American Gothic (1988)
American Gothic is a wonderfully strange little backwoods horror movie that takes the idea of a wholesome family vacation and drives it straight into nightmare territory. After their plane crashes in a remote area, a group of friends stumble upon an isolated farmhouse inhabited by an extremely creepy couple and their even creepier "children."
Rod Steiger and Yvonne De Carlo are terrific as the bizarre Ma and Pa, bringing an unsettling mixture of friendliness, religious fanaticism, and outright menace to their roles. The movie has a wonderfully grimy atmosphere, some nasty surprises, and enough eccentric characters to keep things unpredictable.
Verdict: Creepy, weird, and undeniably entertaining, American Gothic is an underrated late-'80s horror gem for anyone who enjoys their backwoods terror with a generous helping of twisted family values. ★★★★☆
