Better Than The Original - Sorry Wes...

Rating: 8/10 (27 April 2018)

There's not much difference between this remake and the 1977 original. A family of campers have decided to drive across America. Unfortunately for them, this includes the desert, wherein the 1950's the army carried out a series of nuclear tests. After stopping for gas, and inadvertently offending the station attendant, he tells the group of a shortcut through a valley in the hills... Just as it starts to dawn on them that the shortcut is turning out to be a long drive, their tyres blow out... This is a 50th wedding anniversary they'll remember until they die... which won't be long...
This may sound disrespectful of Wes Craven, but the best thing about this film, by far, is the direction. Alexandre Aja, who had only previously directed the acclaimed, magnificent, and one of my favourite films, Haute Tension, does the story proud. His eye for panoramic shots and the ability to create an atmosphere of aloneness with them, and then his use of the nuclear-blasted "Little America", complete with creepy mannequins, creates a really uneasy eeriness that's exactly what the story needed.
Also opting to get rid of the dreadful electronic soundtrack was a bonus. This was a major hindrance to the original. Without it, the excitement is created in different ways; camera shots, angles, lighting, acting, and sound effects.
The other nice thing was the cast... though a cameo by Michael Berryman wouldn't have gone amiss. There are a more than a few solid actors in the film. Ted Levine as Big Bob the ex-policeman and father of the group. He gives a solid reliable performance in a supporting role, though he's yet to come across a role as meaty as his Buffalo Bill Silence Of The Lambs character. His wife, Ethel, is played by the beautiful and talented Kathleen Quinlan. Though the stand out characters is Tom Bower as the gas station attendant, Robert Joy as Lizard - he really does appear to enjoy this role, Dan Byrd as Bobby, and Emilie De Ravin as Brenda.
Also, the special effects have moved on a long way from 1977... instead of the bright red blood which flowed copiously back then, we have a more realistic crimson, which gets slashed, gouged, and blasted insanely all over the place. Not only do the hills have eyes, they also run red...
This is how a remake should be made. It was brave of Aja not to change the story but to bring it up-to-date, not just in the story but also with the filming techniques. Aja, just adds his skill into the mix and the outcome is beautiful, brilliant, and spooky as hell enjoyment. Because of this, I would recommend every horror fan or wannabe to check this out rather than the original 1977 film.