Filthy Review - 'Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines'

Wrong Turn 5 (2012)

Review by Jude Felton

A couple of years ago I would not have thought that there would have been a Wrong Turn 4, let alone a 5^th movie, in this franchise. However, it seems that the Wrong Turn movies have more legs than a hillbilly’s chest freezer. It’s been a franchise with highs and lows, I didn’t bother with Part 3 due to some scathing comments from friends, but on the whole this is a series of films that I have really enjoyed. They are simple, gory and cheesy fun, and for me hark back to the simpler times of the early 80s when slasher flicks didn’t need too much in terms of plot; they just got in, did their damage and left you bleeding.

Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings set the action before the events of the first movie, giving us a little backstory to the cannibal hillbilly’s, One Eye, Saw Tooth and Three Fingers, setting the majority of the film in an old asylum. With the 5^th film, director Declan O’Brien (returning for his 3^rd Wrong Turn flick) places the action after the events of Part 4, but before the original Wrong Turn.

A small town in West Virginia is preparing for its annual Mountain Man Festival, an event which attracts a ton of stupid teenagers, all looking to party. This just so happens to be the same town that is the hunting place for the deformed cannibals of the previous movies. This time out though we are introduced to their father figure, Maynard, who is one sly and mean old bastard, who may not be physically deformed but he’s definitely on the wrong side of stable.

After an altercation with one carload of partying kids, Maynard, as well as the kids, find themselves in the small town’s jail. This isn’t something that goes down too well with Maynard’s three twisted wards. Maynard warns the sheriff, and everyone else, that they will be coming to break him out, so they best set him free. These words obviously go unheeded, and a world of carnage descends upon the small town.

I will tell you right now that Wrong Turn 5 is daft and a whole bucket of batshit cheese. It is also damned good fun! Sure, it’s filled with obnoxious characters, whose acting chops vary drastically, and the plot is simplistic; think Assault on Precinct 13 with cannibal psychopaths and an absence of subtlety and you should get the picture.

Wrong Turn 5 is also a mean bastard of a movie, and some of the death scenes are undeniably brutal. Did I mention the blood and guts? Because this is gory as hell, with one victim being gutted and force-fed her own insides. Yes, it’s that kind of movie, and the effects are pretty damned good, especially considering the moderate budget involved.

One of the selling points of Wrong Turn 5 is the inclusion of Mr. Doug Bradley, as Maynard. Yes, Pinhead himself is here hamming it up like a trooper, and seemingly having a damned good time in the process. Hell, after starring in some of the shite that passed as Hellraiser sequels, it’s good to the guy having some fun with a role.

Yeah, yeah, it’s a Wrong Turn movie, and if you don’t like them to start with I am pretty sure this won’t do an awful lot to change your mind, and the mix of Canadian and English accents creeping in from some of the cast was a little distracting. However, if you are looking for gory and stupid fun this movie is an absolute blast. It doesn’t add too much to the actual Wrong Turn story, in terms of plot development; instead it is just another chapter in the history, but as a nasty slasher-style flick it works just fine. You can also get a good laugh when you hear the obligatory ‘wrong turn’ comment, which is battered into the script like a blunt force trauma. 

I watched the film on Blu-ray, and it looked just dandy to me. In fact it looked better than it probably should have! There are also a decent amount of extras included on this release, including an audio commentary from Declan O’Brien.

After watching Wrong Turn 5 I am in no doubt that there will be a 6^th movie somewhere further down the line, and I will be there waiting for it. Wrong Turn 5 is a film that demands to not be taken seriously; it’s a gory B movie and proud of it. So, go into it with that in mind and you may well find yourself having a good time.

Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines is available now on Blu-ray, Digital and DVD from 20th Century Fox.