Wrong Turn 2: Dead End was a well-received sequel that was even gorier than the original, but it also featured an unexpected cameo from comedian Patton Oswalt. The original Wrong Turn, directed by Rob Schmidt, hit theaters back in 2003. Starring Eliza Dushku, the film revitalized the dormant “cannibal slasher” subgenre for a new era in a year that also saw Texas Chainsaw Massacre get the reboot treatment. While it received middling reviews, its meager budget meant it was a financial success, meaning it would not only receive a direct sequel, but an entire franchise spanning four more, plus it's very own reboot, 2021's Wrong Turn.
In 2007, the direct-to-video Wrong Turn 2: Dead End joined the rarefied club of horror sequels that improved upon their predecessors and is the most well-reviewed entry in the franchise. Built on the premise of a backwoods survival reality show, the film featured over-the-top kills, intense action, and an impressive starring role by punk rock legend Henry Rollins as the show's host, Dale Murphy. But Rollins wasn’t the only crossover star making an unusual foray into the horror genre.
The opening sees former American Idol contestant Kimberly Caldwell playing herself, lampooning her status as a reality show runner-up. While Kimberly speeds down the West Virginia backroads to the tune of Eddy Grant’s “Electric Avenue”, she berates beleaguered agent Tommy via cell phone. Their conversation directly references Caldwell’s time on Idol, with Tommy vaguely mentioning she “sang her way to the top seven” in her last television appearance, before advising that Kimberly can't afford to make a “wrong turn." The distinct voice on the other end of the phone is none other than Patton Oswalt.
The cameo is brief, with Kimberly meeting her untimely demise shortly thereafter, but it sets the tone for a sequel that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Wrong Turn 2 parodies itself as much as the antics of reality television, leaning into tropes and delivering kills that are so gruesome, they’re almost comical. Between the cameos by Oswalt and Caldwell, and the manic intensity of Henry Rollins, there’s enough crossover star power in the film to set it apart from the standard slasher fare that pervaded the rest of the franchise.
The right cameo appearance can enhance the movie in which it appears, and Wrong Turn 2 is no exception. Oswalt plays Tommy with the perfect level of comic exasperation, disarming the audience for arguably the best kill in the Wrong Turn franchise. While the rest of the series didn’t fare nearly as well with critics, the 2021 reboot was well-received and ends on a note that could take the franchise in a very different direction than past sequels.