YMMV / The Last House on the Left

• Accidental Aesop: Both versions show why you shouldn't go off with a complete stranger and why you should stay away from drugs, even "harmless" ones like marijuana, but with the remake, it's considered common knowledge and a far less acceptable thing to do than back in the 1970s. So the new Aesop there seems to be "Don't be an idiot".
• Alternate Character Interpretation: There's a lot of debate over one brief moment in the remake where Sadie is seen apparently crying after Mari is shot. Is she having a brief Heel Realization? Is it merely just the force of what they've done hitting her? Or is it just the rain causing her make-up to run?
• Awesome Music: and the road leads to nowhere
• Base-Breaking Character: Junior in the remake, who was renamed Justin. Was he a compassionate and troubled kid who was the only member of Krug's "family" to have a conscience, or a derelict and wimpy Jerkass who set the whole ordeal in motion due to his defiance? Even though he had to been incredibly lonely and tormented by the horrific crimes of his father, uncle and father's girlfriend, the latter is still a valid point considering he was the one who brought the girls back to the room, even though Krug specifically told him NOT to do so, and had no rationalization beyond "I didn't know you'd be back so soon" when he got caught. During the moments of strong brutalization of the girls, and when he was able to shoot his father, he's only making things worse. Fridge Brilliance could say that he almost never stood up for anything or even tried to run away was because of being abused all his life. Still, people argue he should have known better. Plus the fact that Dr. and Mrs. Collingworth are so forgiving of him and that they lead him to safety with Mari also pissed off quite a few fans. But just as many are willing to cut him some slack, considering he's an abused child, and it's him that tips the Collingwoods off that Krug, Francis and Sadie are their daughter's attackers.
• Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: The scene with the cops and the lady driving the chicken truck. It managed to stall them long enough to be too late for anything.
• Broken Base: Which choice is better regarding Mari in the respective films? The 1972 one has her actually dying, which sets off the Roaring Rampage of Revenge from her devastated parents. Some fans feel this is better, because it raises some poignant moralistic questions on whether the parents were justified in becoming killers to punish her murderers. Thus the remake's choice to have Mari actually survive is sometimes accused of "defanging" the original, since it removes those questions and makes the parents more sympathetic - now they're partly killing in self-defence and motivated by the urgency to get medical assistance for their daughter. Detractors of the 1972 film argue that it turns Mari into a mere plot device to be raped and killed to motivate other characters, which can be viewed as a little misogynistic. The 2009 film's choice therefore can be seen as an improvement, especially for removing the Victim-Blaming idea of the original that the girls 'brought it on themselves'.
• Catharsis Factor: After two hours of the movie basically challenging the viewer to not jump into the screen and beat the three villains to a pulp, it is extremely satisfying to see Mari's parents take their revenge on them.
• Complete Monster: Krug Stillo is the leader of a group of murderous rapists. After he and his gang escape prison for their previous crimes, they kidnap, rape, torture, and kill two teenage girls. The parents of one of the girls find out when the criminals incidentally stop at their house, leading to a bloodbath between Krug's group and the parents. Aside from leading a group of horrible rapist scum, Krug also brainwashed his own son and kept him hooked on drugs as a kid as a means to control him. Near the end of the film, he convinces said son to kill himself.
• Cult Classic:
  • The 1972 original is one of Wes Craven's lesser known entries, especially compared to the successes he'd experience later in his career. But it has a strong enough cult fan base to be nominated for AFI's '100 Years, 100 Thrills'.
  • The 2009 remake likewise was more financially successful than the original, but not an overwhelming hit. It does however have lots of fans for doing something different rather than a Shot-for-Shot Remake.
• Draco in Leather Pants: Some viewers of the 2009 remake tried to apply this treatment to Sadie - trying to interpret her as a reluctant accomplice or being more moral than the men. The only merit to this is a moment after Mari's apparent death, where she is seemingly crying a black tear. Never mind that she happily participated in the rape and murder of two teenage girls - and it was her that stripped Paige to begin with!
• Ending Fatigue: For some, the 2009 remake draws out the confrontation between Krug and the Collingwoods. After killing Francis and Sadie to accelerate into the third act, the pace slows once again as the former tries to play a cat and mouse game with John, have a You Have Failed Me conversation with Justin and then they finally kill him.
• Funny Moments: A behind the scenes one, as Wes Craven relates on the DVD that he was surprised how easily the house's owners agreed to let him film there...then realized he'd forgotten to let them know an actor would be walking around their living room with a running chainsaw.
• He's Just Hiding: Since the 2009 pulled Not Quite Dead with Mari, some fans hold out hope that Paige is actually still alive too since, although stabbed, she's left for dead in the forest by the others and the events of the night unfold rather quickly - meaning Mari and Justin could perhaps have got medical assistance for her quickly enough.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Critics noted that the 2009 remake was greenlit, following the 2000s trends of remaking several classic horrors to be Bloodier and Gorier with even more victims - and this one does the opposite! Two characters who died in the original are Spared by the Adaptation.
• Iron Woobie: Mari in the 2009 film is grieving for her brother, and manages to survive getting raped and shot.
• Moral Event Horizon: Krug's brutal and sadistic rape of Mari counts in both versions.
• Narm:
  • The original has a fair amount. Hey, it's a low-budget '70s horror flick.
  • The bumbling comic-relief cops manage to wipe out most of the film's tension every time they step into the frame.
  • In the remake, Sadie crying a black tear after they think Mari's dead. Note that this is after she actively helped Krug in raping Mari, and visibly enjoyed it.
  • Krug, in the remake, believe it or not. As monstrous as he is, he tends to act like a cartoon villain 90% of the time, being so utterly, one-dimensionally evil and even downright silly in his ridiculously nasty remarks and hillbilly mannerisms.
    "WHADDJASAY, BITCH!?(spit flies out of his mouth) Now, WHUR... didatcumfrum... allavasuddin?"
  • And his hilariously over-the-top death via microwave, which happens to be the very last shot of the movie.
• Narm Charm: In fact, some fans think the original film's odd script, performances, direction, music choices, and tonal inconsistencies make it a far more interesting film than the remake, despite the latter's better performances and production values.
• The Scrappy: The two bumbling cops are universally loathed for constantly causing bizarre and inappropriate tonal shifts.
• She Really Can Act: Alongside this and her charming performance in Aquamarine, Sara Paxton got a lot of positive reviews for going against type; normally the perky outgoing Alpha Bitch, she turns in a restrained and sympathetic performance as a girl still dealing with her brother's death. Many were happy to see Mari survive in this version.
• Technology Marches On: The 2009 remake has it as a minor plot point that Mari can't reach her parents with her cell phone, which she uses mainly to call. A smartphone would have alleviated those problems, making texting or sending location drops much easier. This would also alleviate the landline phone going down during the storm. Another minor plot point is Mari's attempted escape by burning Sadie with the car cigarette lighter, which most cars in the 2020s don't have anymore.
• Tough Act to Follow: David A Hess and Jeramie Rain's performances are considered the strongest part of the 1972 original, and the jury is out on whether the 2009 version can match them.
• The Woobie: Phyllis in the 1972 version and Paige in the 2009 version. In the former, she is gang raped first and then forced to do Faux Yay with her best friend before getting killed. In the latter, she's trying to cheer her best friend up after her brother's death - and she is stabbed repeatedly when she tries to save Mari.

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