Review recall: The Last House on the Left (2009)

The Last House on the Left
Starring: Garret Dillahunt, Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, Sarah Paxton
Written by: Adam Alleca, Carl Ellsworth, based on a screenplay by Wes Craven
Directed by: Dennis Illiadis

This redo of Wes Craven’s ground-breaking, if not spectacular, horror has emerged with somewhat less fanfare that other recent remakes, but with considerably more critical approval. Unlike, say, My Bloody Valentine, it doesn’t rely on 3D gimmickry. It also doesn’t have the brand recognition of Friday 13th. It is, however, a very well-made little horror film. While Craven’s film seemed to have been made purely to make a name for the director, as well as seeing quite how much they could get away with, this is slick, but still harrowing stuff.

Mari Collingwood goes with her parents to their cabin in the woods. On arriving, she takes the car and meets up with old friend Paige in town. Enter Justin, a quiet young man, who tells them he has pot in his motel room. Mari reluctantly agrees and they accompany him to the motel. Shortly after, Justin’s family returns. A band of sociopaths led by Justin’s father Krug, they do terrible things to Paige and Mari. As night falls, the group take the shelter offered by John and Emma Collingwood. Which group will realise quite who they’re sharing coffee with first?

It’s usually a good sign when the director of the original film takes an active interest in the remake, and Craven is reportedly genuinely pleased with Illiadis’s interpretation. The Greek newcomer is certainly a director to watch. The first few scenes show off the beauty of the location and the filmmaker’s eye for colour and composition. He also handles the less pleasant scenes with a steady hand. The rape scene is difficult to watch, but not exploitative. The violence is brutal and gruesome, but also affecting.

The film is also very well-cast. Goldwyn and Potter are likeable as the parents and portray the shift from horrified to murderous with skill. Paxton and Superbad’s Martha MacIsaac are likeable teens, which makes what happens all the more difficult to watch. Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul deserves a special mention as Krug’s brother Francis, as does Spencer Treat Clarke, best known for being “the kid” in Gladiator and Unbreakable, here playing the conflicted Justin. Clarke also works very well with Garret Dillahunt, who is the film’s clear standout. Krug is Dillahunt’s first real lead, but he’s been consistently excellent in supporting roles over the past few years. Playing not one, but two, villains in Deadwood, as well as smaller good-guy parts in The Assassination of Jesse James and No Country For Old Men, he’s able to play charming, funny, and sadistic, and he uses all three traits here.

It’s all a little old hat by the end, however. The problem with the remake is that most of us are familiar with the story, and we all know what’s coming. By the time that John and Emma figure it out, we’re way ahead of them and the ensuing horror is a little predictable. It’s not entirely without standout moments, but, apart from one particular incident, the violence in the third act is never as shocking as what Mari and Paige go through.

Of the recent run of horror remakes, The Last House on the Left is a long way ahead of the competition. Watch it if you've got a strong stomach. Oh, and I hate the last little scene. I really hate it.

7/10