DVD Reviews

The Last House On The Left

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Monica Potter
• Details: US/100mins (16)

Made in the early 70's by a man who would go on to dominate the genre with his innovative grasp of the macabre, Wes Craven, the first Last House On The Left was an entirely different beast to this remake entirely. Sure, the plot is pretty much the same, and ultimately, both films will cause you to question just how far you'd go to avenge an unprovoked and violent assault on a loved one. The difference here is execution; this version is more about survival, whilst the original was out-and-out revenge. Undoubtedly better made than Craven's directorial debut, this is easily the best horror remake we've seen since other Craven classic, The Hills Have Eyes, and may just rival Dawn of the Dead for the top spot.
Its summertime and the Collingwood family are heading out to their secluded home in the woods to get away from it all for a few weeks. Having lost a son the previous year, Mother Emma (Potter) is slightly apprehensive about letting their independent daughter, Mari, take the car and visit friends in town, but gives in under pressure. When hanging out with her friend, Mari stumbles across a young loner who invites them back to his motel room. All is fine until his sociopathic father and uncle return home, and subject the girls to a gut wrenching and horrific ordeal. But the Collingwood's, through sheer coincidence, will have a chance for their revenge, as they battle to live through the night.
Eschewing the grubby ambience of the first film, this is still a tenser affair. For the first half hour, or so, proceedings feel slightly off, as Iliadis subtly lets you know that something bad, something inherently wrong, is going to happen. It's beautifully filmed, nicely edited and full of foreboding ambience. When things finally do kick-off, they do so with reality very much at the forefront - there is a smart script at work here, surprisingly lacking in cliches, with pragmatic characters at its core. The violence portrayed in Zodiac comes to mind for the actual attacks, which are conducted with a disconcerting amount of casualness; the camera doesn't cut away, it stays close so there is nowhere else to look.
Performances all round are extremely impressive. Goldwyn, when not directing, has made a career out of portraying bad guys, and his inclusion here as the father is an interesting and successful choice. Garret Dillahunt as the ultraviolent Krug, and Sara Paxton as the helpless victim are both excellent; the former a terrifying villain, without descending into the dastardly. The latter, evoking empathy with an assured but vulnerable performance.
There are purists who won't like this, there are more mainstream horror fans who will be unhappy with the lack of gore; but this is a remake that treads the middle ground between the commercial fare modern genre fans are used to, and the nasty actions of the original, brilliantly. Uncomfortable and often uncompromising, this is exceptionally well made horror.

Review by Mike Sheridan