The humour used at the beginning of the film also helps to contrast with the tension between the family members and the horror later on. Furthermore, it doesn’t feel like it takes too long to get to the action, but also allows enough time to develop the characters before the gory stuff gets going. Despite clearly taking influence from ‘Texas Chainsaw’, it’s still very much its own thing and isn’t a copy. There’s still originality, and enough good twists that don’t seem completely insane within the context of the film.
Finally, it finishes strong with a good ending that I didn’t really expect. It easily could have just had the survivors escape and let that be it, but it goes a bit further and even left me wanting a sequel. Overall, this is a well-made slasher that is unique and doesn’t rely on the influence of its predecessors. The characters were able to be given plenty of development thanks to Charlie Steeds’ script, and he makes it actually worthy of a re-watch.