Tucker & Dale vs Evil

Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010)
Directed by: Eli Craig
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

I have seen this film on Netflix for a good while now. It was recommended for me to watch but I had no idea why. I don't like horror movies so I figured it was based on the viewing preferences of the people I share my subscription with. When a Facebook friend suggested I review it I figured that there must be something to the film. I watched it tonight and absolutely loved it!

Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine) are two well meaning "hillbillies" that are excited about their new Summer Home (a dilapidated cabin in the West Virginia mountains). While stocking up on supplies at a local gas station, a group of frat boys and sorostitutes arrive because they, unfortunately, forgot to bring BEER! To the college kids, the people in the gas station are terrifying hill folks. As Tucker and Dale are loading their truck with their purchases, Dale confides in Tucker about wanting to speak to the girls. Tucker tells him that he just needs to be confident and that women like talking to normal guys. Dale approches the girls (with a large scythe for some reason) and babbles incoherently. This terrifies the group and they drive away. What follows is a series of misunderstandings between the two sets of characters that makes an incredibly fun flick.

Where Tucker & Dale vs Evil really excels is their obvious homages to the horror genre. Joss Wheadon's The Cabin in the Woods had a similar premise. Throughout the film, references are made to: Friday the 13th, Donnie Darko, Evil Dead, Fargo (not a horror but a black comedy/thriller), The Blair Witch Project, and others. **WARNING I AM ABOUT TO DISCUSS A PARTICULAR SCENE. SPOILERS ARE TO FOLLOW. SKIP IF THAT SORT OF THING UPSETS YOU!** One of my favorite scenes involves Tucker cutting lumber with a chainsaw. As Tucker is hard at work, the college kids are plotting to attack him because they believe Tucker and Dale have kidnapped and are keeping one of their friends, Allison (Katrina Bowden), against her will. This, of course, is not the case. Allison was rendered unconscious earlier and they are trying to help her heal. As Tucker cuts through a log; he hits a bee hive. This, for some reason, upsets the bees. They become ornery and attack Tucker. He panics and begins to run around while flailing his chainsaw around. To the kids waiting to ambush, Tucker appears to be trying to attack them while in reality he is just trying to swat at the stinging bees. This scene, I believe, is an homage to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies. There is also a woodchipper involved in one of the many gruesome deaths (an homage to Fargo) and it is amazing! The horror film tropes make Tucker & Dale vs Evil a really fun film!

No BS

Tucker & Dale vs Evil is a well constructed parody but can stand alone if you are not familiar with the films it is referencing. The story, while cliched, is fun. It has a freshness to it because it puts the "killer" shoe on the other foot. The film is incredibly violent but it's violent like a Tarantino film; over the top. Alan Tudyk is great (as always) and I now want to see more of Tyler Labine's work. This one shouldn't be missed.

My Score: 7/10