A comparison of standalone slashers and how they incorporate common slasher clichés.
Overview
After watching (lucky number) 13 popular slasher franchises for my classic and modern (1 & 2) slasher awards, it seemed time to compare a set of standalone slasher films, specifically: Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006), Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010), You’re Next (2011), The Final Girls (2015), and Ready or Not (2019). The kicker here is that several of these specifically played off the clichés that have become common in slasher series, often in a satiric way. For this set of films, all nominations will be these five films in order from worst to best fit per category, with a special categories for best clichés and most effective satire.
**CONTENT WARNING: Violence, death**
**Spoilers below**
Best Overall Movie
Nominees
The Final Girls
Final Girls excels at toying with the filmmaking aspect of slashers. In this universe, they have their own version of Friday the 13th called Camp Bloodbath, starring Max’s (Taissa Farmiga) late mother Amanda (Malin Akerman) back when she was a budding actress. When Max and her friends go to an anniversary screening of the film, they inadvertently get sucked inside and have to play out the movie alongside the original characters. Because of this, there are some fun quirks, like how the same scene repeats itself every 92 minutes on the dot, or how they get pulled into a flashback. There are also some sweet scenes between Max and Nancy, her mom’s character in the film, allowing Max to get the closure she never truly got when Amanda unexpectedly died.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
While this film might not be the best start to finish compared to many of the others on this list, this is still an enjoyable film filled with dark humor. It uses slasher tropes to cause a group of camping college students to mistake a pair of harmless vacationing hillbillies as a threat, leading to hilarious chaos and a large body count that could have been avoided if they had all just communicated. Also, it has the wonderful Alan Tudyk in it, so it’s hard to go wrong there.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
In a world where Michael, Jason, and Freddy all really existed, a team of aspiring journalists follow Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel) as he makes numerous preparations to become the next major slasher. The first two acts are shot mockumentary style, until switching to standard filmmaking for the final showdown. The one downside to this one (and maybe this is just me) is that the ending should be the most exciting part of the story, and it does play out really well, but there’s just something about it that always leaves me a little bored once we switch back to the regular filmmaking style. Maybe it’s because it no longer features Leslie’s charismatic personality anymore, I don’t know.
You’re Next
This is probably the most standard, non-comedic slasher on this list. Ready or Not comes close, but certain aspects about that one make it a little less traditional. In You’re Next, a rich family’s vacation turns tragic as each member is taken out one by one. Both the viewers and the characters do not know the true identity of the killers for a large portion of the film. It may not have the cameos that Behind the Mask features, but it does have some horror regulars that aren’t as well known outside the horror community. Namely, three of the siblings are played by AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg, and Amy Seimetz, who have been in several horror films including two others where all three actors were together. The mother is Barbara Crampton, the love interest from Re-Animator (1985); the neighbor at the start is Larry Fessenden, horror actor and producer; and Seimetz’s boyfriend, an aspiring filmmaker, is played by horror director Ti West.
And the winner is…
Ready or Not
While this was one of the ones on the list that doesn’t draw attention to common slasher tropes, it does a great job at being a solid slasher movie. Samara Weaving in particular does a fantastic job as Grace, and the concept as a whole is rather unique. More on that later, but for this category Ready or Not wins because it manages to combine classic and unique takes on the slasher genre, the characters as a whole are the most interesting, and I found it to be the most exciting and least flawed of the set.
Best Slasher
Nominees
Billy Murphy: Final Girls
Despite being the most standard slasher villain of all those listed here, Billy Murphy (Daniel Norris) is shockingly boring. They made him a little too generic, basically just Jason but less interesting (and if you’ve read my classic slasher awards you’ll know I’m not the biggest fan of Jason in the first place). He’s not even in it that much, and the plot focuses so heavily on other things–like figuring out how to get back to the real world or Max and Nancy bonding–that ultimately Billy gets largely sidelined.
A Series of Unfortunate Events: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is a unique slasher film in that there is no slasher. Okay, technically in the end one of the college students essentially becomes one, but the vast majority of the deaths throughout the movie are pure bizarre accident. And not Final Destination accidents caused by a malevolent force (or are they?) but a series of coincidence and horrid timing. For a slasher film that doesn’t actually have a true slasher villain for most of the movie, it works amazingly well. In fact, that’s the whole charm of the story. It’s keeps you off kilter by using standard slasher ideas in the framework of the worst case of miscommunication in history.
Disgruntled Heirs and Hired Home Invaders: You’re Next
When the killings start, the slashers appear to be three anonymous home invaders wearing creepy animal-themed masks. Tonally, this is a pretty classic take on slashers. By the end, however, we learn that they were hired by three of the family members who intend to split the inheritance. In doing so, the film is able to incorporate both the mysterious masked killers aspect as well as the shocking reveal of who is behind it all.
