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The Cabin in the Woods (Movie Review)

Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen. If you think you know this story, think again. Starring Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford.  From fan favorites Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard comes The Cabin in the Woods, a mind blowing horror film that turns the genre inside out.

 
 

 

Film  

By sheer dumb luck I knew almost nothing about Cabin in the Woods going into it.  I had seen a teaser trailer but it gave very little information.  Since I record all of the television shows I watch on my DVR, I always skip the commercials so I hadn’t even seen a trailer for the movie.  The only thing that I  did know about the movie was that Joss Whedon was involved, so I expected a few laughs along with a traditional horror flick.  Not long after arriving at the screening I quickly realized that I was one of the few people, especially among the reviewers, that was not on pins and needles waiting to see what Cabin in the Woods had to offer.  While I thought it would be just another movie about some teenagers getting in trouble in the woods and that it wouldn’t be that special, I’m now happy to report after seeing the movie, that I was woefully wrong about my previous assumptions.

Indeed, director (and co-writer) Drew Goddard and producer/co-writer Joss Whedon have come up with an imaginative and unusual take on one of the most overdone tales in the horror genre – a group of kids in a cabin in the woods.  It’s certainly no spoiler to tell you the group includes all the stereotypical victims – the hottie and her boyfriend, the good girl, the boyfriend’s hot friend who has a serial killer vibe going, and the obligatory stoner.  While the characters may have similarities to ones you’ve seen before in countless movies, Cabin in the Woods is like no other horror film on record.   It’s got the sense of humor an Army of Darkness fan would definitely appreciate, but it doesn’t lose the scariness by getting silly.

If you count yourself as a fans of the Scream movies, you will also enjoy Cabin in the Woods, but what’s really frustrating as a reviewer is that I can’t find much of a way to tell  you about it without spoiling it…I feel like everyone needs to see this one for themselves and then talk afterwards.  Be warned though, as for those people who are hoping for a funny and bloodless  movie will be disappointed.  The bloodletting is significant, but in my opinion it’s not as gory as a lot of other horror movies.  With Cabin in the Woods, I never found myself thinking oh my God, that’s so gross I want to look away, so I think the more squeamish types will be able to watch it, or will at least think it’s worth watching.

Cabin in the Woods is a unique, humorous and extremely entertaining horror film.  Fans of Joss Whedon’s other work will appreciate the cast for the movie, as both some of the main characters and secondary ones are veterans of his past efforts.  Unique is something I’ve rarely said about anything in the horror genre and its even rarer for me to say that it’s good too.  I’ve seen the same kind of horror movies recycled over and over and remade, rebooted, revamped and repackaged to the point of utter ridiculousness, but  I absolutely loved Cabin in the Woods.  It’s a campy horror flick in all the best ways possible, with some twists and turns that require an open mind.  Some viewers might think the ending goes a little too far into left field, but I implore you to have an open mind and enjoy the ride.

Buy your tickets today!