You're Next - Review

After the Davison family reunion is cut short after masked killers attack their house, one reunion guest utilizes her extraordinary skills and talent to defend herself in You're Next.


A bit of a silly plot summary, eh? Well, I thought so too. I skipped You're Next in theaters for the sheer fact that I thought it looked too much like The Strangers. To be quite honest, when I saw the first trailer I thought it was a surprise sequel but soon realized it was another movie with a similar premise. The only reason I watched this one now is the fact that I kept seeing it pop up on a lot of "best of 2013" lists. Was I happy that I skipped it in theaters? Sure. I'm not regretting giving this one a chance, though.
With that said, I did enjoy You're Next for what it's worth. There were some good kills in it and it wasn't overly corny. I thought the acting suffered and the characters needed a lot more development, but it was a fun horror flick. The effects weren't horrible and it did have a sort of underground feel to it.

When I say the acting suffered and the characters needed more development I mean it. The best actor in the entire film was Sharni Vinson and oddly enough, she was the main character. I get the fact that a lot of the people in this movie were also in V/H/S and I can understand why they were included here, but that doesn't mean they are all that great. As far as character development goes, there was literally none. You don't know why this family seemed to have a lot of tension between them and why certain siblings seemed to be more irritable than others. It was just a mess. Again, Sharni Vinson was the only character that really had any development and I think that was because they had to. You can't have a mid-20's girl suddenly kick into survival, killer mode with no explanation. Her being raised in a survivalist compound wasn't the most realistic but it worked.
The main thing I did appreciate from this movie was the fact that the masked people didn't remain unknown the whole time. We see their faces, we know their motive, and it wasn't just random people who decide to crash a party and kill people. It was a nice change.

Overall I wouldn't say this was the best movie but it was appreciated. I wouldn't put it on my "best of 2013" list but it definitely wasn't on the worst.

The Best Posters of 2013

Along with the best movies of 2013, I decided to reflect on the best posters we got this year. Just because the poster is on this list doesn't necessarily mean the movie was in the "best of" list. It just means that the movie had a pretty bomb poster. Again, these are in no particular order.

Here we go!

42
I thought this poster was great. It was one of many, but this was the main one I saw floating around. It is to the point and gives you a nice visual to set the tone for the film. Well done. 

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Straight and to the point. It is a good teaser for the sequel.

The Conjuring
This is great in so many ways. There are aspects that are classic horror, but it does fit with the time period and theme of the film quite well. It gives the creepy vibe, for sure.

Elysium
It fell victim to yet another "from behind looking away" shot, but I think the machinery does assist in the poster by making it interesting. It looks a bit more practical than digitally enhanced.

Saving Mr. Banks
This is just a cute, simple poster. Bottom line. It draws your attention and hints to the plot in a tasteful way. The simplicity fits the time period, as well.

Gravity
Great poster. Beautiful effects and you get a sense of tension just from the image.

Man of Steel
Out of the many, many posters we got for this movie I think this image was the best. It showcases the new suit and logo in a tasteful way and doesn't have any distractions. By far the best of the choices.

Evil Dead
Another "from behind" shot, but I personally found this poster very effective. It sets the film up for a big expectation, but it is simple and attention grabbing and that's what you want in an advertisement.

You're Next
Although I still haven't seen this movie, I loved this poster. It is a bit busy but it keeps your attention and gives you something interesting to look at. I just like it.

To check out the rest of the posters, click the jump and take a look.

Natalie Dormer joins Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2; Sharni Vinson for Adi Shankar

We have some casting news for the day.

First up is that Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) has signed onto The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2 to play the role of Cressida. If you're unaware of what part Cressida plays, basically she is a resident director of the Capitol who joins the rebellion. She assists Katniss throughout the rebellion and uses her to create anti-Capitol propaganda. You can see Dormer in two films coming up; Ron Howard's race car drama Rush and Ridley Scott's The Counselor.

Second, we have some casting news about Adi Shankar's all female Expendables project that was announced a while ago. In addition to Gina Carano and Katee Sackhoff, it was released that Sharni Vinson has joined the film. Don't know that name? Neither does anyone else!
Vinson is in the upcoming horror film You're Next and has appeared in Step Up 3D. She was also a series regular on the Australian television series Home and Away. Her casting shows that the movie is progressing and moving toward an actual production date. Who knows, it could even technically be The Expendables 4.

You're Next trailer premieres

Is it just me or does this look like The Strangers only with a whole family instead of a couple?