The following is a short discussion of the conversation surrounding the film rather than the film itself, and as such, it doesn’t really belong in the review proper: If you love horror movies but are getting a little sick of the formula, The Cabin in the Woods is for you.ĭirected by Drew Goddard written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard starring Kristen Connolly, Fran Kranz, Chris Hemsworth, Jesse Williams, Anna Hutchison, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford. These quibbles aside, the film is largely a success, with some smart humour, a keen understanding of horror movie conventions, a crisp running time (95 minutes), and a great ending. In short, I don’t necessarily agree with their take on horror movies, although I can appreciate how they work their understandings into the fabric of the plot itself. While Whedon and Goddard seem to believe they have figured out the reason audiences demand the sacrifice of young innocents on film, I found the reasons provided unsatisfactory and simplistic. The biggest problem the film has is its commentary on why we watch horror movies. There is a sequence with a unicorn that is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a movie this year. It’s also the best part of the film - a rarity for a horror film, since most horror movies seem to decline in quality after their first act. The ending of the film opens up even wider possibility for references.
The film has plenty of clever references to other horror movies like the abovementioned Evil Dead. I would’ve preferred if Whedon and Goddard had been able to make all their comments on the horror genre within a film that was actually scary, but this likely wasn’t their intention and shouldn’t be held against them. This is a funny film - far funnier than it is scary. The best part of The Cabin in the Woods is the humour. I think it’s on purpose that the two operators are the best and funniest characters in the film. Although the film goes to lengths to describe why the characters fit such archetypes, it would’ve been nice to see them developed into deeper characters, but that isn’t necessary for the intentions of the film. The characters fit into the five molds that most slasher films utilize: the jock (Chris Hemsworth), the slut (Anna Hutchison), the scholar (Jesse Williams), the stoner (Fran Kranz) and the virgin, or last girl (Kristen Connolly). As well, this setup very deliberately turns the film into a discussion of the creation of horror movies themselves and the demands of the horror movie audience. With this meta-horror movie setup, the operators are allowed almost complete control of the situation, opening up the possibilities for what happens onscreen. However, the characters are merely pawns in some kind of elaborate scheme controlled by two operators (Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford), who manipulate the events at the cabin in order to assure the situation turns into a horror movie. The plot riffs on classic horror movies like The Evil Dead, with five friends heading out to a cabin in the woods for the weekend. It likens such audience demands to ancient tribal sacrifices. It is intended as a knowing satire of the often-defunct genre of horror, but also as an exploration of why audiences demand to watch people butchered in such horrific ways for their own enjoyment. Written by Joss Whedon ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Drew Goddard ( Cloverfield), who also directed, The Cabin in the Woods is a horror comedy that takes horror genre conventions and skewers them mercilessly and hilariously. It’s really hard to discuss a film like The Cabin in the Woods without spoiling major plot developments, so I’ll keep this review short.
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