1. Plot Summary (Spoiler-Light)
Set after the events of Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings, this film follows a group of friends who head to the small West Virginia town of Fairlake for a Halloween “Mountain Man” festival.
Meanwhile, the cannibalistic Hillicker brothers — Three Finger, Saw Tooth, and One Eye — along with their patriarch Maynard Odets, are readying another murderous rampage.
What begins as a fun, raucous festival weekend quickly devolves into horror, as the protagonists realize too late they are prey, and the killers turn the town itself into a kill zone.
2. Notable Elements
a. Setting & Shift in Locale
Unlike earlier films set deep in the woods or isolated from society, WT5 uses a small town and a festival as the backdrop — a change of pace for the series. The festival atmosphere initially provides a sense of fun and camaraderie before the terror hits.
b. Killer Dynamics & Villains
The Hillicker brothers remain the brutal antagonists, but here Maynard Odets takes a more prominent role — manipulating, orchestrating, and interacting more directly with victims. His inclusion adds a variation to the usual “monster hillbillies” motif.
c. Gore and Violence
This film leans heavily into gore and sadistic murder set-pieces. Reviewers note that while the plot is thin, the kill scenes are varied (though not always high budget or polished).
d. Production & Budget Issues
Critics point out that the film suffers from weak production values: cheap set design, obvious back-lots, accents that don’t quite land, and story logic that often breaks down.
3. Themes & Messages
- Predator vs Party Culture: The use of a festival (fun, excess, drinking, costumes) as the setting contrasts the jovial with the horrific, showing how quickly fun can morph into nightmare.
- Legacy of Violence & Family Evil: The idea that the Hillicker’s monstrous behavior is part of a legacy (with Maynard as patriarch) underscores themes of inherited violence and inescapable horror.
- Isolation in Plain Sight: Despite being in a town/party environment, the victims are still isolated – the help they expect is unavailable, the killers have the advantage.
- Escalation of brutality: Compared to earlier entries, this film seems to emphasize gore and torture more than tension or atmosphere, reflecting a shift in the series’ approach.
4. Personal Impressions
Strengths:
- For fans of straight-up slasher/horror gore, there are enough moments in WT5 to satisfy the “kill count” appetite.
- The change of setting (town + festival) brings a bit of novelty to the franchise formula.
- Some practical kills are creative (even if imperfect).
Weaknesses:
- Characters are thin and often make frustratingly bad decisions. The emotional investment is low.
- The story logic is weak; the production value diminishes immersion.
- Many reviewers, and fans, judge it among the weaker—if not the weakest—in the series.
- If you want suspense, atmosphere, or intelligent horror, this is likely disappointing. It leans more toward “slasher fodder.”
5. Audience Recommendations
You might enjoy Wrong Turn 5 if you:
- Are a dedicated fan of the Wrong Turn series and want to see everything in the franchise.
- Appreciate low-budget slasher films where the emphasis is on quantity of kills rather than quality of story.
- Are okay with weak characters and logical gaps but strong visual gore.
You might avoid it if you:
- Prefer horror with strong characters, tension, or surprises.
- Want polished production values or thoughtful narrative.
- Dislike extremely violent or sadistic kill sequences with minimal payoff.
6. Conclusion & Rating
Final Thoughts:
Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines is, in many ways, what happens when a horror franchise leans heavily into formula and gore rather than reinvention. It offers more of the same cannibal-hillbilly chaos, but with diminished returns in terms of story and character. If you’re watching purely for slasher carnage, it’ll deliver. If you’re hoping for a strong horror film, you may be disappointed.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.0 / 5)
