This remake of Wes Craven’s 1977 cult-classic comes with Craven’s seal of approval considering he produced the updated version directed by French horror protégé Alexandre Aja ("High Tension").
Aja and co-screenwriter Gregory Levasseur flesh out Craven’s skeletal original script with broad strokes of Cold War nuclear predominance to frame a much gorier and disturbing narrative motif than Craven’s original film.
A couple celebrates their 25th wedding anniversary on a road trip with their Suburban pulling an ’88 Airstream trailer to California through the New Mexico desert with their three children, son-in-law, granddaughter and two dogs.
A cannibal group of mutated victims of ‘50s era nuke testing lay in wait.
Alexander Aja ratchets up the crusty gore as the tourists’ numbers diminish and the remaining few are left to fight for their survival.
Slack pacing in the film’s first act, and a drawn-out third act, weaken its gut-wrenching horrific punch.
Rated R. 105 mins.