Cursed Rich Family: Ready or Not
Unlike many slashers in which a group of people are hunted by a single killer, here a single innocent is hunted by an entire household of killers. A family has been granted long-lasting success and riches through the board game industry, but only so long as they play a game every time a family member marries. Most of the games are just standard games, but if the new family member draws the card “Hide and Seek,” the family must kill them before dawn or they all die. Guess which one Grace picks? The family themselves are pretty interesting, with a wide range of motivation and willingness, from the mother (Andie MacDowell) who genuinely likes Grace but not as much as she wants to protect her family, to the groom (Mark O’Brien) who wants to be free of his family and save Grace, to the sister (Melanie Scrofano) who wants to please her family but is too high on coke to make rational decisions. And of course there are the in-laws who are fairly new to the intensity of the game, but have different responses to it as well. One of my favorites was the brother (Adam Brody) because you never can tell whether he’ll help his family or Grace.
And the winner is…
Leslie Vernon: Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
When considering the likes of Jason and Michael, they set a standard of a slasher who is silent and ominous. And indeed, when Leslie is actually in the killing stage of the movie, he encompasses that role. But leading up to that point, we get to see the “behind the scenes” of this up-and-coming slasher, and it’s not what you would expect. He laughs and jokes, and he cheers whenever he’s successful. He’s dedicated to his belief that his calling to balance the scales of good and evil is necessary, and he goes to great lengths to meticulously prepare for his ensuing massacre to turn the situation in his favor. He’s unlike any slasher I’ve ever seen, and he’s truly one of my personal favorites.
Scariest Movie
Nominees
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
While TaDvE is certainly violent, this is not a scary movie. The deaths are played for comedy and are more likely to make you laugh than scream.
The Final Girls
As with TaDvE, many of the deaths in this were played for comedy, and as mentioned, the actual threat of Billy was often pushed aside while they focused on other aspects. There are a handful of brutal moments, but they are pretty few and far between.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Initially portrayed as a dark comedy, the tension slowly builds until the finale where the tone shifts to dangerous. It is somewhat scary at that point, but also somehow lacks the full depth of fear provided by some of the others on this list.
Ready or Not
Although some of the deaths are accidental, unlike in TaDvE, here they are played more for shock than comedy. There are some truly intense moments in this one, especially the scene where she falls in the pit *shudder*.
And the winner is…
You’re Next
Most of this movie is spent in the tense fear that death is around any corner–or through any window. One of my favorite scenes is when the first family member is killed. It happens so abruptly in the middle of a mild dinner argument that it takes a few moments for the whole room to realize the gravity of what just happened and the danger they suddenly find themselves in. From there it never really slows down. Several characters are forced to take great risks to survive the invasion and every death is violent. Plus, the ending is far from happily ever after.
Best Clichés
Nominees
Ready or Not and You’re Next
Neither of these deliberately draw attention to the clichés like the rest do–and ultimately there aren’t many references to classics either. However, they both still incorporate the overall structure of a slasher, including the Survivor Girl character.
The Final Girls
Considering the movie they are pulled into is obviously a play off of Friday the 13th, many of the clichés revolve around that setup. It’s set at a summer camp where the counselors are picked off by a former camper who was abused by camp counselors back in his day. In particular, Billy is prone to strike whenever the counselors are distracted by sex. And of course, as the title suggests, the movie revolves around the concept of Final Girls, another term for Survivor Girls. While most of the clichés hinge on Ft13, the counselors also arrive in the classic VW van from Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Also, when the visitors succeed in getting out of Camp Bloodbath, they find themselves in a hospital, only to realize they are now in the sequel, which is reminiscent of Halloween 2 (original and remake).
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
TaDvE takes full advantage of the clichés found frequently in slashers and turns them on its head. A group of college students are planning on vacationing in the woods? Check. They stop at a creepy gas station? Check. The locals seem super suspicious? Check. Only, they aren’t actually suspicious at all and the young adults would never have been in danger if they hadn’t made so many assumptions. We also get all these perfectly crafted shots taken straight from the classics, like Tucker (Alan Tudyk) waving his chainsaw crazily through the air (though in this case, because he accidentally sawed into a bee’s nest), Dale (Tyler Labine) holding a machete amongst moonbeams shining through the trees, and Chad (Jesse Moss) sprawled on the ground after falling from the second story.
And the winner is…
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Wow, so many clichés. I mean, the entire movie is built around slasher clichés. There’s honestly too many to rattle off here, but I’ll give a few examples. As Leslie prepares for his attack, he evaluates the group of teens he plans to attack and what traits each of them will have. He also bases his entire plan around a designated virgin Survivor Girl who will ultimately find the power to either escape or fight back. He deliberately goes through the house where the attack will occur and meticulously arranges everything based on how these types of stories usually pan out. It also features guest appearances by Kane Hodder (Jason) and Robert Englund (Freddy), and the documentary film crew also drives the classic VW van from Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Best Survivor Girl
Nominees
Max (Taissa Farmiga): The Final Girls
I feel bad for Max’s loss of her mother, but as far as Survivor Girls go, she isn’t particularly outstanding. She ultimately defeats Billy not by fighting or fleeing, but by allowing Nancy to voluntarily sacrifice herself in order to end the movie. It felt a bit odd to finish the movie that way, especially considering that Nancy had defied her original role in the film and still qualified to be a Survivor Girl.
