroine, played by Charlotte Vega, is one you can identify with, have sympathy for, and really want to cheer for. Vega absolutely nails her role, making Jen feel both authentic and likable.
Golden Globe nominee Matthew Modine, (Damian Maffei (The Strangers: Prey at Night, Haunt), Bill Sage (“Hap and Leonard”), Emma Dumont (“The Gifted”), Chaney Morrow (Haunt), Valerie Jane Parker (“Greenleaf”), and David Hutchinson (“American Horror Story”) also star in the film, each giving a great performance.
Props need to be given to the special effects team. The gory effects, shown up close and personal, are creative and will please any gorehound, but stay relatively realistic. There are moments that will give you the urge to cover your eyes or turn away. There are scenes that will make even the most hardened horror fans go ‘Damn!’
The film’s ending is a doozy and will leave you with your jaw on the floor. I have to say, it is freaking awesome! And this is important, whatever you do, make sure to watch through the credits or you’ll miss something BIG!
Wrong Turn is a bloody good time with new clever kills, a great story, and has a final girl that we can cheer for. It’s smart and entertaining as hell.
Wrong Turn is out on VOD, Blu-ray, and Digital on Tuesday, February 23, 2021. Take my advice and watch it, you won’t regret it. Want to learn some insane things about the movie? Check out our interview with director Mike P. Nelson!
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