‘You’re Next’ vs ‘The Guest’

Director Adam Wingard has been releasing his work for over ten years but recently burst onto the horror scene with recent successes like You’re Next (2011) and The Guest (2014). He’s also submitted segments for the popular V/H/S (Segment: “Tape 56″) film and its sequel V/H/S 2 (Segment ” Phase I Clinical Trials”). In today’s showdown we put this budding director’s two most popular and well-loved films against each other: You’re Next and The Guest.

Warning: This blog contains heavy spoilers for both films!

Plot: Both You’re Next and The Guest are great films will great plots. You’re Next is about a woman who goes with her boyfriend to his family reunion only to have the family become isolated in their home and preyed upon by a group of deadly villains in animal masks. The Guest is something a bit different. The film is about a family who welcomes into their home and their lives a man who was a friend to their deceased soon in the army only to discover he might not be what he seems. I don’t have anything bad to say about either of these storylines. You’re Next had an awesome twist but the creepy home invasion plot has been done before while The Guest offers something truly original.

Winner: The Guest

Hero: Both these films feature awesome heroines. The Guest gives us Maika Monroe’s Anna, the sister of David Collin’s fallen comrade. At first she is friendly with her new houseguest but becomes suspicious of his identity and motives. Anna is an awesome hero who fights against David using her wits. While there’s nothing bad to say about Anna, it’s hard to compete with the iconic Erin from You’re Next (played by Sharni Vinson). At first we think she’s the typical “final girl”: sweet and relatable to the audience. Then we find out that she’s actually a secret badass who uses her survivalist background to defend herself against the intruders in the most awesome of ways. Both films do a good job of presenting us with layered heroines but Erin from You’re Next will go down as one of the best final girls in the history of horror.

Winner: You’re Next

Villain:

In You’re Next the family is set upon by a group of weirdos in creepy animal masks who carry all sorts of dangerous weapons. We’ve seen this type of masked intruder villain before and they’re definitely scary. In The Guest, the villain is actually the main character. At first we think David Collins might be a good guy but as the movie goes on, Dan Stevens manages to portray his character cracking slowly and as we learn more about him we realize who he really is and by the end he is truly terrifying. There’s nothing wrong with the masked fiends in You’re Next but the combined characterization and performance of Dan Stevens as David Collins makes The Guest the winner in this category.

Winner: The Guest

Ending: One thing that makes Wingard’s two films so strong is their endings. You’re Next delivers us multiple great twists throughout the film and just when we think everything is okay, an unlucky cop gets the bad end of one of Erin’s booby traps. The characters in The Guest go through Hell and back to finally think their tormentor is dead only to see him escape at the very end with a brand new identity. Both fills deliver smashing endings that leaves audiences thinking about them long after the movie is over.

Winner: Tie

Memorable Scenes: Both films give us some memorable scenes. The Guest shows Dan Stevens go calculatedly berserk on a diner and chase two siblings through a creepy maze of mirrors. Despite these awesome scenes, it’s hard to compete with You’re Next’s gruesome and original kills. Whether it’s the hidden wire throat cut or the infamous blender scene, You’re Next impressed even the most seasoned of horror vets with its originality and memorability.

Winner: You’re Next

Overall Winner: Tie

These films might not be the best to compare as they both cross different genres. You’re Next is a horror film with hints of dark comedy while The Guest is more of a thriller with elements of a horror film. Whatever your personal preference is, both You’re Next and The Guest are fantastic movies from Adam Wingard that prove he has plenty of talent up his sleeve. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.