Review: The Last House on the Left (2009)

Review Written By: Gaius Bolling

Release Date: March 13th, 2009

In 1972 Wes Craven, a then struggling filmmaker, unleashed "The Last House on the Left" to an unsuspecting public. The film, with its snuff like tone and unapologetic grittiness, began a hit with the drive in crowd and has since become a cult classic among horror fans. 

Despite it's loyal fan base within the genre, many casual viewers who check out the film just don't see the appeal. It's definitely a film of its time period and it hasn't really aged well since its original 1972 run. There are moments of misplaced comedy in the film and the production is considered lacking by most modern audiences. I happen to love the film because despite its restraints, it still grips the audience with its no holds barred approach to the brutality it's presenting. 

The same complaints, in my opinion, can not be bestowed on the 2009 reboot of "The Last House on the Left". It takes a lot of what worked in the original film and ups the ante in a big way. It has a much larger budget to work with and it gives the filmmakers more freedom to truly dig deep into making the film with care and attention to detail. The film is just as relentless as the original and I think it will make fans of the 1972 film very proud.

The story remains the same but there are a few minor changes to truly flesh out the story. The film begins with the Collingwood family arriving at their lakeside summer home for a vacation. Once, there were four, but the son has been dead for a year. Now, there's only John (Tony Goldwyn), Emma (Monica Potter), and their 17-year old daughter, Mari (Sara Paxton). On the first night there, Mari decides to go out for a night on the town with her friend, Paige (Martha MacIsaac). The two meet a shy, disheveled guy named Justin (Spencer Treat Clark), who invites them back to his motel room to smoke some weed. While they're there, Justin's traveling companions arrive: his father, Krug (Garret Dillahunt); his uncle, Frank (Aaron Paul); and his father's girlfriend, Sadie (Riki Lindome). They kidnap Mari and Paige, killing the latter and raping and seriously injuring the former. They then leave her for dead. In the wake of a car accident and with a violent storm approaching, the four murderers seek refuge at the only nearby house which, unbeknownst to them, is occupied by Mari's parents.

Much like the original there are two movies at work here. First you have the scenes involving the capture of the girls which sets the film in motion and then you have the revenge plot involving the parents once they discover what these people have done to their daughter. The film handles both aspects of the story well with a few added changes that actually make the experience all the more satisfying.

The first major improvement is that the characters are far more developed in the remake. The original film works because the situation itself is so disturbing that it locks you into the story but you never fully connect with the characters. In the remake everyone is given a few more details to round out their personalities. In the original film you never really got to know Mari before she was attacked but in this version she is given more of a back story so that the audience can fully identify with her. It also helps that she is given more scenes with her parents so that we see the rapport and chemistry between them. This was something that was lacking in the original because Mari is given only one short scene with them before she takes off with her friend. It makes the parents response to what happens to her all the more powerful because we have seen the connection between all of them before the attack.

The character of Justin (called Junior in the original film) is also made more sympathetic which works for the film. It's very clear that he's more a victim of circumstance rather than an active participant in what's going on.  They also establish a brief but important connection between him and Mari that pays off once things begin to unfold.

There is also a lot of effort that goes into making Mari appear very innocent. There are a lot of lingering shots of her while she changes (not gratuitous) that are intended to show that this is a 17 year old girl who is on the verge of developing into a young woman. So it makes the brutality that she endures all the more disturbing because we're watching that innocence bet snatched away. Much has been made about the rape scene in this film and I have to say that the uproar is justified. It's very hard to watch and it is explicit in its detail. The fact that Mari is build up as this image of innocence makes the rape scene in particular, very difficult to get through. 

The friendship between Paige (called Phyllis in the original) and Mari is also effectively carried over into this film. They aren't given many scenes to establish their friendship buy most of their bond, much like the original, comes through during their harrowing ordeal. There is a moment when Krug is pressuring Justin to rape Mari and Paige is bound and laying on the floor. She then, with no fear, calls Krug out for being pathetic even though she's in a helpless situation. It's these little moments that show how much these girls actually support each other and it defines the friendship with very little screen time to do so.

Another crucial moment that the left from the original is the brief instance when the villains even look like they've gone too far. After they end their torture of these two girls they all look as if they almost feel bad for doing it. As if they were just high on the mayhem and just came back to the reality of the situation. It actually humanizes them a bit, even though we're supposed to hate them by the end of the ordeal.

By the time they get to the Collingwood house the tension has already been raised. These scenes play out a bit more realistically in this version because the reactions to the whole situation for more genuine. They let them in because Krug and his crew are charismatic and nice enough to gain entry into the home but they also show the Collingwoods unease with the situation. They're nice to them but you can also sense that they think something is strange about them. The whole ordeal is a bit interesting to watch and it's cleverly played out through the dialogue and the body language of the actors.

Much like the original the revenge scenario is well played. These moments are insanely violent and the audience I saw it with when it opened back in March, was definitely cheering the parents on. Once again the line between good vs. evil is quite blurred. It presents the question of are the Collingwoods any less violent than the criminals that are in their home or are they do what anyone would do while faced with this situation? There is also an added level of suspense by (*Spoilers ahead) having Mari survive her encounter and make it back home. Now the parents are dealing with the ticking clock of getting her out to get medical attention while figuring out what to do about the vile people who are in their guest house. The tension has been building and building for so long that when it all comes to a bloody conclusion, it's quite satisfying.

The acting is top notch from all involved. There isn't a weak performance in the film and the dedication of all involved should be noted. I never felt like I was watching actors playing roles. Everything about their characters felt real and authentic which makes the more violent moments all the more disturbing because you feel like this is happening to real people. You can tell that they are all totally invested in their roles and aren't afraid to go to some truly dark places.

Director Dennis Illaidis should get special attention because he does a great job with the material. The film isn't shot in the gritty documentary style of the original but he does a good job of creating a dark atmosphere for the picture. The film is insanely bleak and Illaidis does a great job illustrating this. The scenes are the woods are especially claustrophobic and dark. He makes you feel the isolation and vulnerability of the characters. I would really like to see some of his other work.

The only real misstep is the end, which I won't reveal here. It seems like it was added to have another gotcha! moment in the film and it feels really out of place. It doesn't ruin all the good form that comes before it but it does leave a sort of sour taste in your mouth as the film goes into the closing credits. I'm sure it was done to add a bit more gore and satisfy the audience on some level but it just didn't work for me.

Despite this, "The Last House on the Left" is probably one of the better entries to come out from the genre in quite sometime. It's unapologetic about its brutality and isn't afraid to take chances. I would hope that new audiences who see this will also explore the original source material because this is an exceptional companion piece to the original film. i think new audiences will embrace it and fans of the original will not be disappointed.

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