"Cabin in the Woods" is more than it appears

In an industry filled with guts and gore, when a movie like “The Cabin in the Woods” rolls along it may seem to just slide right into the grooves. This movie throws audiences a curve-ball not only by being self-aware, but also by throwing in subtle nods to well-known horror movies from before its time. With the combination of cheeky humor and gore-filled scenes, this film is perfect for the casual movie-goer and the horror fanatic alike.  

”The Cabin in the Woods” begins with five college friends going on a casual weekend out.  Dana (Kristen Connolly) has just gotten out of a rocky relationship and is persuaded by her best friend Jules (Anna Hutchison) to go out with Jules’ boyfriend Curt (played by ChrisHemsworth, “Thor”), his new friend Holden (Jesse Williams), and their drugged-out buddy Marty (Fran Kranz). After ignoring an ominous warning from a strange old man, the group quickly heads out to their getaway cabin in the woods for a weekend of fun. Everything soon goes haywire as unexpected guests arrive at the door, but, unknown to the vacationers, all of this night’s events are going just as planned.

With the exception of Hemsworth, most of the actors in this movie have not been in many big-budget films, which plays to this movie’s advantage. These young actors’ faces have not been flooding the movie industry like those of Joseph-Gordon Levitt (“Inception”), ShiaLabeouf (“Transformers”), Megan Fox (“Transformers”) or Jessica Alba (“Fantastic Four”), so there is no stigma or set performance quality the audience expects out of them. Though this movie does not call for extreme dramatic or comedic performances, they all deliver their lines in a believable manner, which speaks wonders. Many actors of this generation simply look good but could not deliver a line if it was read to them word by word, especially when it comes to horror movies. Usually horror movies are where the worst actors end up these days, so it is a nice change of pace to see talented actors in the genre.

In addition to the acting, the writing of “The Cabin in the Woods” is above par compared to recent horror movies. The film is similar to the “Scream” franchise in its ode to horror movies of the past, and the clever way it plays with current “rules” when it comes to horror films. Small gestures such as a shot showing the cabin for the first time in the film, give a subtle ode to “Evil Dead.”  Other gestures are a bit more obvious, such as a creepy old man telling the group not to go to their destination, which gives a tribute to any horror movie this could have happened in, such as the original “Friday the 13^th.” The laws and rules of the slasher genre have been plainly laid out in the “Scream” films, which means that every movie before and after usually follow them. Splitting up, sleeping around, lacking common sense and being a slow-mover usually leads to a character’s death. This pattern falls into place in ”The Cabin in the Woods,” but another twist is added as equations from other movies are thrown in. Since the entire night is orchestrated by an organization, there is far more to this simplistic game of cat and mouse than most movies of the genre care to delve into.

In the last 30 minutes of the movie, the film does a complete 180, which causes a major genre switch. Although there are hints of comedic relief and quick-witted jokes, these dissipate in those last 30 minutes. “The Cabin in the Woods” could have lost all control and caught flame, but it quietly collected all of its parts into a cohesive and entertaining movie.

“The Cabin in the Woods” receives 3 out of 5 stars. 

Originally posted HERE