A Clever Satire or What You Thought You Knew About Horror Movies

Rating: 6/10 (8 October 2012)

You know? I was going to really trash this movie. I don't usually, but when I expect good ol' fashioned horror and get a comedy instead, it's hard for me to not feel disappointed, even a little cheated. Then I read the review that was randomly chosen to appear on this page, and I finally got it: this is a parody. Not a completely silly (not to say dumb) comic parody like the Scary Movie series, but an old fashioned satire like Scream.
The movie starts off like your usual teen horror with all the elements present. A bunch of friends going on vacation, get slightly lost, meet a creepy fella in a deserted gas station, fail to recognize the warning, reach the isolated place and start getting butchered. Their roles are even as stereotypical as can be (Jock, slut, nerd, stoner and good-girl) but are portrayed in a very satirical way (the stoner is the smart one, and the jock reads?!). Then, as time goes by, it adds pretty much every element of every sub-genre in the wide spectrum of Horror (cult, sacrifices, zombies, ghosts, monsters, cat and mouse chase, being trapped, pretty much everything you can possibly imagine...) This movie obviously set out to not meet the casual expectations, and did a fine job at it.
If you're looking for a good scare - stop. There isn't a scary scene in this movie, not one. However - if you're looking for a good laugh, you've hit the jackpot. Almost every time the stoner (superb acting by Fran Kranz) opened his mouth - I ended up laughing, sometimes hysterically.
And of course, the All-Star monster assembly, which appeared as if it were taken directly from a Family Guy flashback scene. I thought it was ridiculously absurd, until I realized that was the point.
I don't like writing spoiler reviews, but I can tell you that I don't think there's a way to spoil the ending. This movie isn't about surprising twists, impressive dialogues or a smart script. It's as I mentioned before, a clever satire meant to make fun of the Horror genre.
Since I'd been disappointed because I expected something else, I wasn't really sure how to rate this. It's a hilarious comedy and an excellent satire, but it simply isn't a horror movie.