Wes Craven is mostly known for the Nightmare on Elm Street films, but they are far from the only horror he created. In 1977, Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes hit the big screen. Shot on a budget of less than a quarter of million dollars and yet has grossed more than twenty five million to date. That’s certainly impressive and it’s because The Hills Have Eyes is truly a masterpiece of horror.
Centering around a family traveling through the desert who have the bad luck to breakdown, the movie quickly begins building its tension. The family discovers that
they aren’t the only people in the desert. A tribe of savage cannibals start to pick
them off, one by one, until finally making a full out attack on the family.
The horror ranges from a father being burned alive in front of his family, vicious dog attacks, and even kids having no choice but to use the corpse of their mother as bait in order to survive.
Atmospheric in its scenery, well acted, and well paced, The Hills Have Eyes is far more than the simple exploitation flick some might believe it to be. If you’re looking for a disturbing and fun horror movie for Halloween this year, both The Hills Have Eyes and its 2006 remake are more than worth checking out.
