The Last House on the Left (2009) Review

Written by: alex1176   

I was surprised the remake of Wes Craven's 1972 terror flick wasn't directed by Alexandre Aja ("High Tension"). It is an extremely unpleasant movie about a family who are terrorized by a group of ruthless criminals that are on the run. The 70's was filled with taut revenge thrillers such as "Death Wish" and "Stray Dogs". This movie contains the same amount of intensity and nastiness as those films did. It's an exploitation flick with some effective acting by Tony Goldwyn and Monica Potter ("Saw") as a married couple who must kill to survive.

The movie's premise (like Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes") is that of a young family who are vacationing, and yet find themselves helpless in a remote area when a group of crazies arrive. But unlike "Hills", there are no mutant cannibals here. Instead, just a believable set of scary people who kill without conscience. I never saw the original, but this remake is extremely well-made. However, the movie contains a rather squirm-inducing rape scene that will make some uncomfortable. And I didn't quite buy the ending (can a head really explode under those circumstances?). Still, the acting by the supporting cast is beliveable. You'll hate the criminals, and will probably relate to the parents who go to the extreme when it comes to protecting their family.

"The Left House on the Left" isn't an all out horror film. It's more like real life horror and those who want to see a gritty thriller won't be disappointed. On a sidenote, it was produced by Craven and Sean S. Cunningham, producer of the "Friday the 13th" films. It's one of their better films of recent memory.