The Cabin in the Woods focuses on five high school friends Curt [Chris Hemsworth], Dana [Kristen Connelly], Jules [Anna Hutchison], Marty [Fran Kranz] and Holden [Jesse Williams], who take a weekend trip to a remote cabin in the woods where they get more than they bargained for. They are accompanied by things that do more than just go bump in the night and must stop the evil and find out the truth before they end up victims to the merciless Cabin in the Woods.
The Cabin in the Woods is a non-stop thrill ride that with the likes of Wes Craven’s “Scream” franchise, plays with the conventions of the horror genre you think you know and twists the expectations into something unexpected and playful.
The Good:
The main joy about the Cabin in the Woods is its playfulness and taking the audience expectation of archetypes and turning them into something unexpected. The other is the films tribute to horror films both classic and recent ones, such as torture porn flicks such as Hostel or Saw, Monster movies like The Creature from the Black Lagoon, slasher flicks such as Scream and even visual references to Hellraiser , The Strangers and The Evil Dead, which the film is a template from.
The other film’s main surprise is how good the cast and how well they work together, all the characters gel well together and the films first few scenes give you enough time to connect that when it comes to the killing, you actually give a damn who makes it out alive.
Chris Hemsworth plays the science teacher, turned Jock, Curt who is the leader of the gang and is a standard role for Hemsworth after the recent Thor and the upcoming The Avengers. It even features Anna Hutchison [who used to be a former Power Ranger], as his live interest but the star of the show is star of the TV series “Doll House” Fran Kranz, who is excellent as stoner, Marty as his character offers some of the film’s best comic moments, one in particular sees him hilariously dissemble a zombie using a trowel and replying “what have you been up to?”. His character is a laugh from the moment you see him.
As far as the horror and slice n’ dice moments are concerned the film does not disappoint as it pleases horror buffs and for people who just enjoy seeing armless zombies [that make zombies from The Walking Dead look friendly], limbs being ripped to shreds’, lots of blood and a list of great horror movie references [I won’t give anything away but the last 30 minutes is non-stop and frequently insane]. It is co-written and directed by Drew Goddard [who wrote Coverfield, Alia, Lost, Angel and Buffy the vampire Slayer], so you know you’re in safe hands and proves that he is just as talented and effective behind the camera as well as screen writing.
The bad:
Usually I complain about not having enough story or scenes dragging on etc, but The Cabin in the Woods has everything [well most things] and sometimes more as it offers something you haven’t seen before as the poster/trailer states “You think you know the story, think again?.
Overall,
The Cabin in the Woods is a fast-paced and pleasantly an unexpected horror flick that references the most iconic horror movies to date, both old and new. It also features a lot of violence and blood to keep the gore hounds happy as well as featuring an excellent storyline. It is superbly entertaining and has the potential to be the new “Scream” [Wes Craven better watch out!].