I hope in writing this I’m not somehow mystically creating some bad luck for myself. Being stranded on the side of the road is one of the worst feelings. A few years back my wife and I were coming from my parents’ house for Christmas. We had hit the halfway point for our trip home and we began to feel the car shock itself by using three tires to try to do the job of four. We found ourselves a piece of the shoulder and attempted to put a spare tire on the car. It was nearly pitch black, with the exception of lights moving so fast they could hardly be counted as lights at all, and there I was, attempting to get a tire off in freezing winter weather. Not exactly how you want to end your Christmas holiday. If I’m honest, I probably have a tiny fear of this situation ending up with the lug nuts dancing in the spotlights of moving headlights.
I count myself lucky that it was on the side of a major highway. It could have been so much worse. We could have been in an area with no cell phone reception or been on a more desolate road. Grappling with the uncertainty of when we’re gonna be back on the road. That’s how we meet the characters in 2003’s Wrong Turn. In some ways it's become a staple of the six film franchise. With the original film turning eighteen years old this year, a reboot would not be far behind. For the first twenty years of the 21st century we've experienced remains of just about every horror franchise imaginable. Even the ones that would be considered b-movie are getting the remake ala The Toxic Avenger. It’s just the cinematic climate we live in nowadays.
How do you take what started as a relatively grounded franchise and restore that grounded approach? You bring back the writer behind the film that started the entire misdirection of Wrong Turn. Alan McElroy returns to the franchise to take it in some refreshing directions. This updated version of the story depicts six friends who get lost in the woods and get abducted by a secret society, all while one of the friend’s fathers (Matthew Modine) goes looking for his missing daughter. Matthew Modine is a veteran actor, and brings a levity to the role that refreshes the formula of what we've come to understand what a Wrong Turn movie truly is or can be. He brings an emotional depth to the film that builds a foundation for the emotional core of the rest of the film. His pursuit of his daughter, played by Charlotte Vega, pushes the boundary of fear. It's not just solely about trying to find your way out of the forest anymore. This is about trying to find your own flesh and blood, a reality that has befallen a good number of parents, some of whom are never reunited with their kin and are forced to live with the fear and uncertainty about whether or not their child is alive or dead. Having Modine bring such desperation to the screen gives the film a new breed of gravity. Modine and Vega are the emotional core of the film. The two have tremendous chemistry.
The chemistry between the two allows the film to stand out from other entries within the horror genre. Traditionally a father pursuing his daughter, in terms of rescue, has been left to the action movies. Wrong Turn pushes against the stereotypes of both genres in order to create its surprisingly relevant antagonist. I think there are a great deal of people who will enter into this movie with the expectation of seeing an updated version of the franchise's famous cannibals. I don't want to spoil the twist in it. However, I will say that the film does use their antagonist to speak volumes about our current political climate. It's a subtle yet effective social commentary that allows Wrong Turn to stand on the shoulders of past films like Jordan Peele's Us and Midsommar, using that social commentary to cast dread with tremendous influence on the viewer.
While this misdirection feels largely refreshing, it’s not without its bumps in the road. Perhaps its biggest hurdle would be the awkward pacing the movie can sometimes carry. There are moments where the narrative allows the characters to breathe, while there are also others where it’s fast paced. The majority of the film treats its original source material like a distant cousin you only see during the holidays. When the narrative acknowledges its history, the film becomes predictable and repetitive. Thankfully, there are only a few of these moments. There are even a few misdirections that pour into the refreshing nature of the movie’s reinvention.
Overall, Wrong Turn (2021) is a breath of fresh air for the dying franchise. The lead performances from Matthew Modine and Charlotte Vega allow the film to carry an emotional weight that few other horror films can compete with, establishing an emotional core to the film that helps both ground the film and elevate it. There are still some fingerprints that remain from the original film’s influence. Unfortunately, this causes the film to be predictable at times and tiresome with its blood and gore factor. Thankfully they are few and far between. This beautiful reinvention makes Wrong Turn the best remake we’ve seen since The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
RORSHACH RATING:
Mental Health Moment: There is a point early within the film where a conversation takes place between the characters of Darius (Adain Bradley) & Vega’s Jen. Darius gives a miniature monologue about why he runs a nonprofit. He says, “I want to build a community where people are valued on their skills and their character. Not their bank account or skin color. Everyone works, everyone shares.” At our cores, we crave community. A good community can make or break our mental health. When you throw in factors like race and economic standards, you’re beginning to place dividers between members of potential communities. That’s why things like racism, classism, and sexism need to be addressed. They all play a large part within our mental health and potential for community building. I challenge you to look into our history and see how people of color have been treated throughout our history and continue to be neglected today. As a white man, I can’t bring the right gravity to truly illustrate the injustice. I will leave that to our Black Lives Matter series, which you can find here. The hatred of the past has an impact on the mental health of the future. Dare to dream and dare to fight like Darius!
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Wrong Turn is property of Saban Films. We do not own nor claim any rights.
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