The Hills Have Eyes An Effective Horror Remake

Rating: 8/10 (11 June 2009)

The Hills Have Eyes is an effective horror remake that was better than expected. This film is definitely not for the squeamish but if you're a horror movie fan than you'll probably enjoy this one. Director Alexander Aja has done a decent enough job giving audiences a gruesome horror film with the perfect location that builds up suspense as the movie goes and things continue to get even more dangerous for the characters who find themselves in a desperate fight for survival. The cast are admirable in their roles including Aaron Standford, Kathleen McQuinlan, Vinessa Shaw, Emile de Ravin, Dany Byrd, and Ted Levine. Some of the actors aren't in it that much (except Standford, de Ravin, and Byrd who get the most screen time) but they do make the best of their limited screen time. The same can go for the relatively unknown actors playing the mutant cannibals. All of them are believable and they play their truly frightening characters to perfection. The make up used to create their characters are incredible because they look realistic as far as horror movies go not to mention many of them are absolutely terrifying and scary. This film may not have had me wetting my pants but The Hills Have Eyes has its share of suspense and scary moments that will make you jump in your seat. The brutal deaths committed by both the mutants and the main characters are well executed fitting the tone of the film. The music also adds to the suspense and syncs very well with the feel of the movie. Also worth mentioning is the location they chose because it definitely adds a lot to the film because the desert in which the characters find themselves is totally cut off from civilization. A place forgotten by humanity where a race of mutant cannibals have been lurking in the shadows snatching and dismembering victims who dare come into their territory. The dialogue for the film wasn't the greatest at times and there were a few predictable moments but the rest of the movie made up for it's couple of flaws. Overall The Hills Have Eyes is an above average remake with plenty of inventive gruesome deaths, just the right amount of suspense, and solid acting by the cast thats sure to please almost any fan of the horror genre.