How many more times in the next few months are we going to see another "remake," "reboot" or "re-imagining" of a great movie that was already fine on its own? Apparently there is nothing that will stop Hollywood from continuing this trend. Audiences have come to accept films such as "Friday the 13th" (2009), "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (2003) and "The Hitcher" (2007), even though they will never be as entertaining or gripping as the originals. But some of these horror remakes aren't horrible; they take the original and fit it to the needs of thrill seekers today. "The Last House on the Left" (2009) does just that, and it does it very well.
Wes Craven, the director and writer of the original film, and Sean S. Cunningham, mastermind behind many of the horror thrillers of the '70s and '80s, were very much involved in this version of the film. Fresh talent, though, including Craven's son Jonathan, is utilized to make this film as messed up as the original.
The story focuses on the members of the Collingwood family who are going on summer vacation to their second home in a forested and secluded area. Daughter Mari (played by Sara Paxton) is an avid swimmer; while mother Emma (Monica Potter) is a teacher; and father John (Tony Goldwyn) is a doctor. Upon arriving at their home -- the last house on the left -- Mari takes the family SUV to visit a friend who works in the town's general store. The two meet a strange, shy young man named Justin (Spencer Treat Clark), who offers to trade them some weed if they sell him a pack of cigarettes.
The girls and Justin go back to his motel room to have a smoke, where they are interrupted by Justin's father Krug (Garret Dillahunt), his uncle Francis (Aaron Paul) and his surrogate mother/Krug's lover Sadie (Riki Lindhome). Justin's relatives are less than pleased to see the girls, as they are murderers on the run from the cops, and their pictures are on the front page of the local newspaper. Krug decides he can't let the girls go.
What comes next is a horrific, psychologically jarring and unsettling sequence, as the girls are held captive, tortured and raped. Most of the scenes in this part of the movie are hard enough to watch; never mind the gore that is soon to follow.
After the first of many murders, a storm develops, and Krug and the gang have nowhere to go. They opt to go to the closest house for some help. The dramatic irony sets in as the audience realizes that Krug has stumbled upon the Collingwood residence, where Emma and John eagerly await the return of their (unbeknownst to them, very injured) daughter.
The final part of the film is all about revenge, and it is definitely served cold. It is violent, gore-filled and suspenseful. Imagine characters dying by hammer, sink garbage disposal or microwave. And all that is just what can be seen in the trailer.
While the film does a lot of things right, it could do so much better. As Mari is watching her friend get tortured, she looks stoic and doll-like. Her acting and the make-up fail to sync with the story. Some of the acting by the rest of the cast is sub-par at times, and the film drags until it gets into the really meaty (or bloody) parts.
When the film does something right, though, it does it well. Cinematography and camera work play a big part in the styling of the film, and both are used throughout to convey the severity of the situation the characters are embroiled in.
For example, as one of the characters falls through the railing on a staircase the camera rotates and falls with the man as to keep the debris and actor in the same shot at the same time. Additionally, the score of the film is eerie and ominous. The only way to improve it would be to have Charlie Clouser, the composer for the "Saw" films, add his signature timpani scales and technologic edge.
While this film isn't for everybody, "The Last House on the Left" proves to be one of the better of the remakes that have been released in the past few years. With a solid combination of psychologically terrifying situations, gruesome kills, awesome camera work and a decent soundtrack, this is something a horror buff should not miss. As an added bonus, it guarantees that audience members will never look at a microwave the same way again.
