The Hills Have Eyes (2006) Review

Written by: Alex   

I absolutely loved Alexandre Aja's "High Tension". And I was prepared to do the same with his remake of Craven's cult classic. Unfortunately, Aja's sophomore effort does not live up to the brilliance of his first. However, I will say that in the gore department, Aja is two-for-two. The man is a master at staging the most graphic killings you'll ever see in a horror film. Fans of the "red stuff" will not certainly not be disappointed. The script, for the most part, is extremely faithful to the original 1977 shocker. The big difference is the cannibals are now deformed mutants (due to radiation fallout) and they are pissed at the world for destroying their homes with nuclear bomb testings. If you've ever seen the infamous "X-Fiies" season four episode "Home", then you got an idea of how this movie plays out.

Unlike "High Tension", the movie never builds any nightmarish intensity. Only in the final act does it become pure visceral bloody (and scary) fun. Up until that point, there are a number of grossout moments and an ugly rape scene. I also felt that Craven's film was a little more effective in its depiction of the the terrorized family and the murderous cannibals. There was simply more drama to it. Still, I can't call "The Hills Have Eyes" a total disappointment. As stated before, as a bloody gorefest, the movie does deliver the goods. Aja's direction is also steady, but this isn't a masterwork to compare his "High Tension". The biggest compliment I can give this film is that it's a worthy remake. Die-hard horror fans should like it.