The Cabin in the Woods (2012) review

Dir. Joss Whedon

By: Steve Pulaski

Rating: ★★★

Cultists and horror fans rejoice. The genre is long from dead. Especially since we have people like Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon hellbent on filing the rough edges and cementing the cracks. For years we have been met with shameless remakes, lame sequels, found footage disasters, and only once in a while does a solid, tolerable horror flick break through the bleak and droning clutter. Here, we have an original, crafty, and exciting flick in the genre that resorts to not only mocking the clichés commonly used in horror films but also possibly inventing some new ones of its own.

This is the last thing I was expecting to say about a film titled The Cabin in the Woods, but after months of anticipation and article after article it has finally been released. I remember the original plot that was leaked on IMDB in January; “Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen.” I thought to myself “you already have a film with a trite, uninspired title and now you release a plot that doesn’t even try?” Little did I know I was being played. I saw the first trailer and was mesmerized. What would appear to be a stock, wooden (pun intended) exercise mixed with a heap of tired, worn clichés was what looked to be a promising and intelligent horror film. Those thoughts stay with me after viewing as well.

Usually in my reviews I try and give a sufficient description of the plot. For Cabin in the Woods, I refuse. You’re left with your wits, your assumptions, and that simple premise I quoted. I went in with that knowledge and the camaraderie I witnessed in the trailers. There’s absolutely no reason anything else has to be said or given away. The five characters are standard horror archetypes that we’ve seen a countless number of times, and the film isn’t shy about reminding us. The last twenty-five minutes of the film are relentless and, by then, the movie’s title seemed to be practically void and nonexistent to me.

There’s just one issue I have; the film seems to have swapped a lot of the horror elements for cheap, slightly-amusing comedy bits that sometimes obscure direction. I’ve never been too big on horror comedies, but it seems Cabin in the Woods would have benefited from more thriller elements than corny comedy skits.

But that doesn’t overshadow the fact that this is a bold and unrestricted film, so far off the map of typical horror-fare that some newer films aren’t even in sight. Some readers might remember my abashed review of The Devil Inside, but my faith in horror has become somewhat restored after watching Cabin. I recently watched a documentary called Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope, which Cabin‘s screenwriter Whedon was a part of. Seeing as he was a long time writer for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and directed and wrote the upcoming superhero film The Avengers, it seems he speaks to the group of super-fans and nerds. Those who camp out at night to be the first one to see a film, buy a game/console, or those who seek to form and join a number of cults. We need more people in the business like Whedon. I’m always weary when old directors try out new tricks. What does it tell us when Goddard and Whedon’s Cabin in the Woods was more subtle, fulfilling, and fun than Wes Craven’s My Soul to Take?

It’s also a blessing to see Cabin get a substantial release in 2D. Originally, when the rights were under MGM’s name, an up-conversion to 3D was proposed and thankfully abandoned. I found parts of Cabin to be a tad dark and hazy. Glasses that add an extra dimension that noticeably dim the light of a picture would’ve tarnished the experience. Maybe if I had some of the stuff Marty (Kranz) had everything would become clear to me.

Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford. Directed by: Drew Goddard.