In Lurie's update, screenwriter David Sumner (James Marsden) and his wife Amy (Kate Bosworth) relocate to her small hometown, where local hicks including Amy's ex (Alexander Skarsgård) bristle against the outsider and cracks in the Sumner marriage widen. As far as trailers and first looks go, this one's a doozy. Intense doesn't begin to describe it, especially if you know what happens and how things go down in the original. And yet, the trailer is relatively spoiler-free, though it does reveal a few of the painful exchanges between victim and home invader that you have to look forward to. (Mantraps! That's gonna hurt.)
What's so promising about this trailer is that it has such a forcefulness to it; you immediately get a feel for what you're in for come September 16, when Straw Dogs blows into theaters. And yet, its unsettling sense lingers so heavily after just a few minutes of footage. Who else needs some puppies and unicorns to smooth out the Friday?
Verdict: A must watch come September.