It is simple, if you smoke pot, you will get beaten, raped, and have your home invaded. This sounds like the synopsis of a bad anti-drug speech you would get in high school, however it is also the plot of Last House on the Left.

Last House on the Left originated as an exploitation film of the 70’s created by the master of modern horror Wes Craven. In the updated version directed by Dennis Iliadis, the plot for the most part stays the same, however the style gets a face lift.

Mari and her parents head to their summer home in the hopes of a fun and relaxing vacation however they have no idea what they are in store for when Mari leaves the care of her parents to visit her childhood friend Paige.

Paige the ever curious teenage rebel chases after some marijuana from a strange boy who is passing through town. As it turns out the boy and his family are on the run from the police after a string of murders and they are none too happy that he has brought these girls back for a little party.

Mari and Paige are dragged through the woods where they are raped and tortured and left for dead. Unlucky for the killers they didn’t finish the job.

Although there are many homages to the exploitation genre that spawned the original, this film however is in many ways toned down made to fit more with today’s Hollywood.

That doesn’t mean that the film is easy to watch. The rape scene is brutal and disgusting and nearly unwatchable, luckily most of the act takes place off screen and much of the violence would probably be considered tame in the Saw and Hostel infested world we live in, however as someone who hasn’t become completely desensatized to violence, many of the scenes are cringe worthy.

This film attempts to blend exploitation genre with the look and feel of foreign films with similar plot construction. The result is a semi-tasteful horror film that makes you feel disgusting for thinking the film itself looks refined when the plot is glorified blood bath. Overall 2 and 1/2 stars out of 4.