"Tucker and Dale vs Evil" Review

Directed by: Eli Craig
Written by: Eli Craig, Morgan Jurgenson
Starring: Alan Tudyk, Tyler Labine, Katrina Bowden
Cinematography by: David Geddes
Produced by: Morgan Jurgenson, Albert Klychak, Rosanne Milliken, and Deepak Nayar.

When it comes to Horror comedies, the genre is mostly touch and go.  Sometimes you get great pieces like Shaun of the Dead and other times you get entries in the Scary Movie franchise.  Much like the horror genre itself, the parodies of such films have become trifle, formulaic, and generally unfunny unless one is a fourteen year old boy.  So naturally, when I heard about the new horror-comedy film Tucker and Dale Vs Evil back when it was making festival rounds, I did not expect much more that a one-time mildly satisfying experience.  The film, finally available on Netflix watch instantly, goes much further beyond what I previously thought.

The film has as its anchor a supremely good idea.  Two friends, the titular Tucker & Dale, are rednecks of the highest order.  At a weekend retreat at their new “summer vacation home”, they encounter a group of college students acting out the normal tropes seen in any 80s grade horror film.  The film poses the question, what if all those hillbilly killers weren’t really killers at all and it was all just a big misunderstanding?  Hilarity ensues, though it combines well the clever dynamics of buddy comedy and the parody of the horror genre.  Its anchor may be writer director Eli Craig’s screenplay, but its soul is in the country friend’s relationship.  Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine star as the two and they do a better job in their performances than nearly any other I have seen recently.  Alan Tudyk has been a rising star for a while now.  One of the funniest men you can see in any movie, notably being the funniest thing in Date Night from two years ago.  Labine is also purely hysterical in the film.  His greatest accomplishment is his portrayal of the intricacies of the character.  Dale reminds me of many people I myself have known throughout my life growing up in a smaller southern town.  He has a lot of heart, yet appears to be stupid (and kind of is), but has this underlying intelligence inside of him.  That may be digging a bit too deep into the film, but it resonated with me nonetheless.  The college students are not anything special here, except for the fact that they play cheesy bad acted college students well.  Is this a testament to their good “bad” performances, or just an excuse or sorts?  I’m going to say it was the first, because why criticize with no grounds?  Anyway, every actor in the film plays their respective character with a degree of believability and outrageousness. 

Eli Craig has spoken to several people about the film, the best of which can be found here at slashfilm.com, and the story he tells is fantastic.  It is a great interview for all those who want to make films, or just like to watch them.  Be warned though, spoilers abound in the interview.  It is my wish that anyone who sees this movie knows nothing about it and sees no previews because it will make you laugh all the more.

Had this film come out in the early 2000s or even just a few years ago, it would be a cult legend by now.  Instead, so many of these contrite, overdone horror comedies have been released.  Those may be all well and good, but if you had just Shaun of the Dead and this film, it would suffice.  It was my favorite comedy of the year.

The film is currently on Netflix watch instantly, so go watch it this instant.  It is a great group movie as well, and it’s best to surprise your friends with.

Grade: A-