You’re Next, currently playing at a theater near you; offers a fresh new take on the horror genre. The film stars Sharni Vinson who after achieving great success in Australian television went on to lead roles in ‘Step Up 3D’ and ‘Blue Crush 2.’ Now the beautiful and talented actress/dancer/singer is laying claim to what is expected to become a new horror legacy. In an HOMBRE exclusive revealing interview Vinson shares the challenges of making the film, the road ahead and what more importantly, what makes a man sexy.

You’re Next, directed and edited by Adam Wingard and written by Simon Barrett stars Vinson along with Nicholas Tucci, Joe Swanberg and AJ Bowen. The film follows the suffering that the Davison family endures when they come under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway by a gang of mysterious killers.

HOMBRE: What attracted you to this film and made you want to be a part of it?
Sharni Vinson: We shot this movie two and a half years ago which has been the craziest experience, which teaches you to learn some patience and wait your turn. It’s been such a trip. it’s been quite the journey and we’re not even out yet. it comes out today.

What initially drew me to the role is the character of Erin. It was an amazing script and I just saw such a wonderful opportunity to portray this female that truly embodied girl empowerment and breaking a lot of the standard female protagonist horror movie clichés.

I just loved the way that she wasn’t over researched, she wasn’t over sexualized. Her strength came from within which is how I see myself a little bit, so I just wanted the opportunity to hopefully become that role model for women that promotes self-defense as well.

H: Did making such a scary film give you nightmares?
SV: It’s so weird, I’ve seen so many horror movies from such a young age and I was never the kid that was traumatized by nightmares. I just found such enjoyment in watching a horror movie. It gives you a true experience and that is why we go to the movies.

And it never got scary because you’re always aware of the tricks of the movie business and the prosthetics department, watching the way that they would put the blood on and make a gash in somebody’s neck look like it was real. It was more fascinating for me and to watch the end results which were terrifying.

H: How was it working with the cast?
SV: This specific cast was incredibly rare. First of all that you get ten people on the set that actually like each other.
Second that you get ten people that have such great chemistry.

Third of all that you get not just actors working on a movie set but that a lot of the actors are also directors, screenwriters, camera men. They multi task and I think that was so fascinating to see.

I was just given an eye opening experience basically to the knowledge that they brought to a set in coming from another aspect of filmmaking. They just had a deeper understanding and knowledge that I wasn’t aware in shooting a movie that the movie was ever supposed to be funny and the cool thing is that they knew that from the beginning and they knew the director so well that they had that underlying sense of the tone that he was trying to create. Where I’m sitting there on day three thinking, are we shooting a comedy or a horror? Because I didn’t get it.
I’ve never seen anything like this done before. And this is really funny, like I thought it was supposed to be scary and the beautiful thing is that it’s both.

The humor element too is that you’re laughing with the characters not at them. A lot of the time in a horror movie you’re just laughing at them because it’s a joke that wasn’t meant to be funny, it’s just a joke and you don’t really get it but it’s funny.
You never want anyone laughing at you, you want them laughing with you. It’s more with us that you’re laughing at the situation. That you have a dysfunctional family caught in the middle of this murderous attack on this home invasion and they’re still bickering amongst each other about whose fat and who’s faster at running and just simple things that families do argue about and that everybody can relate to.

H: How long did it take to complete the film?
SV: We shot the movie in April of 2011 and we screened for the first time in September of 2011 at Toronto Film Festival so it didn’t take long.
The director was basically editing the movie as he was going. I was seeing cuts of the movie as we were going and he was very adamant about what he needed to shoot to get what he needed and wanted. We only had a four week schedule to shoot the whole movie which was like shooting a television series, it was that quick.
Every scene you see on “You’re Next” is probably the first take or the only take that we ever did. Maybe it’s the second take, but there’s nothing to choose from. It’s like you go in, you do your scene and you move on because there was no time.

H You mentioned television and you did a series, is that something you’d like to do again?
SV: It’s really important that every goal you reach leads to another so you don’t feel stagnant. So that you always have something to look forward to and to challenge yourself with.

And I think it was at the completion of “Step Up 3D” which was such a grueling five month shoot that left me so exhausted and yet so satisfied in what I had achieved.

So after that I just sort of stood back and said what was it that I can do now that gives me the same amount of gratification? Ultimately it was whatever it was that I loved. And I loved being physical, and I loved watersports and I love horses, I love action, anything high energy, I’m a big adrenaline seeker so I set my sights on basically continuing to work in the business whether its television or film.

Never specific, more specific on will I have a good time if I do this? And along came “Blue Crush 2” which was a month in South Africa and an incredible experience. And along comes “You’re Next” and I think with the completion of it now that it took two and a half years I’m setting the next goal.

I do feel that I’m destined, for now at least, to stay in the movie business and really push myself into these high physical ‘actionesque’ strong female characters.

I just want to keep doing things that make me happy that are fun to do, that stand up to people that they can hopefully admire the roles that I’m choosing and take something from those roles.

The most flattering thing is when women see “You’re Next” and come up to me and say ‘I wish I could be like Erin’ and I say you can. It’s really cool. So anything along those lines to make me happy but also affects the public in a positive light.

H: What attracts you in a man?
SV: It’s never to do with a certain look, which when you’re younger it is, you know, I like the tall, dark, handsome type. The guy with this, this, and this. Ten years down the line that’s not Important and another ten years down the line different things are actually important.

For me at this stage of the game I’m looking for a man that is the most fun to be around that you just have such a great time with.

Obviously somebody who’s very understanding of the business because it’s a tough life that I lead.
And humor for me is everything and someone that can make me laugh I can hang around 24/7.
And the other thing is talent, in whatever that is. It doesn’t even matter what it is but talent in any form is sexy and admirable so you want to look up to the person that you’re with and have respect for them and for me talent does that.

H: So, what’s next?
SV: At the moment I put my heart and soul for the past two and half years with this film, so right now just to sit back, breath and watching it all unfold. Hopefully it comes across as fun as it was for us to shoot, so I’m just excited to see what happens with this movie.

I have another film that I shot at the end of the year called “Patrick” and that comes out in October. It was an honor to shoot that because I star opposite Charles from “Game of Throes” and Rachel Griffiths from “Six Feet Under.” It was a real treat. And I had an out of body experience when I saw the poster for the film and I saw my name in the middle of Charles and Rachel and I thought, wait a minute, this isn’t happening!
I just expect to make good decisions in whatever I do and the only way you know is if they make you happy.