Tucker & Dale vs Evil

Tucker & Dale Vs Evil isn't the first horror film to employ comedy to set it apart, and it isn't the first to use that comedic base to satirize and turn the genre on its ear. But it is certainly one of the more fun examples, taking a well-worn concept and transforming it into something new and exciting. The hillbilly killer convention of the horror genre is so universal and tired, as is the cabin-in-the-woods subgenre that has its place in T&DvE, but Eli Craig, the writer and director, has turned the perspective around, making those frightening, redneck hillbillies the heroes of the film and the teens they should be hunting...well, they are still douchebags.

So Tucker and Dale, the titular rednecks, are really just a couple of sweethearts from the country, wanting to spend time at their newly purchased "vacation" home, to spend some time drinking beer and fishing. That would have been easy enough if a group of teens hadn't set up camp nearby, fearing the two men and assuming the worst. T&DvE is a film that is really about assumptions and prejudice, about human nature and its ability to judge others who are different from us, without ever attempting communication in order to understand those very people. Which sounds a lot deeper for a comedy than this one actually is, but it's important to know that it is, indeed, there.

Eli Craig's script and direction are solid throughout, giving us exactly what we'd expect to see, only presenting it in a different light. The set-ups are largely the same as you'd find in a typical horror film, with chainsaws, wood chippers, sharp sticks, and ineffectual cops enough to have even an amateur horror fan know what is being parodied. But this isn't a Funny Games dissection of the genre, so it embraces the blood, the gore, and the silliness you hope to find. With the teens essentially their own enemy in this film, because they are the ones who must do all the evil, the endless ways they are dispatched bring something fresh to a time when watching teens die isn't as fun as it used to be.

The real champions here are stars Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk, who a handful will recognize from cult shows not enough people watched. They fill their hillbilly roles with a grace you wouldn't expect to find, and their ability to handle comedy is astounding. Tyler Labine, who seems as nice a guy in person as his character is onscreen, has a small love plot with one of the teen leads, and where that should normally fail, he pulls it off with aplomb, making it seem natural and real. The teens are really pretty one-note, but that is to be expected, so it doesn't really hurt anything, because they aren't the ones we are supposed to care about. Labine and Tudyk really make the whole film worth it, and I can only hope this sees wider distribution in the future.

Genre - Comedy (3.5)

Screenplay (4)

Acting (4)

Production (3)

Directing (3)