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2* AccidentalAesop: The film seems to have as its message "unless you are actually trained in combat, or you have no choice, don't try and play the action hero and call the authorities if you're in a dangerous situation." Allison's friends may have meant well, but they were clearly out of their depth, not just in assessing the situation but in actually fighting the "deranged hillbillies". If Allison had actually been in danger, she would've been screwed. Chad himself seems somewhat physically capable, but since he's [[spoiler:a mentally unhinged jerk with a severe grudge]], he ends up creating ''more'' problems than he actually solves.
3* AlternateAesopInterpretation:
4** On one level, the moral of the story is that PoorCommunicationKills... but this is challenged by the fact that the characters literally sit down around a table to talk out their grievances and resolve the situation with reason and ''it doesn't work at all'', as talking doesn't immediately equal to true communication. An alternate take is that some people (*cough* ''Chad'' *cough*) simply can't be reasoned with, no matter how good your intentions are. Now the communication may have seemed at first to be having the desired effect - until those that were LockedOutOfTheLoop interfered, thinking that the situation had turned hazardous, which Chad saw as a chance to resume his killing attempts and show that talking is of no help when it falls on deaf ears.
5*** The moral might also be "You need to be willing to listen to others". The events of the movie happen because Chad and his friends weren't willing to listen to Tucker and Dale and held onto their preconceived notions. Even the police officer, while hearing the two out, jumps to "You are going to be sent to prison for this". When people actually talk (IE Tucker and Dale after their argument) and actually LISTEN to the other person they can mend fences.
6** The other Aesop is "don't blame your misfortunes on others" and "don't hold a grudge". What Chad's family went through was beyond horrific, but Chad venting his anger on the hillbillies only creates more harm and pain. Had he been willing to let go of his anger [[spoiler: his friends wouldn't have died and he wouldn't have been horribly disfigured]].
7* AngstWhatAngst: Allison doesn't seem all that broken up about all her friends being killed.
8* BrokenAesop: The premise of the movie, the PerspectiveFlip, could have worked more-or-less fine if it ran on pure, unjustified prejudice, which means that if the Aesop is taken to be "HillbillyHorrors is just an exploitative fictional trope and hillbillies are people like anywhere else", then the Memorial Day Massacre backstory undermines it by providing a reason for the prejudice. ([[spoiler:Furthermore, Chad's family history opens a possibility that his derangement at least partially stems from his half-deranged-hillbilly-murderer genetics, which adds another layer of unintended implications.]]) The alternate Aesops listed above avoid this issue, however.
9* CrossesTheLineTwice: The film has a bunch of well-meaning, but misguided college students killed in horrific manner, played for laughs.
10-->'''Tucker:''' (After the wood chipper has mulched Mike so much that it jams.) "Are you okay?"
11* EnsembleDarkhorse: Jason, Chloe and Chuck of the college kids all have their fans for combining some truly astounding IdiotBall moments with a little genuine pathos and sanity in noticing there's something messed up with Chad's strategies.
12* HesJustHiding: It's not completely unrealistic to speculate that [[spoiler:Chloe]] might have survived the explosion of the cabin.
13* HilariousInHindsight: The primary villain's name is [[spoiler:Chad]], an egotistical Fratboy with a ''massive'' case of EntitledToHaveYou - predating [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad_(slang) the popular rise of the name as slang]] for an overly-aggressive "Alpha Male" type.
14* {{Moe}}: Dale has shades of being this.
15* MoralEventHorizon: [[spoiler:Chad]] crosses it when he [[spoiler:kidnaps Allison and straps her to a ConveyorBeltODoom]] while condemning her for "betraying" him.
16* NarmCharm: While a good deal of the comedy comes from the idea of SlasherMovie teenagers bumbling their way into killing themselves, there are some parts that are beyond ridiculous, but played so sincerely that it loops back around to being legitimately funny or touching in-context.
17-->'''Allison:''' It's true, Chad! You're half-hillbilly!
18* SpecialEffectsFailure:
19** The CGI bee that lands on Mitch is pretty unconvincing.
20** Both the "Weedwhacker in the Face" and "Machete to the Throat" scenes are obvious CGI and stand out poorly when compared to the more practical effects used in the film.
21* TheWoobie:
22** Dale. He sums up the insecurity and lack of confidence he's been feeling the entire movie when he says to Allison...
23--->'''Dale:''' Don't be sorry. It's my fault. I should have known that if a guy like me talked to a girl like you, somebody'd end up dead.
24** Mitch can be this to some viewers because he's one of the more level headed students and [[spoiler:is still the first to die]].
25** Chloe, by the end. She ends up a BloodSplatteredInnocents in a fairly graphic way, wants no part in any of her friends' plotting against the two heroes and desperately begs to leave several times, but is always shot down by Chad in a cruel fashion which leave her even more frightened and upset. Finally, she's left briefly thinking the situation is better (during a DumbassHasAPoint moment when she points out to Jason how it looks like the others are sitting down and talking) and having a HeroicBSOD after accidentally [[spoiler:setting Jason on fire]].

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