By Nathan Douglas–

“Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” is like sitting down at the dinner scene in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and realizing everything was one big misunderstanding, literally.

This movie combines the entire spectrum of popular movie genres and delivers them wrapped in human flesh and tied with an intestinal bow. “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” is essentially a horror-comedy that is not without enough gore to satisfy nearly anyone who is into that.

“Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” begins with a group of fairly mindless college students ready to reach the pinnacle of existence and get very drunk in the woods. On their way, two apparently stereotypical hillbillies, Tucker and Dale, approach them and the fiasco begins.

Tucker and Dale are on their way to repair a vacation home near a lake in middle of nowhere, Appalachia. One extravagant misinterpretation after another leads the students to believe that Tucker and Dale are savage hill people, bent on torturing and murdering the group.

Many people perish throughout the movie; however, for the majority of the movie there is no apparent good or evil, just confusion. Though shocking, there is not one death in the movie that makes the audience feel bad about witnessing it.

“Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” manages to spook the audience while still leaving them intact when the movie is through. There is something refreshing about a borderline horror film that does not cause you to tread lightly and check your closet before going to sleep.

If you’re one to look for lasting merit in movies, this movie has one. I can think of no commentary on stereotypes more entertaining than this. In addition to being potentially enlightening, it appears on the Netflix instant feed. That said, there’s nothing to lose by watching this if you have Netflix or if you have connections.

To all those who are looking for a movie but don’t know what to watch, “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” is a hidden gem buried deep under a pile of garbage. If anything, this movie will leave you feeling good about life.

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Photo courtesy Magnolia Pictures