You're Next

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
You're Next Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 17+

Bloody home invasion movie is more hype than content.

R 2013 96 minutes
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Parents say

age 16+

Based on 8 reviews

Kids say

age 15+

Based on 15 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that You're Next is a much-hyped indie horror movie of the "home invasion" variety, but with a kind of twist. Violence is over the top and bloody, featuring many attacks and killings with various weapons including knives, axes, machetes, wire, and even a blender. There's some female toplessness, and sex is both implied and discussed (once in a rather disgusting, disturbing manner). Language isn't constant but includes more than one use of "f--k." And some social drinking is shown, as well as a character who takes a Vicodin.

Community Reviews

Sam M.
Sam M. Adult
March 21, 2016
age 17+

Entertaining, well made, mildy surprising.

The lead girl is a badass and we root for her throughout. Movie stops being scary halfway tbrough and becomes a survival/ assassination thriller that knows how to hit the right notes on pursuits and kills. The dialog is passable i guess and most of the characters are hollow. But as a "watch em die flick" it builds them up relatively well before thier cruel and brutal deaths that still shock despite toungue in cheek moments. An arrow to the neck, a throat cut with razor wire (shown in closeup but not as bloody as one would expect). A man repeatedly stabbed with a screwdriver in an emotionally intense scene (blood dots his sweater). Bloody after math of a woman slashed to death in bed. A man has his throat slashed by machete with some blood. A man has his jugular cut before he is stabbed in the eye (shown sticking out with blood trickle. A woman is thrown through glass (she is bloody) and is golf butted in the skull with an axe. A brutal electrocution and sloppy blender deep into the top of somebodys head. A girl shown in pool of blood under head. Several but not many f words. Implied sex with legs shown and breasts after they are finished and again i with an undressing married couple. A man is beated in the head woth a wrench repeatedly (we see close ups of the bloody wound). A man is stabed in the eye and his hands are bloody, another is beaten to deathw ith a brick splattering the ground and the killer with blood (dark flickering shots). One is stabbed in the foot. A woman seriously proposes that she and her boyfriend "F--- on your mothers corpse".

This title has:

Too much violence
jkauto
jkauto Adult
March 11, 2015
age 16+

Fantastic

You're Next is what the horror genre needed. With production companies manufacturing constant variations of successful films like "The Conjuring" and "Insidious," it was nice to see a slasher; a well done slasher, that is. You're Next has a fresh take on the home invasion horror sub-genre. Instead of spewing not only guts and gore- it gives us strong character development of our heroin and delineates its "indie" feel quite proudly. The sex is low- very tame for a slasher films- especially in our post-modern genre of horror films like the "Friday the 13th" remake. The twist is also nice- not too predictable. Any teenage horror fanatic will want to see this and if their high school aged then they've seen it before- this is greatly directed and produced entertainment.
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

After a couple down the road is slain, YOU'RE NEXT moves onto the next house, where Paul (Rob Moran) and Aubrey Davison (Barbara Crampton) are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary, with their grown children -- and significant others -- in attendance. Writer Crispian (AJ Bowen) comes with his Australian girlfriend, Erin (Sharni Vinson). Two more brothers and a sister, plus partners, also arrive, making the party 10 in total. The family sits down to dinner, starts arguing, and finds their arguing interrupted by intruders in animal masks. They start killing the family members one by one -- but then one woman starts fighting back, throwing a serious monkey wrench in their plans. Much bloody carnage later, who will be left standing?

Is It Any Good?

Storytelling clearly isn't Wingard's primary focus; it's possible the movie was meant to be funny, but he's a chronic camera-shaker, and the movie's amateurish look makes it hard to tell. Also, the story's red herrings stick out just a bit too far, calling attention to themselves. Ultimately, many of You're Next's ideas just don't make sense. The one high point is Vinson, who nearly makes up for it all.

The reason that You're Next has generated such buzz in horror circles is that director Adam Wingard is clearly a fan, which isn't always the case in a genre that often inspires lazy, disdainful copies. Many of the cast members are either genre filmmakers (Larry Fessenden, Joe Swanberg, Ti West), or horror icons (Crampton, from Re-Animator). But outside of this assembling of like minds, not many actual ideas are generated, except for the concept of the female warrior; often, women are victimized in "home invasion" movies like this one.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Your Next's gory violence. How much is shown? How over the top is it? Is it effective? Could the movie have gotten away with less?

  • Is the movie scary? What makes a good horror movie? What's the appeal of the horror genre in general? Why are these filmmakers such fans?

  • Is the main character a role model? What are her strong points? Weak points? Is she someone you'd want to emulate?

Movie Details

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