The Last House on the Left (2009)

The Last House on the Left (2009)

2009 R 110 Minutes

Crime | Thriller | Horror | Drama

A group of teenage girls heading into the city hook up with a gang of drug-addled ne'er-do-wells and are brutally murdered. The killers find their way to the home of one of their victim's parents,...

Overall Rating

6 / 10
Verdict: Good

User Review

  • The Last House On The Left went so far left that I couldn't make a U-turn. Well...suffice to say I was not expecting that. Craven's original isn't exactly a masterpiece, but much to my surprise (or lack of...), a remake was made and here we are. A waste disposing, microwaving and nose-breaking thriller that relishes in its explicit sadistic violence. A group of crazed criminals are on the run, and encounter two young girls who they brutally murder. Little did they know, that one of the girl's parents live nearby and...well, they get involved. Word of advice. When you kidnap a girl (although I recommend you don't) and they give you simple directions to go left, you go right. Because going left is rather eventful. As with most remakes of torture horrors, the violence is gratuitous. However, in this version it is somewhat more realistic with less methodical planning. Aside from the absolutely ridiculous final sequence that negates the realism that preceded it, there are no intricate contraptions. Just two parents fighting back in desperation and vengeance. Goldwyn and Potter give commendably strong performances to convey this, with Dillahunt stealing every scene with his antagonistic role. The script is fairly standard, with no real emotional conviction at any point. Although Iliadis' direction felt surprisingly visual, with several long takes of no verbal communication. Whether it be Mari fleeing the criminals or ferociously swimming, it strangely captures your attention through slow motion and a booming musical score. There is unfortunately a huge dip in pacing when commencing the second act as the criminals encounter the parents. Neither the script or direction can maintain the suspense required to hold the viewer's attention. You are simply just waiting for the inevitable violent third act, and that isn't enough motive to sit through the second act. Just fast forward it. The rape scene wasn't exactly pleasant to watch either. Aside from the forgettable second act, microwave fetish and occasionally weak script, it's not a bad film. If you like sadistic violence, give it a go.