A new and naïve group of young people who have strayed too far away from the path, finding out the hard way what it will do to them.
The infamous horror series that has had 6 previous instalments (yes, 6) gets a reboot, something that wasn’t really needed but you’ll no doubt watch it anyway. You can expect violence and gore of the same ilk as its predecessors – why didn’t those kids just stick to the path? Wrong Turn follows a group of young hikers who intend to walk some of the Appalachian trail. After taking a slight detour on the route, they come across a hidden community of mountain dwellers who use deadly means to “protect” their land, forcing the young group to fight for their lives. They have completely revamped the premise and the design; it is no longer inbred hillbillies which the past films were famous for (how could they do this to us?). Writer Alan B. McElroy – who wrote the 2003 original as well – obviously thought drastic changes were needed, and it is a refreshing change to be fair.
Director Mike P. Nelson clearly wanted to revamp this series with some creative style it seems, hoping to divert it away from being one dimensional and predictable. Now, how is this achievable on a relatively low budget of £3 million – quite a lot lower than the originals budget. It follows a non-linear narrative at times, being split over different times and perspectives; the young hiker’s journey down the trail, towards their attack and beyond, as well as following the father of one of the girls (Matthew Modine or Joker to any of you Full Metal Jacket fans out there) as he tracks down his daughter in this unknown territory. Most surprising of all? Decent cinematography by Nick Junkersfeld that highlights that wonderful Virginia landscape in all its glory. It really is a film full of surprises, well, some at least.
Wrong Turn begins with the central group of people arriving in a small town in Virginia, hoping to hike the Appalachian Trail. After a couple of altercations with some of the locals as well as a couple of warnings to stick to the path when hiking, the group begin their journey down the trail. Straying away from the path (some people just do not listen do they), the group begins to feel a presence following them around, leading to a rather large tree hurtling down a hill and… well, I’ll leave the rest up to you. Panic starts to ensue for the gang, one by one the members begin to go missing, leaving Charlotte Vega (Jen Shaw) as the final participant in natures game. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s father, Scott (Modine) – in a different timeline – begins to worry about his daughter due to not hearing from her for weeks, he sets off to her last known whereabouts in the hopes of finding out the truth.
Now captured, the remaining members of the gang discover that they have been taken in by an ancient community of mountain dwellers (The Foundation) who live high up on the mountain. The young group must now face the consequences of their actions, mainly the stupid decisions they have been making throughout the film. There is a strong cult vibe from this community; with their rituals and traditions, and the fact they live in a massive commune, nevertheless, they are a creepy group of people with some less than pleasant torture techniques. With Scott hot on the heels of his daughter’s whereabouts and his daughter suddenly turning into John Rambo after only a few nights in the woods, it all leads to a violent and gruesome final act. Will G.I. Jane save her friends with Dad’s help, or will they all meet an untimely end?
Wrong Turn is a surprisingly decent film to kick off the reboot of the series, the gore and violence will appease horror fans everywhere, being used in some creative new ways. There are even some elaborate twists and turns as well to keep us entertained – they need to keep us on our toes now don’t they. Wrong Turn has been refreshed after becoming stale in the series’ old age, and it is a welcoming change even if I do miss that family of inbred hillbillies who caused carnage for years. It obviously still has its drawbacks (it is a cheesy horror film after all) the acting is poor – as expected – and the script and dialogue are naff, but it is an entertaining film to kick start the new series.
Available to rent from Amazon Prime and available to buy on DVD now.
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