Fantastic!!!

Rating: 9/10 (25 March 2006)

My rule for horror movies is: If it scares you, then it's a good movie. Result? I was hiding behind my coat for half the movie and I jumped out of my seat in fear several times :) This movie is brilliant. You just know the family are setting themselves up for danger when they take the advice of the man at the Gas station (to take the shortcut), but it's not all cliché like in stupid teen slasher flicks, which added to the sophistication of the movie as a whole. It doesn't just meet your expectations for a horror movie, it goes beyond them.
Each character is played amazingly well, and you can understand each individual struggle and reaction to what is going on around them. So when this is put all together, the acting is totally flawless.
I have never seen so much blood in one movie! The makeup was amazing, which added to the reality factor. The camera work was also perfect, each shot was priceless. You just don't miss a thing.
The fact that the director of this movie was not afraid to put in a little more makes it as good as it is. Although some scenes are very disturbing (like the part in the caravan when the deformed people first come in.. say no more!), it is this that puts this movie above all other horror movies.
There are many unexpected scenes as well. By this I mean; even though you know people are going to be killed, the way in which this is done makes you totally unaware of what is going to happen next. This makes it even more scary.
There is only one flaw: the deformed just won't die! I know they're radioactive, but come on :-p By this I mean the man that is blown up by the two children of the central family, and the man that tries to kill the baby. You cannot survive an explosion to the face, nor several shots to the body. Madness.
Apart from this, I say EVERYONE who loves horror movies should go and see this film. I can't wait to see the original.