we NEED more movies like tucker and dale vs evil. horror as a genre has long capitalized off of the stereotypes of poor southerners (which is not something i am necessarily angry about? horror is Supposed to make people uncomfortable. classism is a large part of American Culture and horror has always been about bringing light to all different types of oppression, which inherently makes people uncomfortable no matter how it’s done.) however the whole Stupid, Dirty, Poor, Cannibalistic Hillbillies thing has been played out for so long and it doesn’t even feel like anyone is making a commentary about these stereotypes, just further perpetrating it themselves. tucker and dale turns those expectations on their head. it’s a slow build, having the college characters (who would usually be the protagonists in your average slasher) make off handed remarks that are just enough to have you second-guess their nature. “me and you are cut from a different cloth”, right before allison is “kidnapped” by dale. until we see their true evil be unleashed; this is more than a simple misunderstanding, more than a miscommunication trope, the true villain in this movie truly and wholly wants these “hillbillies” dead because he feels nothing but hatred for them. the way dale challenges the normal stereotypes, by loving history and hating fishing and being in touch with his emotional side. however, they don’t demonize the stereotypical aspects of a poor southern man; tucker loves fishing! dale himself speaks in a manner similar to much of my family, and though he often corrects his grammar to try and impress allison, she never mocks him for his manner of speaking in any regards. and there are just casual things about the characters that feel inconsequential but make them feel more real; their love for pbr, the jar of moonshine in the cabin, dale’s immense attachment to his dog. WE JUST NEED MORE MOVIES THAT HUMANIZE POOR SOUTHERNERS. IM TIRED OF US ONLY EVER BEING A STEREOTYPE FOR CALIFORNIAN COLLEGE GIRLS TO FALL VICTIM TO.