[DVD Review (R2)] THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (2009)
The original The Last House On The Left, which was Wes Craven’s directorial debut in 1972, is one of those movies that stays with you for a long time after you watched it. In fact, it’s been a number of years since I last saw it and I can still remember it as well as I would ever want to!
So when the news that Craven’s underrated (and very disturbing) horror was announced I was a little dubious, to say the least, that it needed a remake or that any remake could equal the shocking nature of the original without heading too far into the “torture porn” genre that still seems to be quite popular.
But then I was offered the chance to review the movie and I figured “why not give it a chance”. But does it deliver?
The first thing that hit me about the remake was how it looked. It was so reminiscent of the look of horror movies from the 1970′s that I was actually a little surprised! There is no doubt that it is set in the “now” but the look of it is just really evocative of the 70′s, which for me was a big positive straight away.
And another thing that is obvious from the start is the sense that something dreadful is coming. Obviously, this could be partially to do with the prior knowledge of the original movie but it’s not just that. There is a sense of danger approaching all the time, heightened by the introduction of Krug escaping custody at the begining of the movie (something that was only ever mentioned and not seen in the original) and the feeling that the two families are on a collision course.
But before we go any further, just in case you have no idea what The Last House On The Left is about, the movie tells the story of Emma (Monica Potter), John (Tony Goldwyn), and Mari Collingwood (Sara Paxton) who have gone to their lakehouse on vacation. Not long after arriving Mari borrows her parents car to go and visit her friend Paige in the local town. While in the shop where Paige works the two girls are approached by Justin, a teenage passing through town with his family, who offers the girls some dope if they will sell him a packet of cigarettes. The girls accept and accompany Justin back to his hotel room where, after smoking a couple of joints, they are confronted by Justin’s family – his father, Krug (Garret Dillahunt), an escaped criminal , Francis (Aaron Paul), Justins uncle, and Sadie (Riki Lindhome), Krug’s girlfriend.
They take the girls hostage and leave town in Mari’s parents SUV and, while passing close to Mari’s parents isolated holiday home, Mari causes the SUV to crash and she and Paige attempt to escape. Unfortunately they don’t make it and Paige is murdered while Mari ends up being raped by Krug before managing to escape once more, only for the gang to believe she has died trying to swim across the lake to safety. With the SUV trashed, and a very bad storm breaking above them, the three criminals and terrified Justin head to the only safe location they can find – Mari’s parents home. At first Emma & John help the quartet, even letting them stay the night in the Guest House, but when they discover the truth of what’s happened they take their revenge on the people responsible.
So that’s the plot, and while it is essentially similar to the original it’s different enough to not feel like you’re just watching the same story again.
And there’s something else that helps with that. The actors are all utterly convincing in their roles, be it Garret Dillahunt as the villainous Krug, Sara Paxton as the traumatised Mari or Monica Potter or Tony Goldwyn as the vengence filled parents. They are all totally believable in their roles and really bring a sense of realism to the movie. Sara Paxton, especially, deserves credit for taking on what is a very difficult role and doing so with such a good job that she could well be an actress to watch in the future. Likewise, Garret Dillahunt is chilling in the role of Krug, but he never slips into an over the top performance that could have changed the character from believable to pantomime cariacture of a bad guy.
It’s this sense of realism, delivered not only from the actors but also the direction and script, that elevates The Last House On The Left above an awful lot of other horror remakes.
There is an obvious desire to tell a good story, first and foremost, and that is something that they achieve. Dennis Iliadis proves once again that he is a director who isn’t afraid to show the harshness of something, and all of the violence portrayed in the movie is not only believable it is also chilling and definitely not glorified in any way – except maybe the final shot of the movie, which is slightly over the top but utterly fitting.
Dennis Iliadis has taken what is regarded by many horror movie fans as a flawed masterpiece of the genre and delivered a modern take on it that is not only respectful of the source material but also a very good movie in it’s own right.
