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 rong Turn" benefits from a big budget, which
allows it to be more competent than usual for films in its genre. Essentially a
Teen Slasher, with 3 inbred hillbillies in lieu of a masked psychopath,
"Wrong Turn" runs 80 minutes long and that's being a bit generous.
It's fast-paced, has little reason to stop for characterization, and the blood
and guts is quite well done. For lovers of the genre, you don't get any better
than this. Then again, if you happen to not be a fan of the genre, you'll mostly
find the movie to be lacking.
Eliza Dushku ("The
New Guy") leads the cast as the feisty Jessie, one of 5 friends whose
car gets into an accident with weary traveler Chris (Desmond Harrington) in the
backwoods of West Virginia. When the group discovers that the accident was
created by metal barbwires arranged by personals unknown, they realize something
is afoot. Unfortunately they're not quite smart enough to go with instinct, and
soon four of the six have headed up the road in search of a phone, leaving two
lovebirds behind. Before you can say, "Hmm, that might not be a good
idea," the lovebirds get hacked to death by 3 inbred freaks, and the other
four are soon on the run.
With only a skimpy 80 minutes to work with, there's not a
lot you can do with "Wrong Turn". Director Rob Schmidt and writer
McElroy ("Ballistic")
seems to know what they're going for, which is a hip and condensed version of
"Deliverance". By the 30-minute mark, the movie is one long chase
sequence, with Chris and Jessie and two others running from the well-armed
freaks. In a lot of ways the movie was too extensively cut, with potential
layers being replaced for the sake of quick pacing.
If you absolutely hate to think, then I suppose "Wrong
Turn's" breakneck speed was designed for you. I would have liked a little
bit more deliberation, a little bit more time to breathe, and a little bit more
of the hunting aspect, rather than just have the movie de-evolve into running
and chopping and running and chopping some more. I realize, of course, that
characterization and human drama is not what movies like "Wrong Turn"
is going for. Still, I can't help but think that with the money and time they
had to shoot this thing, a little bit more concentration could have been put on
the suspense angle.
Maybe with more scenes of the characters hiding as the
killers stalk them within intimate proximity and "Wrong Turn" might
have surpassed its cheap premise. In its current state, the movie clearly
delivers on its promise of cheap thrills and well-staged action. There's simply
nothing else for anyone who doesn't enjoy this type of stuff.
The cast, led by Dushku, manages to break some molds. Both
Jessie and Harrington's Chris clearly has their head on straight throughout the
whole movie, quickly figuring out what's going on, while Emmanuelle Chriqui
provides the movie with its screeching quotient. Actually, all of the characters
were likeable, mostly because they seem to possess that missing link in most
Teen Slasher movies: common sense. Oh sure, there are times when they don't do
the obvious, but those times can be explained away by the intensity of the
moment. After all, when three deformed hillbillies with machetes are chasing
you, it's kind of hard to always do the right thing.
"Wrong Turn" is definitely not for everyone. It's
probably too brutal for some, because there is a definite glee in the way
director Schmidt shoots some of the blood and guts sequences, including many
scenes of the killers nonchalantly chopping up their victims for food. The movie
really has no interest in flinching from the gore, which is a plus because the
time and money is there, and to give the audience any less would be a cheat. And
let's be frank -- there's only a limited group of people who will watch
"Wrong Turn" in the first place, and an even more limited group will
find it worthwhile.
"Wrong Turn", for the most part, works. It could
have been stretched out with more emphasis on suspense, but maybe that's just
me.
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