'A Classic Horror Story' Ticks All the Boxes

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: a group of young people pile into the same vehicle and head out on a road trip. They have an accident and get stranded in the forest with no cell signal or way out. In a search for help, they stumble on a sinister cabin and sense they are not alone. Local yokels make their presence known and violent hijinks ensue. It has all happened before. It will all happen again.

Roberto De Feo and Paolo Strippoli start us out on a familiar journey, but it’s clear from the title that A Classic Horror Story knows it’s traveling a well-worn path. Let’s take a look at the latest trailer from Netflix.

So we’ve got Wrong Turn blended with Midsommar, The Wicker Man, and Saw. Dario D’Argento’s influence is clear as well. It all feels very The Cabin In the Woods with protagonists who are smart enough to realize how familiar a situation they find themselves in, only De Feo and Strippoli are clearly playing the horror straight. If the way I cringed at the eye spike scene is any indication, I’ll watch this one on premiere night and hate myself for it the whole time.

A Classic Horror Story debuts on Netflix on July 14.