You're Next - B-

Rated R, 94 minutes

Intense "You're Next" is a bloodbath, but a fun one

One of the villains in "You're Next"

Save for a handful of genuinely scary horror films like the original "Halloween" or "Friday the 13th," the horror film genre is my least favorite to review, particularly intensely violent and bloody ones. And as much as I wanted to hate the over-the-top, gory new horror film "You're Next," it's actually enjoyable in the right frame of mind. When a gang of masked, ax-wielding murderers descend upon the Davison family reunion, the hapless victims seem trapped...until an unlikely guest of the family proves to be the most talented killer of all. The bloody fun new film "You're Next" is directed by horror film director Adam Wingard ("V/H/S") and stars a load of unknown actors you probably don't know, but the real star is the home invasion premise, which takes a few nifty twists and turns before energetic climax, which is indeed a bloodbath. Of the cast, the most memorable is tough-as-nails Australian TV actress Sharni Vinson in a breakout role that could make her a star in the mold of Jamie Lee Curtis; as the smart survivalist in the group, she's able to outwit and outsmart the creepy, animal-masked killers in some pretty kick-ass ways. Let's just say you'll never look at a blender the same way. The script and plotting is elaborately preposterous and doesn't make much sense if you think about too much, lacking a sense of mystery especially in the last act (you know who the killers are well before the ending), but you may be best to enjoy the chilling "You're Next" by sitting back and enjoying some of the thrills. It's certainly not for everyone, but if you enjoy bloody horror films, then the scary smart, intense and fun "You're Next" is definitely for you.

Wes's Grade: B-