The Hills Have Eyes (2006) Movie Review: A Savage Remake That Still Packs a Punch

When The Hills Have Eyes roared onto screens in 2006, it didn’t just rehash Wes Craven’s 1977 original—it amplified the terror, turning a gritty exploitation flick into a full-on horror assault. Directed by French filmmaker Alexandre Aja—hot off High Tension—this remake swaps the low-budget rawness of its predecessor for polished brutality, earning $70 million worldwide on a $15 million budget. Starring Aaron Stanford as a reluctant hero, Kathleen Quinlan as a fierce matriarch, and a roster of grotesque mutants led by Michael Bailey Smith, it’s a relentless descent into chaos that’s both stomach-churning and strangely compelling. Nearly two decades later, with an 85% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, it remains a standout in the 2000s horror boom. What keeps this desert nightmare so gripping? Let’s dig in.

Plot Overview: A Family’s Fight for Survival

The story kicks off with the Carter family, a classic American clan on a road trip through the New Mexico desert to celebrate Bob (Ted Levine) and Ethel’s (Kathleen Quinlan) 25th anniversary. Tagging along are their kids—Lynn (Vinessa Shaw), Brenda (Emilie de Ravin), and Bobby (Dan Byrd)—plus Lynn’s husband Doug (Aaron Stanford) and their baby Catherine. Their RV detour, suggested by a creepy gas station attendant (Tom Bower), lands them in a desolate wasteland—a former nuclear test site littered with abandoned cars and eerie silence.

The trap springs fast: a spike strip blows their tires, stranding them. While Bob and Doug seek help, the family’s stalked by a clan of cannibalistic mutants—descendants of miners deformed by Cold War radiation. Led by the hulking Papa Jupiter (Michael Bailey Smith), they’re a pack of predators with names like Lizard (Robert Joy) and Pluto (Michael Bailey Smith again, via prosthetics), each more deranged than the last. The assault begins with Bob’s fiery crucifixion and Ethel’s shotgun execution, spiraling into a trailer siege where Lynn and her baby are targeted in a scene so harrowing it’s seared into horror lore. Doug, initially a pacifist city boy, transforms into a vengeful warrior, trekking into the mutants’ lair—a mock suburbia of irradiated ruins—to rescue Catherine. The climax pits family against freaks in a bloody, primal showdown that’s as cathartic as it is gruesome.

Aaron Stanford as Doug: From Nerd to Nightmare Slayer

Aaron Stanford’s Doug Bukowski is the film’s unlikely heart, evolving from a bespectacled everyman to a feral survivor. Known for X2’s Pyro, Stanford starts as a whiny outsider—mocked by Bob for his liberal leanings—but his arc is the movie’s backbone. When the mutants kidnap his daughter, his shift is visceral: armed with a baseball bat and a pickaxe, he storms their turf, eyes wild with rage. A brutal fight with Pluto, where he caves in the mutant’s skull, is a turning point—Stanford sells the desperation and fury without a word.

His chemistry with Vinessa Shaw’s Lynn anchors the early tension, their bickering giving way to quiet resolve. Critics praised his “satisfying” transformation, and it’s easy to see why—Doug’s not a Rambo; he’s a dad pushed past his limits, making his kills feel earned. If there’s a flaw, it’s that his pre-badass phase drags a bit, but Stanford’s raw physicality in the final act more than compensates.

Supporting Cast: Victims and Villains Alike

The ensemble shines, balancing humanity with horror. Kathleen Quinlan’s Ethel is a steely matriarch, her shotgun blast at a mutant a fleeting triumph before her gut-wrenching end. Ted Levine, as Bob, brings grizzled warmth—his “Big Bob” bravado crumbles into a scream that haunts. Vinessa Shaw’s Lynn is the glue, her maternal ferocity peaking in the trailer attack, a scene so intense it’s a trigger warning unto itself. Emilie de Ravin’s Brenda, the bratty teen, grows into a scrappy fighter, her rape survival fueling a fierce comeback. Dan Byrd’s Bobby rounds out the kids, his panic and pluck a relatable anchor.

The mutants, though, steal the show. Michael Bailey Smith’s Papa Jupiter is a towering menace, his gravelly roar pure nightmare fuel. Robert Joy’s Lizard oozes sadistic glee, his assault on Lynn a low point of depravity. Laura Ortiz’s Ruby, a conflicted mutant girl who aids Doug, adds a flicker of pathos—her sacrifice is the film’s lone grace note. Covered in prosthetics and oozing sores, they’re a gallery of grotesques that linger long after the credits.

Alexandre Aja’s Direction: Brutality With Purpose

Alexandre Aja, a rising star of the “Splat Pack” (think Saw, Hostel), directs The Hills Have Eyes with a machete’s edge. He ditches the original’s lo-fi grit for a slicker, bloodier vision, leaning into practical effects—gore, burns, oozing wounds—that hit like a punch. Shot in Morocco’s Ouarzazate desert, the landscape is a character: endless dunes and jagged hills amplify the isolation. Diego Torres’ cinematography bathes it in harsh sunlight and eerie dusk, while Tomandandy’s industrial score—jangling metal, pulsing dread—ratchets up the tension.

Aja’spacing is relentless after a slow build, staging set pieces like Bob’s burning and the trailer assault with unflinching clarity. The latter, with its rape and murder, sparked walkouts—too cruel for some, but Aja defends it as a mirror to human savagery. The mutant town—a warped 1950s suburb with mannequins and TVs—adds surreal unease, a nod to nuclear paranoia. At 107 minutes, it’s lean yet punishing; only the setup lags slightly. Aja’s not subtle, but his visceral style makes every kill count.