Manny The Movie Guy /

"Tucker & Dale VS. Evil" is a surprisingly original horror comedy that will rival most major studio releases. With no big-name stars or huge budget, the film is on its way to becoming a cult classic.

Deconstructing the slasher genre, "Tucker & Dale VS. Evil" is about two best friends mistaken for murderous backwoods hillbillies. What follows next is a gory comedy of errors that has a great big heart.

Yes it’s possible for an intentionally violent film to be equally smart and heartwarming. Big credit goes to the movie’s main actors, Tyler Labine as Dale and Alan Tudyk as Tucker. They play two adorable West Virginian country folks on their way to enjoy their vacation.

Dale is a slightly rotund simpleton and Tucker is his wiser, more mature best friend. They are headed to their dilapidated mountain house to drink some beer, go fishing, and have a jolly good time.

But Tucker & Dale’s plans go awry when they encounter a group of obnoxious, preppy college kids who assume that the duo are chainsaw-brandishing killers out to get them. To make matters worse, one of the students suddenly gets separated from her friends. Who’s to blame?

Director Eli Craig, who also co-wrote the script with Morgan Jurgenson, succeeded in creating a film that simultaneously pays homage and then subverts the notion of the slasher genre. "Tucker & Dale VS. Evil" uses horror clichés just to show us that the tried and true formula can be dull and brainless.

The film’s main plot is derivative of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" with "Wrong Turn" and "Friday the 13th" thrown in for good measure. Put a bunch of good looking college students, watch them get terrified by two seemingly sadistic hillbillies, and then see what happens when you switch group identities.

As the body count grows and the tension builds up, the film gets smarter and funnier. Craig ably helmed a good-natured horror parody. Perhaps, the movie’s biggest crime is the objectification of traditional hillbillies in movies and the vilification of teenagers.

It’s very easy to summarize the movie’s main conceit by saying "Tucker & Dale VS. Evil" glorifies rampaging rednecks and disparages helpless teens but that’s missing the point. Pitting city folks against country lads have far deeper and bloodier implications.

"Tucker & Dale VS. Evil" debuted at last year’s Sundance and deservingly won the Midnight Audience Award at SXSW. Spoofing a genre is hard to do. When it fails, like most of the "Scary Movie" flicks, it really stinks. But when it works, like "Tucker & Dale VS. Evil," it’s quite brilliant.