Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007) Movie Review
Written By: LFG
Edited By: Grave Reviews Staff
Film Information
Director: Joe Lynch
Producer: Jeff Freilich
Writers: Turi Meyer, Al Septien
Date Released: October 9, 2007
Cast:
Erica Leerhsen as Nina Papas
Henry Rollins as Colonel Dale Murphy
Texas Battle as Jake Washington
Aleksa Palladino as Mara Stone
Daniella Alonso as Amber Williams
Steve Braun as Matt “Jonesy” Jones
Matthew Currie Holmes as Michael “M” Epstein
Crystal Lowe as Elena Garcia
Kimberly Caldwell as Kimberly
Wayne Robson as Maynard Odets
Ken Kirzinger as Pa
Ashlea Earl as Ma
Rating = 3/5 Graves
***May contain some spoilers***
Synopsis
An up-and-coming reality show called The Apocalypse: Ultimate Survivalist is set to be filmed deep in the forests of West Virginia, featuring a variety of characters from all walks of life. One of the contestants named Kimberly (Kimberly Caldwell) gets into an accident on her way to the set. She stops and tries to help the man she just hit, but the disfigured man, known as Brother (Clint Carleton), attacks her out of nowhere. She tries to escape, but another mutant called Three Finger (Jeff Scrutton) grabs her and slices her in half vertically with an axe. She is then dragged away by her attackers, leaving her car and bloody intestines on the road. Meanwhile, the other reality show contestants are already onsite, ready to start filming. The host of the show, Col. Dale Murphy (Henry Rollins), briefs them on the mechanics, and the game begins. Unbeknownst to everyone, a family of inbred cannibals reside around the area of their shooting location and are observing them from afar. As the game begins, so does the killing rampage of the cannibals. Now the contestants are fighting for their survival before they all become the cannibals’ next meal.
Gore Factor
This is a no-holds-barred type of slasher film, and it’s probably one of the goriest and most disturbing films out there with bodies exploding, arrows piercing through heads, a decapitated head on top of the kitchen table about to be cooked for dinner, and even a deformed baby drinking toxic waste before sucking on a dead finger. Because of this, it is difficult to choose which scene has the most gore, but I would have to say the opening scene takes the cake for the most gruesome as it features a body perfectly sliced lengthwise before it gets subsequently dragged on the road by the cannibal hillbillies. The intestines are left in the middle of the deserted road, and this basically indicates the fate of the protagonists of the film—it’s a great way to showcase what’s to come.
The Grave Review
Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007) is a direct-to-video sequel of the 2003 slasher, Wrong Turn. It is the highest-rated installment in the entire franchise comprising of six total films, and it is considered the goriest with a unique execution of character deaths.
From the start of the film, it’s clear that while the cannibals are the obvious villains, they are still the star of the show. Watching them live their abnormal way of life is both terrifying and fascinating. The makeup and prosthetics used are excellent and resembles actual deformity caused by toxic waste. Since the entire hillbilly family is inbred, their way of thinking is entirely different from that of a normal person. They have their own individual personalities, but one thing is apparent in everyone—their hostile nature and cannibalistic ways. Another interesting thing about the cannibal family is that they can communicate and understand each other with all the grunting sounds they make. However, they do have questionable semi-super human strength—they are able to withstand extreme physical pain, popping their bones back in like it’s no big deal. Are these side effects to the radioactive waste they were exposed to? This is not addressed in the film, so viewers can only surmise why. Meanwhile, the protagonists in the film features a big group, and only a few in particular stood out like Nina (Erica Leerhsen) and Col. Dale Murphy. They were the only one brave enough to do something about their predicament.
In a nutshell, some viewers might feel like this premise has already been redone a thousand times, and to be honest, it probably has. This film is far from perfect, but in this case, the cliché formula still works. Perhaps this is mainly because the villains in the film features a ruthless, incestuous, cannibalistic mutant family—this changes the dynamic of the story. And the fact that they live in the woods makes for one terrifying camping story. The last scene of the film featured a cannibal baby being held by Three Finger, and with that scene alone, viewers can’t help but feel curious of what’s going to happen in the next.
For the foregoing reasons, Grave Reviews gives Wrong Turn 2 (2007) this film three graves out of five graves.
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