Wrong Turn

THE GIST: A group of friends hiking the Appalachian Trail decides to take a sightseeing detour and ends up face to face with the people of The Foundation, a full-fledged community of settlers who have lived in isolation since before the Civil War . . . and who don't appreciate trespassers.

Wrong Turn is a middling horror/thriller that freely dips into the well-worn library of tropes the horror genre often showcases. While this isn't necessarily a strike against a movie, it is how those tropes are utilized that matters.

So while the movie might be mildly enjoyable, you still have to observe young adults doing stupid things when it doesn't make much sense; a middle-aged, inexperienced father making a long and tricky trek with little struggle and in no time; a secretive community that all too quickly comes to trust a new addition; lax law enforcement; town bullies who turn out to be the good guys . . . and so on.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Like I said, the movie isn't bad per se, but it's not memorable or original at all. Check it out on a slow night when you want some cheap thrills I guess.

Grade: 5