Grade: D+
Synopsis: A family stranded in the California desert falls prey to a tribe of bloodthirsty cannibals.
The Hills Have Eyes, much like writer/director Wes Craven’s previous film, The Last House on the Left (1972), was considered quite shocking upon its release in 1977, but is rather tame by today’s standards; and while The Hills Have Eyes is a definite improvement upon the previous effort, it’s still fairly lacking.
It starts out quite well. John Steadman channels his best Walter Brennan and does a good job setting up an ominous atmosphere. I’ll even buy the somewhat ridiculous series of events that strand the family in the desert. But then the plot takes over and the characters start behaving like idiots. Seriously, if its one thing I can’t stand its lazy writing and the second act has it in spades.
Things do tighten up somewhat in the third act, but by then it’s too little too late.
Bottom Line: Watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) instead.
