Cabin in the Woods - Review
Cabin in the Woods, the new and highly original horror flick from Buffy the Vampire Slayer writers Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, somehow manages to achieve that harmonious success of horror and comedy that so rarely works. Like last year’s Scream 4, Cabin flips the horror genre on its head with plenty of references and in-jokes to go around. Once it hits its groove, it’s almost impossible to look away as Whedon and Goddard take us on a full-speed journey through the demented journey of five stereotypical teens: with a twist.
It’s difficult to discuss the movie at all without some spoilers, but if you’ve seen the trailers then you should know the basic premise. Teens go to cabin for crazy weekend. Bad things happen. Killing ensues. You think that’s all there is to it, but what should be a typical by-the-numbers cabin horror romp instead is a hugely creative deconstruction of the genre. On the surface, what appears to be your standard slasher movie quickly tackles far different material than you could ever imagine. It creates a world that throws a punch at almost every single aspect of the modern and past tropes of horror cinema.
I absolutely LOVED the cast of this movie, including a really clever surprise cameo by a classic scream queen that really solidifies the brilliance of the final act. Chris Hemsworth, who filmed this movie two years before his star turn as Thor, is hilarious as the movie’s ‘jock/athlete’ Curt. Shockingly, Fran Kranz, who I personally did not recognize from anything else, was spectacular as the stoner guy, Marty. He is probably the movie’s biggest scene stealer, and makes the nerdy-but-cute Holden (played by Jesse Williams) pale in comparison. Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford make for a really hilarious duo, and I have to admit that I kind of got chills seeing Amy Acker again in a Fred-like role as something of a scientist. Fred was one of my favorite characters on Angel, and while Acker’s role here is decidedly more low-key in nature, her performance gives a certain part of the movie a big element of fun that could have been very lacking in another’s hands. Kristen Connolly and Anna Hutchison round out the cast as Dana the virgin and Jules the slutty friend, respectively. The best thing about all these characters is that not a single one of them are exactly what we’ve come to expect from the template each of these characters normally bring.
There are things shown in this movie that I have never seen in anything before, which is certainly saying a lot considering how many I’ve seen. The plot has more twists and turns than I could even dream of, and all the while Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard manage to keep things grounded and steeped in an enormous amount of tongue-in-cheek dialogue. It goes without saying that this movie is made for horror fans, so if you’re not the biggest fan of the genre, then you might not dig it or get many of the jokes unless you are at least partially educated about it. I can’t think of a single other scare flick that has nods to so many other things and still manages to stay fresh.
Cabin in the Woods has a final act and an ending that you will not soon forget, one that is so entirely original and downright awesome that you will want to throw yourself at this movie’s feet and marvel at its sheer existence. What we are given with this film is so out-of-the-norm that I’m sure within a year or so, it will become a cult classic. While it’s certainly a shame that it was pushed to the MGM back-burner after the company was forced to file for bankruptcy, now just might be the perfect time to unleash this hellish creature on the unsuspecting public. Cabin in the Woods is a brilliant comedy/horror hybrid that I’m confident will stand the test of time, and I know I want to go watch again… Like, right now. What are you waiting for? / Rating: A+
