Tucker and Dale vs Evil opens the same way every self-admitted b-grade horror film does. We've got some college kids heading out to camp in the middle of the woods. They're not world-wise, paranoid, and very cannon-fodder-esque. This is the case, because none of the characters are ones that you remember the name of other than the titular redneck couple of mates, Tucker and Dale.
Tucker (Alan Tyduk) is a leaf on the wind, having just attained his very own 'vacation home'; he's brought along his good mate, Dale (Tyler Labine) and they'll do some work on the home together, some fishing, and generally blokey-bloke stuff. One of these blokey activities is drinking beer and fishing, at night.
This is a comedic horror story, with streaks of romantic comedy through its blood-soaked hair. The atmosphere is above par for a b-grade film, and small details in the set dressing make the film go from average to excellent.
Alison and Dale start to develop a rapport, as she recovers from her concussion - until she is concussed again, by accident. Prior to this, she talks about the importance of communication, and how misunderstandings are so hard to fix. It is self-referential but doesn’t break the fourth wall – it almost does, and that’s okay.
The sheer absurdity, the slap-stick (literally, in some cases) nature of the violent deaths; and the layered, intelligent plot is cohesive and enjoyable. The film culminates with a cup of tea, and a conversation. It is horrific and wonderful, all at the same time; and is a must-watch if you're a fan of horror, or comedy.
You might ask, what’s the evil that Ducker and Dale are fighting against? The evil is never depicted as such in the film, but rather paints itself as the film develops; evil begetting evil, as misunderstanding piles on top of misunderstanding. There’s even some pretty literal references to saw. This film could almost be the inspiration for the video game Until Dawn. (If the game was a comedy.)
It's also a worth a look if you’re interested in how a sequence of the most unfortunate misunderstandings plays out when combining two hillbillies and a bunch of college kids in the woods.