I wouldn’t say that I “enjoyed” it, as I’m not sure it’s the type of movie to be enjoyed, but it certainly wasn’t a failure in any respect and grabs hold of you from the begining and doesn’t let go until the credits roll. There are moments that are quite hard to get through, and the whole movie is an uncomprimising and unforgiving ride, but one that horror fans would be well worth taking.
9 Responses to “[DVD Review (R2)] THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (2009)”
Dude, you’ve disappointed me! Four? Really?
Aww man, I’d give a couple of stars just for Tony Goldwyn and the always great Garrett Dillahunt but, really, this was just the turning point for me… No longer am I prepared to accept rape (especially to this extent) as entertainment. I’m putting a blanket boycott in place.
And sorry to shout, and this is not directed at you in anyway, more so for any ****er attached to the writing and directing of this movie who may come across this review…..
MICROWAVES DO NOT WORK WITH THEIR ****ING DOORS OPEN!!! :horny:
I didn’t really feel that the rape scene was presented as “entertainment” and, honestly, if people find that scene in particular entertaining then they need serious help!
And as for the microwave, yeah I thought that the first time, but as I was dipping in and out of it I noticed a scene where they state the microwave is broken, so it could work.
Yeah, pretty much, if you’re entertained by the rape scene in this, you’ve got some problems, it was uncomfortable and terrible, which was the point.
As for the microwave, they did mention it was broken. I’m also pretty sure you could bypass the safety mechanism in it and make it work like in the film.
It was a pretty good remake, though I’d probably give it a 3 instead of a 4.
I’m not saying the scene in question was “entertainment”, and admittedly it was done a helluva lot less saliciously then had it been in the hands of Eli Roth, but still… The question I keep asking myself is “Do we NEED to see it?”
There’s some horrifically engaging and challenging similar sequences done in better films where the power of sound and suggestion is given air instead of gratuitous close-ups and long-lingering shots.
I dunno, maybe I’m taking my anger out towards this still ongoing ‘gorenography’ subgenre on a film, this film, that – truth be told – was probably one of the “better” types.
I’d probably throw it a very generous 3, maybe a strong two and a half. And I think Sara Paxton deserves highlighting for doing a stellar job in this.
Great review – debateable rating.
NB: You’d not believe the number of teens I eavesdrop in on, talking about rape sequences or torture scenes in a variety of movie as being “great” or “excellent”. When you’re putting out movies in which the teens of the day bypass talking about performance in favour of answering questions as to whether you see any “tit” during the rape scenes, you know we’re heading for a very rapid decline! Lol
I don’t think Eli Roth would have done the scene any worse than in the film.
Also, ‘torture porn’ and ‘gorenography’ are such bullshit terms.
Nah, I disagree – you only need to look at SAW ****in SIX to see that such terms are valid; bankrupt narratives with salicious torture and gore sequences being the only thing to pin a ninety odd minute running time together!
Give this remake its due, at least it had narrative and performance on its side!
I’m no fan of the SAW movies, but they’re actually tightly written films in regards to connecting threads and what have you. They are no more worse than a lot of horror movies from the 80s, the main difference being that the SAW movies are played completely straight.
They’re just horror movies, not good ones mind you, adding the ‘porn’ moniker to it makes it seem like the violence is sexualized, which it isn’t.
Oh come on, the way the violence is presented in those movies (well, after Part III for definite) isn’t sexualised or built up to an unnecessary extent?
I disagree with you completely. Which is startling because I never normally do. And if this is what time away from the site does, i.e. pitch us on opposite sides of an issue, then I’m going to halt my slow return right now.
No, Grundy, not you? They could’ve at least taken Hazmat away from me. But you?
Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!
The violence is built up for tension and to be uncomfortable; tits, blood and at times loose narrative have been apart of the horror genre for a while before these movies. Why isn’t The Passion of the Christ labeled as such? That movie is 2 hours of a guy being beaten/tortured to death then nailed to a big bit of wood.
I hate to be the one to play devil’s advocate regarding the ****ing SAW movies, it’s just the term ‘torture porn’ annoys the piss out of me.
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