As with much of Wes Craven’s work, “The Hills Have Eyes” demonstrates a willingness to toy with its audience’s nerves and push their boundaries, but falls short of greatness due to Craven’s sloppy disinterest in pace and atmosphere. Nevertheless, there’s enough thematic material here to help raise the movie above its grindhouse roots, and Craven’s career-long interest in the subversion of Americana serves him well here, even though there’s a surprising level of silliness along the way.
Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)
