Quite possibly one of the best horror remakes ever...

So I haven't watched this movie in a long time and decided to give it another viewing last night. All I can say is...wow. Great movie! In my opinion, this is probably the best horror remake ever made. Not to take away any credit from the one and only, now deceased, legendary Wes Craven. But director Alexandre Aja really did a fantastic job with this remake. And it's such a shame that Aja's career never really took after this film. As a director, he had so much potential. This film, along with Aja's first film, High Tension, are two of the most disturbing horror films I've ever seen.

What I loved about this remake, is how it successfully blended horror with drama. It actually had likable characters. The whole family dynamic was convincing and realistic. You actually wanted the main characters to survive and overcome their horrific situation. The character development was good. And that's something that you rarely see in horror films. The casting choices were ideal.

There were scenes in this film that were genuinely disturbing. And I usually don't get disturbed by anything. I've become rather numb to violence in cinema. But even till this very day, no matter how many times I watch this film, I still find it quite disturbing. For example; the scene when the cannibalistic maniacs break into the trailer, terrorizing the younger sister, killing the older sister, shooting the mom, biting off the bird's head, stealing the baby, along with setting the dad on fire...everything about that scene was just downright twisted. That scene always gets me, no matter how many times I watch it.

The cannibals in this film looked really creepy as well. And I also thought the action in this film was done in a believable stylish manner. The cinematography and the location were great. Overall, I'd say this film is a masterpiece in modern horror cinema and is definitely one of the best remakes ever made.

I also loved how the ending had a heroic conclusion, with Doug saving the day. That last ending scene is pretty intense.