Slasher films have become a staple within the horror genre. Usually jam-packed with grisly murders and buckets of blood, the slasher film cannot survive without a few on-screen murders. Unfortunately, with most slasher films, these murders are often the high points of the film, with more importance being placed on memorable kills rather than a compelling story.

Luckily, not all slasher films fall victim to these stereotypes. You’re Next is one of those underrated slasher movies. This home invasion film centers around a family who has reunited to celebrate their parent’s 35th anniversary. While they are sitting down at dinner, disaster strikes when an arrow is shot into the head of one of the family members. As the rest of the family fights to survive, not all will make it out alive.

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What makes You’re Next a standout slasher film? Between the badass Final Girl Erin, the believable storyline, unique kills, and the plot twist behind the whodunit, it’s easy to see how the film has been able to stand out among its genre. Let’s take a closer look.

The Final Girl Makes Logical Decisions

     HanWay Films

Unfortunately, in many horror films, the stereotypical female characters are not known to make wise or logical decisions (via No Film School). The heroine may end up beating the villain, but they tend to get lucky rather than truly outsmart them. In Erin’s case, she not only outsmarted the masked killers, but she actually kicked their asses. With a background in survival skills, which she learned as a child, Erin is able to cut down the killers one by one. She plans ahead and plants traps for the killers, she keeps her wits about her, and she knows how to make the most of her surroundings. Throughout most of You’re Next, with the only exception being when she locked herself in a basement with no alternative escape route, Erin is one of the few heroines who can claim they made logical survival decisions.

A Plot AND Plenty of Gore? Yes, Please!

Another common stereotype in slasher horror films is that 95% of the film’s budget is spent on special effects, leaving only a small amount for creating a unique story. You’re Next not only excels on its special effects, which we will talk more about next, but they actually have a compelling plot behind all the bloodshed. The plot revolves around a family that has all gotten together for a weekend to celebrate their parent’s 35th anniversary. Once everyone is there, the reunion is interrupted when an arrow is shot through the window, killing one of the family. The next hour passes with animal-masked assailants picking off the family members. Between the stellar acting, the moving storyline, the big reveal, and of course, the kills, You’re Next sets itself apart from other stereotypical slasher flicks.

Unique Kills

It would be silly not to commend a slasher movie for its unique kills. You’re Next’s kill count soars to a whopping 15 kills, which are made up of family and masked killers. The film opens up with a couple being slaughtered in their home by a killer wearing an animal mask. Both kills are off-screen, but the blood splatter caused by the machete is a great precursor to what’s to come. The next kill doesn’t come for another 20 minutes, but once the first family member is killed, the deaths pile up.

You’re Next does a great job of showing a variety of ways to kill someone using tools you can find in your own home. Some of these kills include a blender, knives, axes, screwdrivers, logs, and even a garrote wire. Most of the kills are unsuspecting, including the use of the garrote wire, which was strewn across the front door. Kelly, one of the daughters-in-law, tries to run for help only to run into the wire which was invisible thanks to the dark. As a home invasion slasher film, it was a power move to see Erin use items throughout the house as her murder weapons. It not only made the film more believable, but it also helped contrast with the killer’s use of bows, arrows and machetes.

The Plot Twist Behind the Whodunit

Spoiler alert: two of the sons hired the masked assassins to kill their family so that they could inherit the family’s fortune. The filmmakers did a great job of hiding this twist. Sure, there were subtle clues spaced out, but if you weren’t watching close enough, you could easily miss them. Erin is able to deduce that the youngest brother, Felix, was in cahoots with the killers along with his girlfriend Zee, and is able to kill them. You would think that’s where the story ends, but as she sits next to Felix’s dead body, which now features a blender sticking out of his head, she hears his phone ring. She answers it to hear Crispin, her boyfriend, and Felix’s brother, asking if everyone was dead yet. Erin doesn’t say anything, leaving Crispin to think he is talking to Felix, but when he sees her expressionless face holding the phone to his ear, he knows he messed up.