Taylor (Angela Goethals): Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
When push comes to shove, Taylor ultimately decides she can’t stand by while a group of teenagers are murdered, despite knowing this would be the end result when signing onto the project. But that always made me wonder why she decided to interview Leslie in the first place when she knew from the start what the goal was going to be. I suppose it just gets too real for her when the killings actually begin, but overall she doesn’t seem as solid of a Survival Girl compared to other Survivor Girls I’ve seen.
Allison (Katrina Bowden): Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
Allison is pretty interesting. She comes across as a rich city girl, but turns out to be a farmgirl who’s not afraid to get her hands dirty and aspires to become a therapist. When she becomes aware of the situation, she actually gets the two factions to sit down together for tea, despite all the prior chaos, and express their feelings. It’s not her fault that Chad doesn’t want to listen to her. She genuinely tries everything she can to facilitate communication and resolve the core issue. If she hadn’t been unconscious for half of the movie, things might not have even gotten as deadly as they became.
Grace (Samara Weaving): Ready or Not
Grace is wonderful. She’s charming and funny, but when she finds herself in danger, she fights back without hesitation. Throughout the movie, she accumulates a number of excruciating injuries, but nevertheless she persists. She also has the best aesthetic, spending the entire movie in a torn wedding dress and converse, at one point donning a sash of shotgun ammo.
And the winner is…
Erin (Sharni Vinson): You’re Next
This category was one of the hardest choices to make. The satiric films all drew great attention to the Survivor Girl aspect, but their Survivor Girls simply weren’t that great. Grace is my personal favorite of the group, yet I find myself giving the award to Erin instead. The thing about Erin is that she was literally raised to be a Survivor Girl, much like Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) raised her daughter (Judy Greer) to be in the latest Halloween trilogy. All Erin wants is peace and happiness with a new family, but instead she finds herself thrust into a situation she happens to be the perfect person to handle. The moment the danger becomes evident, Erin switches to survivor mode and essentially Home Alone‘s the house to stop the killers. She ends up bludgeoning or stabbing all six killers to death herself, including the man she thought she loved.
Most Effective Satire
You’re Next
Definitely the least satiric slasher, You’re Next is not played for comedy (though there is the occasional funny line). This film relies more on the straight horror of both sides of the screen being in the dark about who is murdering everyone.
The Final Girls
The Final Girls opens with a trailer for actress Amanda Cartwright’s in-film 80’s movie Camp Bloodbath that spoofs classic summer camp slasher movies. Amanda herself is a riff off of a manic pixie dream girl trope, who’s daughter Max has to look after her. Once Max and her friends get sucked into Camp Bloodbath, they are constantly aware of the film elements – from soundtrack cues, to visibly seeing the black and white transitions for every story telling of Billy the slasher’s origin flashback, not to mention the calculated use of strip teases.
Ready or Not
Adam Brody’s character Daniel, the groom’s brother, is a master of deadpan who sees the absurdity of the situation where everyone else in his family thinks that Grace, the new bride, is beneath them–even before the deadly game of “Hide-and-Seek” is revealed. Meanwhile, Melanie Scrofano playing Emilie, the groom’s coked up sister, adds a humorous element to the heightened circumstances of the film by accidentally killing maids she keeps mistaking for Grace.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
The mockumentary style for Acts 1 and 2 gives the movie a unique and humorous tone as we watch such a charming fellow speak so passionately and logistically about achieving what he believes is his calling … which in reality is a killing spree. Leslie Vernon’s portrayal by Nathan Baesel is surprising playful. Also, there’s this hilarious workout portion where he explains how much cardio he has to do to keep up with everyone while still walking with apparent ease.
And the winner is…
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
Starts off with a Blair Witch homage that hints at the true nature of who’s the actual antagonist of the film. And of course the college kids immediately go skinny dipping after Chad – who is a total “Chad” – retells the “Memorial Day Massacre” ghost story. Each accidental death is due to over the top events: impalements by not paying attention to the woods, leaping without looking into a wood chipper, a beam booby trap makes deadly contact, fumbling with a gun safety, weed-wacked when Tucker jumps out of the way, and finally a cabin fire that Chad had set up – which he is also scarred in, though survives. Come to find out, Chad’s parents were among the massacre victims, with his pregnant mother the only one who managed to get away. So, Chad definitely has a hatchet to grind with severe prejudice against hillbillies marring his reactions. Ultimately, it’s revealed that Chad’s father was actually one of the hillbillies who executed the “Memorial Day Massacre” and this drives Chad even more insane and leads to the events from the beginning of movie. Overall, a masterclass in how to effectively use comedic satire while honoring the horror origins.
Final Tally
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon: Best Slasher, Best Clichés
You’re Next: Scariest Movie, Best Survivor Girl
Ready or Not: Best Overall Movie
The Final Girls: None
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil: Most Effective Satire
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