[Review] Wrong Turn(2021) {6/10}

Directed by Mike P. Nelson and with a screenplay from Alan McElroy, the film stars Charlotte Vega (Jen Shaw), Adain Bradley (Darius), Emma Dumont (Milla), Dylan McTee (Adam), Daisy Head (Edith), Bill Sage (Venable) and Matthew Modine (Scott Shaw). The film is a reboot of the Wrong Turn film series.

The plot follows Scott (Matthew Modine) who hasn't heard from his daughter, Jen (Charlotte Vega), in several weeks, so he goes looking for her. Weeks earlier, she, her boyfriend, Darius (Adain Bradley), and four other friends decided to hike the Appalachian Trail. Darius, a history buff, talks the others into leaving the marked trail to find the secrets of the woods, even though they were warned not to. Before long, strange things start happening. One of the group dies, crushed by a runaway rolling log. Then others begin disappearing or falling into well-hidden traps. Then they encounter mysterious people wearing animal skulls. What will Scott discover when he finally finds his daughter?

This remake of the 2003 horror/slasher movie (and the seventh entry in the franchise), is filled with annoying characters and dumb situations and can't make a reasonable case for its own existence. The characters spend lots of time shouting one another's names rather than developing any personalities. And what little character development there is, is ridiculous. The movie tries to earn points for having a diverse group but their shallowness undercuts that attempt. Darius dreams of a cult-like collective in which "everyone works and everyone shares" (and, coincidentally, he finds it!). Jen somehow believes that there's only right and wrong, and shades of gray don't exist. And Adam is a serious jerk; he does the most shouting. At least the villains in this movie are led by the charismatic Venable (Bill Sage) and are more interesting than the heroes. There are certain scenes where you will feel bad for the villains. Wrong Turn is a cut below more effective horror outings. It's a bit silly and queasy, but the narrative motor keeps humming.

Wrong Turn is now available on Digital and VOD.