Think of this as a reimagining rather than a remake. We’ve already had six films in the Wrong Turn franchise and this reboot gives us a completely new version and interpretation than we’ve seen before.
Overall, I thought this was a pretty decent film. The first half builds up some great tension and it’s not long before we witness the first casualty. Steering away from the previous type of inbred cannibals, this film kind of gives a more realistic take on the whole city kids getting lost in the woods story. It has a good amount of blood and gore which isn’t excessive or just thrown in for effect. In fact the deaths are quite inventive and executed really well, adding to the suspense as the film goes on and again, makes you feel like this could really happen.
The threat may not be coming from disfigured, cannibalistic hillbillies this time, but this group of people are just as sinister. The Foundation are a society existing since the 18th century who basically echo a certain person’s mantra of ‘make America great again’. They almost make you feel sorry for them at one point as you begin to question which group really are the villains. Their leader (Bill Sage) does keep you on edge as his ora commands respect and submission and a few scenes imply that we’ve only scratched the surface as to what these people are really like.
Charlotte Vega leads the cast as Jen and she gives a great performance. It’s nice to have a leading lady in this type of film who isn’t annoying. She executes some twists brilliantly and manages to keep you guessing as you question what she’s really doing. The final moments of the film are great and while you could be forgiven for getting a little distracted towards the end, this pulls you right back in.
Verdict
Die hard fans of the original set of films may not take to this as much but if you go in with an open mind I’m sure you’d find this an enjoyable viewing experience. When it’s good, it’s great and it did leave me wanting more.
