Cast:Eliza Dushku, Desmond Harrington, Lindy Booth, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jeremy Sisto, Kevin Zegers, Yvonne Gaudry, Joel Harris, Ted Clark, Julian Richings, Garry Robbins

Runtime: 84 minutes

Rating: R for strong violence and gore, language and drug use

There’s something in the woods in West Virginia as two rock climbers (Gaudry & Harris) find out to their ultimate doom. We soon find out that they’re not the only victims of three mountain men: One-Eye (Clark), Three Finger (Richings) and Saw-Tooth (Robbins); and soon six other people will find out the same!

Chris Flynn (Harrington) is on his way to a meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina when he comes upon a traffic jam. Determined to make the meeting on time, he opts to take a shorter, alternate route known as Bear Mountain Road. While the gas station that he initially stops at is enough to make most people turn around, Chris decides to stick to the shortcut. On the deserted road Chris accidentally crashes into a stopped vehicle that Jessie (Dushku), Carly (Chriqui), Scott (Sisto), Francine (Booth) and Evan (Zegers) had been riding in, but the group had pulled off to the side of the road after running over barbed wire that someone had deliberately set out.

While Chris, Jessie, Carly and Scott make the trek back to the gas station to get help, Francine and Evan stay with the broken down vehicle, a decision that (unknown to their friends at the time) ultimately costs them their lives. Meanwhile, the four venture down the road and eventually find a run down house. Eager to find a phone and sense it appears that no one is home, they all go inside. Wrong move! After finding the remnants of other visitors on the stove and in the refrigerator, the four terrified people try to leave just when the homeowners return. Trapped in the house, Chris, Jessie, Carly and Scott barely have enough time to hide from the cannibalistic men where, from the shadows, they find out the fate of their two friends. When morning comes, the four make a run for it, only to be chased by the three men who know the woods better than their prey. Will Chris, Jessie, Carly and Scott survive or will they be more than dinner guests for the three mountain men? You’ll have to watch “Wrong Turn” to find out!

I didn’t know what to expect when I watched “Wrong Turn” but was actually surprised. The movie does keep your attention from the start, with the rock climbing couple, all the way through the climactic scenes with Chris, Jessie, Carly and Scott trying to navigate the wooded areas. I also believe that sometimes less is more. This is especially true when there is gore in a movie. While “Wrong Turn” does have its gory moments, for example with Francine and Evan in the shack/cabin, it doesn’t overuse it. Just the thought of what’s happening is probably scarier than what they could have used on screen. The movie is also intense from start to finish.

There is also plenty of action during the movie. One of the best scenes is the group coming across an abandoned ranger station that happens to be elevated on timbers. Although they think they’re secure, the three killers realize where they’re at and try to burn the structure, forcing those inside to take to the tree in order to escape.

The only thing I would have liked to have seen different in the movie would have been more character development. Since the movie is just under 90 minutes, there was little time to figure out what made the characters “tick” (other than the fact that they’re being chased by cannibals), so we really didn’t get a chance to know them too well. Guess we’ll have to wait and see what the sequel has to offer!

My Rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5

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