The Last House on the Left

Wes Craven's minimalist 1972 chiller, one of the most disturbing entries in the splatter-film genre, is faithfully updated here by Greek director Dennis Iliadis. Adhering to the original's unnerving premise, Iliadis lays out the story in almost real-time, relying on long takes and stretches of nerve-wracking silence instead of the flash cuts and loud noises common in contemporary horror films. When college girl Mari (Sara Paxton)—vacationing at an isolated lake house with her parents (Tony Goldwyn and Monica Potter)—goes looking for some fun with a friend (Martha MacIsaac), the pair ultimately wind up terrorized by recently escaped killer Krug (Garret Dillahunt) and his gang out in the woods, where Mari is raped and her friend is stabbed to death. Although shot, the badly wounded Mari manages to escape downriver, crawling ashore near the lake house. Unbeknownst to Mari, the thugs have already stumbled upon the abode, where her doctor father has treated their injuries and offered them the shelter of a guest cottage. When Mari's parents learn that their temporary borders are rapists and murderers, however, the couple opt for vigilante justice, wreaking brutal, horrifying vengeance on their daughter's tormentors. And this is the crux of the matter: how two well-educated moral individuals calculatingly throw their principles to the wind while seeking retribution for the violation of their child. The Last House on the Left largely succeeds in having it both ways: yes, there's enough blood and gore to satisfy horror fans (fair warning), but Iliadis obviously wants the viewer to face some uncomfortable truths about human nature as well. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include both the theatrical and unrated versions of the film, nine minutes of deleted scenes, “A Look Inside” behind-the-scenes featurette (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is the BD-Live function and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a paltry extras package for an unnerving remake.] (E. Hulse)