15 Greatest Horror Films Of The Decade (So Far)
8. You're Next
You're Next is an excellent little movie that truly subverts expectations. For a bit in the first act, it doesn't seem like it's going to be anything that substantial. It's a traditional home invasion film with a family gathered together for dinner who are hunted down and terrorized by a bunch of killers in animal masks.
And in some ways, that's basically what it is. The characters and their relationships are interesting, there's a lot of tension built around these men in the masks, and the deaths are well done. But it's all pretty typical of this genre.
But then the movie takes a turn in the second act that elevates this from a good horror film to a great one. Warning: this is going to be a bit of a spoiler.
It's revealed that Erin is actually a survivalist, and she knows exactly how to fight back against these guys. While in a typical horror movie, the "final girl" is a complete victim running around the house and screaming, Erin sets traps for the killers Home Alone style, and these men end up being far more scared of her than she is of them.
She's a totally badass heroine, and placing a truly smart and capable character into a plot that typically relies on characters being dumb and ill prepared breathes new life into the home invasion genre.