Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

"Don't be sorry, it's my fault. I should have known if a guy like me talked to a girl like you, somebody would end up dead."

Hillbillies Tucker (Tudyk) and Dale (Labine) are headed to their dream vacation home: a dilapidated cabin in the woods.  A group of carefree college kids are vacationing nearby.  After an awkward encounter and the tale of a hillbilly psycho killer, the college kids are wary of Tucker and Dale.  That night, Allison (Bowden) hits her head on a rock and is saved by Tucker and Dale, but her friends see the rescue as kidnapping.

The next morning the college kids, led by Chad (Moss), find the cabin and plan to rescue Allison by any means necessary.  Misunderstandings pile up, like the body count.  Will anyone survive this bloody vacation?


Writers Morgan Jurgenson and Eli Craig (director) wanted to turn the tables on horror cliches.  Audiences are used to the story of the deranged hillbillies that terrorize the vacationing college kids... so why change it up?  Here, the hillbillies are the product of many misunderstandings, as the paranoid college kids attack.  The film plays as a dark comedy, finding humor despite the blood.

Tyler Labine (Reaper) anchors the film as Dale.  His Dale is a lovable, but dimwitted, and gets the best lines / reactions to the events.  Character actor Alan Tudyk plays the exasperated straight man, to Labine.  Tudyk and Labine have excellent, believable chemistry.  Katrina Bowden, of 30 Rock, also has strong chemistry with Labine.  While this part is less showy than 30 Rock role, Bowden still shines.  And Jesse Moss has the most interesting character, who undergoes the biggest change from start to finish.  It is an interesting cast, with Tudyk as the biggest name, that really sell the story.

Despite a brilliant screen and a unique idea, it took over three years for Jurgenson and Craig's vision to come to the big screen.  And when it did, it only received limited billing.  It was finally released to Netflix in November 2011, nearly a year after it was in theaters.  I had been excited about this film, since I first heard about it in 2010.  When it finally arrived, I was concerned that maybe it wouldn't live up to all the excitement I felt (I love Tudyk and had just discovered Labine when the film was released in 2010, so I had high expectations), but thankfully it did not disappoint.  It may not be the easiest film to find, but it is definitely worth the search.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010) 89 minutes
Rating: R for bloody horror violence, language and brief nudity.
Director: Eli Craig
Starring: Tyler Labine as Dale
Alan Tudyk as Tucker
Katrina Bowden as Allison
Jesse Moss as Chad