1. Wrong Turn Film Analysis
Wrong Turn is an American horror film made in 2003,
directed by Rob Schmidt and written by Alan B. McElroy,
with the target audience being teenagers and young adults
due to its brutal and gory killings combined with the similar
age range of the characters. The storyline follows a group of
teenagers as they fight for survival against a ‘family’ of
inbred cannibals, after the group stumble across their home
in the woods looking for help after a car crash that brought
the group together. However, at the beginning of the film
we see a young couple killed by the cannibals whilst
mountain climbing, which enables the audience to get an
idea of what the new group of friends are about to face. The
idea of the ‘wrong turn’ within the film is thought to be
when one of the main characters ‘Chris Flynn’ is forced to
take an alternative route to his job interview and is faced with a consequential decision of
what path to take, ultimately, he took the wrong one, which starts off an unfortunate chain
of events. Although Wrong Turn has had mixed reviews from its critics it has proven to be a
‘must see’, with its gross being $15,417,771 and 5 consequential films which have also been
fairly popular amongst their target audience.
When considering what theories can be applied to Wrong Turn, Tzvetan Todorov’s narrative
theory of the disruption of an equilibrium can be seen within most horror films, Wrong Turn
in particular. The theory Todorov devised proposes that a story begins with an equilibrium,
this is where the audience can see the character’s normality with all forces balanced. The
idea of an equilibrium is to show the ‘calmbefore the storm’ and to allow the audience to
identity with the characters which encourages them to keep watching to see if their
favourite character will survive. A disruptive event then happens which causes
disequilibrium, here we see the characters recognise the problem and attempt to fix it, and
this is the bulk of the storyline which we see within the film. Todorov then explains that the
story often finishes with a new equilibrium that is established once the characters have
resolved the problem.
In Wrong Turn, there are arguably two
disrupting events for two different sets of
characters, the first one occurs in the
opening scene which shows two unknown
characters being killed, which is the first
time we see one of the killers. However,
this is not the main disruptive event which
causes the disequilibrium. The story then
properly begins with Chris driving to his job
interview, this being the equilibrium. The disrupting event then occurs when he takes an
2. alternative route and crashes into a parked car, which causes the group to trek through the
forest looking for safety/help. However, the characters then come across a house which
contains dead bodies, this alarming discovering panics the group and ultimately starts off
the disequilibrium and attempts at resolution, therefore this discovery could also be
considered a disruptive event. As we see the characters fight for their survival and the death
of several members of the group we then establish the surviving characters which
eventually leaves us with a new equilibrium once all has been solved. Although the
characters leave the woods under the impression that the cannibals have been killed, the
audience see them emerge from the fire which leaves the opportunity for more films.
In addition to Todorov’s theory, Levi Strauss also came up with a critical theory surrounding
the roles within a horror film, explaining the idea of binary oppositions. Binary Oppositions
are a set of opposing values which are used throughout all forms of media to clarify the
opposing forces in the story, which makes them very easy to identify, with the most
common one being good vs. evil. In Wrong Turn we see the conventional good vs. evil
oppositions, with the group of teens (the main characters) being the good and the cannibals
being the evil. It is particularly easy to establish the evil in Wrong Turn with the cannibals
having noticeable disfigurements and carrying brutal actions against the innocent group of
teens, which causes the audience to support the good rather than the evil, willing them to
defeat the cannibals. However, opposing values are not always as straightforward and clear,
with some films challenging typical conventions which can influence the audience and make
them support the evil.
Vladimir Propp is a Russian critic who is known for his successful theory of character types,
which he concluded from his extensive research into 100s of folk tales which accurately
identify 8 common types of characters which are apparent in most horror films. These
character types include: the hero, villain, donor, helper, princess, the father, dispatcher and
the false hero. Although Wrong Turn does not contain all of Propp’s types, the conventional
ones are apparent, including the hero which is portrayed by Chris’ character, who possesses
all of the common attributes of a typical hero. Chris shows power and strength, which adds
to his masculinity, while still being intelligent and thoughtful to his fellow friends, but
particularly the princess. Jessie takes on the role of
the princess in Wrong Turn, she is the final surviving
girl who defies expectations by saving Chris several
times, demonstrating independence and strength
which goes against the usual assumptions of women
being feeble and incapable. Propp explained that
the helper within a story, which happens to be Scott
in Wrong Turn, usually acts as the hero’s associate, often sacrificing their life for the survival
of others.
Another important theory that can be applied to Wrong Turn is Bordwell and Thompsons
theory surrounding the chain of events that occur in time and space which manipulates and
defines the audience’s awareness. The theory proposes 3 time distinctions within a film; the
screen duration which is how long the film takes to show while the plot duration is the
3. length of time that the plot covers and the third distinction is the length of time the story
covers, these all work together to help the audience comprehend the chain of events and
the time of which they happen. When applying this theory to Wrong Turn the chain of
events that the director has put together will manipulate and define the audience’s
understanding of the film to allow them to make sense of the film’s concepts.
Wrong Turn can also be used as an example to support Laura Mulvey’s theory of the ‘Male
Gaze’, which focuses on the idea of horror films objectifying woman through the idea of
films being shot from a male perspective and the females’ purpose being the pleasure of
males. Wrong Turn demonstrates this idea with the three female main characters who are
all young and attractive, often seen wearing provocative clothing and are usually
represented in a sexual way with their deaths being
more brutal and prolonged than the males which the
male gaze expands on. However, Jessie defies this
common expectation and displays strength and
intelligence, unlike the other female characters, which
could cause her to be seen in a more masculine way.
Mulvey’s theory also comments on the portrayal of
males within films, as they are more often than not
represented as strong and masculine, with young,
attractive characters playing the male roles. As a result of this, it can be argued that there is
such thing as a ‘female gaze’ where the roles are reversed and females can objectify men in
a sexual way, however, this idea is less developed than Mulvey’s male gaze, although it is
undeniable in some films.
Another stereotypical convention Wrong Turn
follows is the ‘Final Girl’ theory, which Carol Clover
explained in her book, ‘Men, Women, and
Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film.’
This theory surrounds the traits and attributes
nearly all surviving females possess in horror films,
including a virginal persona, a sensible personality
and increased intelligence which allows her to
defeat the evil. In Wrong Turn, Jessie is the final girl which the audience are able to establish
from her first appearance in the film as in contrast to the other female characters she is
represented in a more masculine way, unlike her friends who are shown to have sexual
relationships, resulting in their inevitable death. Therefore, Wrong Turn displays Clover’s
ideas and supports her theory of the ‘final girl’.
In conclusion, Wrong Turn can be used as an example of the Classic Hollywood Narrative, as
it follows nearly all of the typical codes and conventions you would expect to see in a horror
film. Todorov, Levi Strauss, Propp, Bordwell and Thompson, Mulvey and Clover are the main
theorists who influence and shape classic horror films and their narrative structures which
can be seen within Wrong Turn. As a result of this filmdemonstrating the typical codes and
conventions that horror films follow, Wrong Turn can be considered successful and effective
4. whilst adopting an alternative storyline which gives the audience a different kind of horror
to experience.
