Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

With its great screenplay and directing, this very well-made comedy turns horror clichés on their head through parody and offers great one-liners, funny and sumptuous killings, and even a likably human dimension. (09.03.2020)

I expected the ultimate horror laughter, but I only got a decent comedy with a refreshing idea that in the end surrenders the parody line and becomes an unintended negation of itself. This will likely be “thanks to” the inexperienced screenwriters, who didn’t know how to smoothly wrap the story up. I laughed a couple of times, it was really nice to watch, but after the hype from the festivals, I was expecting something better. (31.03.2011)

It was a promising idea, but ultimately it was just an idea, and instead of a comedy imaginatively parodying genre clichés, it's a buddy relationship movie. And even that isn’t well executed. The humour is neither lame nor unfunny; there simply is none. (25.06.2011)

To shoot a good parody of a genre film, you need a sense of humor, a thorough knowledge of the genre, excellent actors, and above all, the ability to shoot a better genre film than the one you are blatantly making fun of. The first two requirements are met, but not the rest. The average actors (with Alan Tudyk being the only standout) try their best to overact to the point of absurdity, and the film crew is convinced that the key to a successful parody is equipping the characters with crowd insanity, so the American university students showcase the intelligence of a rocking horse. The film isn't (overtly) awkward and tasteless, but it's also not good - at least not compared to the positive reviews it once managed to elicit from its audience. If Eli Craig didn't rely so much on pervasive stupidity but had the courage to shoot the appropriate gags and crazy situations "seriously," it wouldn't diminish the entertainment value, and the overall impression would be much better. Overall impression: 40%. (30.05.2022)

The first half hour is magnificent. I never expected such a witty and creative mockery of the basic clichés of slasher horror. The rest is just average funny bollocks that gradually runs out of breath and the creativity is replaced by not very funny or original drudgery. But hats off to Katrina Bowden, who is the dream of every murderous and innocent individual on the planet – I'd change sides for her. 70% (26.12.2012)

Despite the somewhat weaker script, I've had a fond connection with this film for years, and that affection still holds today. What I like about the movie is that it's a parody of the often recycled "horror" movie premise featuring a group of students in the outdoors. The student suicide-murder squad was excellent, and I particularly enjoyed the final scenes of each member. The two main characters, unfortunate as they were, were brilliantly cast, with Katrina Bowden nailing the role of the perfect "damsel in distress" (and I'm not usually into blondes). The chaotic killings on Tucker's property provided a thrilling ride, but as the plot progressed and ran out of side characters, the main villain took center stage, and things got a bit muddled. The creators seemed a bit lost, and fun took a backseat, leading to a somewhat lackluster ending. / Lesson learned: Watch out for creepy visitors from the city. (21.07.2022)