Recommendation of The Week: Wrong Turn 2 – Dead End

In what I hope now will be a weekly thing, I am going to recommend something to you that I have seen over the last week or so. Could be a movie, could be a TV series or could be an exhibit I have been to which was somehow related to film. Its been a long time since I have felt like writing as much as I do now so bear with me. First out of the gate is going to be Joe Lynch’s Wrong Turn 2.

The original Wrong Turn was a slightly above average mountain men on the rampage flick which starred Eliza Dushku and was released in Summer 2003. It wasn’t bad but was released at the same time as a whole slew of blockbusters and had no hope of competing. Wrong Turn found its natural home on DVD becoming something of a hit with horror fans who saw it or watched it when it was eventually on TV. Because of its success on DVD, Twentieth Century Fox commissioned a straight to DVD sequel with Joe Lynch directing. As rare as a unicorn,Wrong Turn 2 is a straight to DVD sequel that is actually better than the first film.

Lynch lays his cards on the table in the first few minutes. A Hollywood starlet in the Paris Hilton mould is cleaved in half by some deformed mountain men and both her halves are dragged down a dirt road as the credits roll. From here we move into the woods and a reality TV show which imagines what an apocalypse would be like with D list celebrities struggling to survive in the wilderness. The TV crew and celebrities are all overseen by former marine and survival specialist Dale played by Henry Rollins. I've always liked Henry Rollins from back in the MTV sports days and Rollins Band. I always thought he had it in him to play a badass and here it is. He brings the war to the rednecks as they kill off the crew one by one in gory imaginative ways. Arrows are shot through heads, people are blown up by dynamite and blown away by shot gun. Its great fun. The film must have had a lower budget than the first but it feels more expensive because of all the grue. It also has a sense of humor. When we are introduced to the characters among the crew, you think you have pegged who will survive and who will perish early on. I can bet you good money that your instincts will be completely wrong as halfway through the girl who has been the focus of the story so far meets a grisly end and all bets are off.

Wrong Turn 2 is currently being shown on Film 4 as a celebration of the Film 4 sponsored Frightfest in London this weekend. The film was shown as part of the festival a couple of years ago and deserves your attention. Its far better than most things released in theatres and a great horror film. 

By Chris Holt

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