Tucker and Dale is one of those films that comes out of nowhere and just blows you away. I had know idea what this movie was about, or what to expect. It sets up like a cheesy horror story you've see 100 times, but you quickly find out it has an original take on the genre. You get to see the story from the perspective of the victims (in this case a group of college kids) as well as the would-be killers.You quickly find out Tucker and Dale don't have an evil bone in their bodies, but that doesn't mean some college kids aren't going to die in brutal and horrifying ways.
This movie falls somewhere between a horror movie, a satire, and a comedy of errors. I laughed a ton, which I didn't expect at all. The execution of this film is perfect. There are about 20 different ways this movie could have turned out horribly, but none of them happened. If the characters of Tucker and Dale would have been played as total idiots the movie would have got really old really fast. I feel like that is the route the Hollywood version of this film would have taken. Their characters aren't the brightest, but they are genuine and believable. It is really easy to root for these guys to "win".
When you think about it the plot goes to some pretty ridiculous places, but you can totally buy it the entire way. It is so crazy, but it drives you insane because you want everything to get cleared up. You want both parties to understand where the other is coming from, but that would kill the plot, so you know you aren't going to get it. As this thing spins more and more out of control you can't help but laugh. It turns out to be a really good time.
There wasn't anything about this movie I didn't like, which is saying something considering I don't like horror movies. It was a small indie film and I wasn't sure what to expect. Usually there is a reason these films don't get wide distributions. It is hard to believe that Tucker and Dale have so few fans. It seems like a film that tons of people would love, but nobody has heard of it. It makes me sad. More people need to see it. If it weren't on Netflix instant I never would have seen it, butI am so glad I did.
I'd be surprised if anybody flat out hated this movie, but I guess it is possible. I'm not a fan of blood and gore, but I found it was done well here and added to the comedy more than the tension... which there isn't a whole lot of tension. I can definitely recommend Tucker and Dale. If you have Netflix instant there is no reason for you to not watch this movie.
Filed Under: Comedy, Horror, Movie Review