‘The Wrong Turn’ Franchise: A Mess, But Its Best Kill Almost Makes It Worth Watching

After its first two films, the ‘Wrong Turn’ franchise has a dramatic downturn, and as the series goes on, the idea behind the film loses appeal. ‘Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings’ tries to revitalize the narrative by shifting the action from the woods to a snowstorm-affected abandoned asylum. Since the earlier hostile cannibals were exterminated, the movie acts as a prequel to journey back in time to their beginnings. Although the film makes an effort to revisit the cannibal family’s past, it falls short of recapturing the spirit of the franchise and, like its predecessors, becomes excessively s**ualized and graphic. Though it only occurs at the conclusion, one death sequence in particular makes the entire experience worthwhile. The kills, however, are the film’s saving grace.

The first two movies in the series are straightforward, entertaining slasher movies, and the series has never won praise from critics. Plot and character development became less important as the series went on, and more attention was paid to increasingly complex kill scenes. 

Image Courtesy: IMDb

After a snowfall, a group of teenagers are compelled to seek shelter at the deserted sanatorium in ‘Wrong Turn 4’. They come across the cannibal family inside, which results in a stressful, life-or-death battle for survival. The lone likeable character, Daniel, has a terrible end when the cannibals dismember him alive, while the other characters are bland and undeveloped. The movie then mostly depends on graphic deaths and shock value.

The film’s last sequence, in which two survivors, Kenia and Sara, barely escape before being decapitated by a razor wire trap, is a highlight moment despite its weaknesses. This unexpected death, with its darkly ironic and terrible ending, is a wonderful example of the ‘Wrong Turn’ franchise’s ability to combine humour with shock. Death isn’t the most graphic, but it’s an appropriate conclusion for the movie because of its shock and emotional impact.

–Farheen Ali