Back in 2013, a little director by the name of Adam Wingard made himself known to the horror world with the release of his inventive genre flick You’re Next. While those in the know were familiar with Wingard and his frequent collaborator Simon Barrett from their work on the V/H/S films, this little slasher that could put them on the map. Nearly 12 years later, it’s getting the physical release it deserves, thanks to the folks at Lionsgate.
See also: 10 Scary Movies You Will Want To Watch After Scream
As was announced in January, You’re Next is getting a limited edition Steelbook release, which, as of this writing, hits shelves tomorrow. The release comes complete with a 4K Ultra HD copy of the film, as well as a Blu-ray copy and a Digital one, if that’s your thing. It’s also been given a new coat of paint in the form of its limited edition packaging. More important than that though is what’s housed inside that flashy new case, which you can check out below.
For those who may need a brief refresher, the film centers on the upper-class, dysfunction family the Davisons, who have been estranged for some time. In an attempt to mend these ties Aubrey (friend of Fango Barbara Crampton) and Paul (Rob Moran) decide to celebrate their wedding anniversary by inviting their children and their significant others to their fancy weekend estate. A rocky start to the weekend turns bloody when crossbow-wielding murderers in animal masks attack. Chaos ensues.
I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the new Steelbook, which features Matt Ryan Tobin’s rendering of Lamb Mask on the front. It truly looks great. I say this as someone who is not a cultist when it comes to Steelbooks. I personally have an X2: X-Men United Steelbook on my shelf that is truly hideous. They’re not all winners, but this one is.
Sure, I like having physical media like this because it looks nice on a shelf. That’s part of the reason I have the Criterion Godzilla box set or the 4K Universal Monsters collection. They’re unwieldy but magnificent. However, I primarily still like to own these things because they allow me to really dive deep into a given film that I like enough to reserve shelf space for. Lionsgate truly didn’t skimp in that regard with this You’re Next Steelbook.
The release is absolutely loaded down with special features. Not only did Lionsgate bring over all of the archival special features from the original release, but they also ported over all of the new features that were produced for the Second Sight release of the film last year. Taken together, it’s a treasure trove that includes multiple, insightful commentaries, interviews, and featurettes. The term “jam-packed” gets thrown around, but this qualifies. Here’s a full breakdown:
Special Features
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- 2024 Audio Commentary with Director Adam Wingard and Writer Simon Barrett
- Children of the ’80s: Interview with Adam Wingard and Simon Barretto
- The Most of Us: Interview with Producers Keith Calder and Jess Wu Calder
- Script as a Blueprint: Interview with Actor AJ Bowen
- Down in the Basement: Interview with Actor Joe Swanberg
- Be Funny and Die: Interview with Actor Amy Seimetz
- Falling into Place: Interview with Production Designer Tom Hammock
- Slashers Don’t Die: Tom Coleman on You’re Next
- Who’s Next? The Making of You’re Next
- Animated storyboards
Original Special Features
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- Audio Commentary with Director Adam Wingard and Writer Simon Barrett
- Audio Commentary with Director Adam Wingard and Writer Simon Barrett and Actors Sharni Vinson and Barbara Crampton
- No Ordinary Invasion: The Making of You’re Next
- Theatrical Trailer
I can’t rightfully say I’ve dug through all of these features yet, but what I’ve gone through is delightful and insightful. These are what make a purchase such as this worth it. There’s nothing worse than buying a fancy Steelbook or limited edition release only to find that the discs themselves are barebones. Lionsgate, very fortunately, remains committed to producing damn fine physical media.
It’s probably worth discussing the movie itself. For one, You’re Next still slaps more than a decade later. My revisit of the film was very kind. It’s also worth pointing out that the 4K upgrade looks quite good. Sometimes, films are done a bit of a disservice by a 4K restoration. In this case, it works and gives the slasher a modern coat of paint with bloody nice results.
Looking back, this is also a remarkable little time capsule. This is a $1 million movie that became an unexpected hit. Wingard, in the years since, has gone on to direct massive blockbusters such as Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. He’s ascended the Hollywood ranks along with Barrett to become in-demand talents. But it was clear more than a decade ago when they let Sharni Vinson’s Erin go ham on some intruders that these guys had the goods. Lionsgate, rightfully, is giving this movie a worthy treatment.
The You’re Next limited edition Steelbook retails for $39.99 and you can order a copy from LionsgateLimited.com. For more, check out our list of underrated slashers you should absolutely watch.
