'The Strangers' Madelaine Petsch Has a Horror Movie Hot Take You Might Hate | Sorry Not Sorry

I recently sat down with Madelaine Petsch to chat about what it was like to wrap up The Strangers reboot trilogy with The Strangers: Chapter 3 (2026). But during our interview, she also opened up about one of her favorite guilty pleasure horror films that’s become such a comfort movie to her that she even falls asleep to it. So what’s the movie that Petsch is so fond of? “One of my favorite horror films of all time is Wrong Turn,” she said.

WATCH: Madelaine Petsch Falls Asleep to WHICH Movie?!

The 2003 backwoods horror movie sees a group of motorists (including Bring it On favorite Eliza Dushku) stranded in the woods of West Virginia after their tires are deliberately popped. A family of inbred, monstrous cannibals then hunts them. The vibe feels like someone spliced together Deliverance (1972) with The Hills Have Eyes (2006), creating a solid rural frightfest. 

“I like the concept,” Petsch continued, “I think the concept is really f***** up.” She even went on to say it isn’t just the first movie in the franchise that she likes. “I love one, two, and three,” she confirmed. “I ride hard for them.” 

Why ‘Wrong’ Turn Is The Best Kind Of Twisted Comfort Movie

The actress said that not only is Wrong Turn one of her favorite guilty pleasures, but it’s also become a comfort movie for her. “That’s my sleepy film,” Petsch says, “I like to fall asleep to that movie.” While labeling a horror film, especially one as violent as Wrong Turn, a comfort movie might leave some people shaking their heads, hardcore horror fans get it. Take a stroll over to Reddit, and you’ll find no shortage of people offering up their favorite comfy horror recs, from classic Universal monster movies and Halloween (1978) to more intense films like Saw (2004) and American Psycho (1990) 

Still, not everyone understands how horror can be comforting, as Petsch confirmed in her interview: “I was in London last year with my best friend, and I put it on, and she was like, ‘What the hell is this?’ and I was like, ‘Trust me,’ and I fell asleep, obviously, because I love that movie. And she woke up to the sound of bones clanking, and was like, ‘Are you okay? You’ve got serious problems,’ and I was like, ‘I know.’”

For some, it’s nostalgia that gives a horror movie a comforting aspect. For others, it’s the ability to confront fears and scary situations from the safety of your couch. There’s a lot of interesting science on the psychological release horror can provide.

Why To Watch ‘Wrong Turn’ (And What To Watch After) 

Upon its release in 2003, reviews for Wrong Turn were mixed, and it grossed a very modest $28 million at the box office. But the film continued to gain popularity in the home video market after its release. It even holds a pretty solid 85% audience score here at JustWatch, so Petsch clearly isn’t the only viewer who has come to love this overlooked horror classic. Wrong Turn even earned itself five sequels and a reboot in 2021, proving that the franchise has solid interest from genre fans.

Viewers love the film series for its wild, inbred monsters and its tense, backwoods setting, which always adds an extra layer of fear. If you love the infamous The X-Files episode “Home,” then you already know the perverse horror that awaits you in Wrong Turn. So, get ready for some bloody, gutsy, macabre in the deep woods. 

If you want more backwoods terror, check out Wolf Creek (2005). The Australian horror film is inspired by the country’s real serial killers, Ivan Milat and Bradley Murdoch, who kidnapped backpackers along rural stretches of highway in the Outback. After kidnapping them, they were tortured and murdered, creating two of the most infamous court cases in Australian history. The movie is a heart-racing, shocking horror film made even scarier by its real-life inspirations.

Fans should also check out The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). If you love the cannibalistic, disfigured killers in Wrong Turn, then trust me, you’re gonna love Leatherface. In the film, a group finds themselves running out of gas in rural Texas. Desperate to find some, they go to an isolated farmhouse, and then the hacking, slashing, and chainsawing begins. It’s a backwoods splatterfest Wrong Turn fans will love, and truthfully, Wrong Turn likely wouldn’t exist without it.