The Cabin In The Woods: A Demolition Of The Horror Film Formula

The Cabin In The Woods probably isn’t the movie you expect. Sure, you’ve seen the flick where 5 friends go to a shady looking, remote cabin in the woods… There’s the jock, the sexy vixen, the innocent one, the stoner, and the smart guy. Aside from the fact that it’s unlikely all of these stereotypes would be friends in the first place, they somehow manage to get picked off one by one by doing stupid things. I mean, it’s sound logic thinking nothing bad is going to happen if you recite Latin from a creepy book you find in the basement, or if you split up because you can cover more ground that way (everyone knows that one always turns out well).

We’ve all seen that movie a thousand times over, but that’s the point of Cabin In The Woods. We get to demolish the traditional horror flick formula, and we get to see the reasons why the genre can’t seem to come up with anything new. That’s what I truly appreciated about this movie. It’s just refreshing, thrilling, over-the-top awesomeness.

You’re not going to get any spoilers here, because the film is far better if you don’t know what’s coming. What you should know is that with Joss Whedon as the writer and director – stakes ( pun intended 😉 ) are raised, and he won’t disappoint you.

There are some familiar faces among the cast such as Chris Hemsworth, Amy Acker, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford. There’s also a handful of actors I hadn’t seen before such as Kristen Connolly and Fran Kranz. The cast all gives a solid performance and brings this twisted script to life, and in the end, I honestly believe it’s exactly what Whedon envisioned – and it’s awesome.

Special features on the Blu-ray release will quench any Whedonite’s thirst. Audio commentary, multuple featurettes looking at the making of the film along with makeup and visual effects, a WonderCon Q&A, and more will keep you entertained long after you finish the movie.

Cabin In The Woods is a satisfing horror flick that is endlessly clever and maniacal enough that you won’t be able to look away or wipe the smile from your face. Whedon, you’ve still got it. FOX may not recognize it, but all of your fans sure do!

Grade: A
Review By: Emma Loggins

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  1. I expected one of the best movies I’ve seen when I rented this due to all the reviews I’ve read praising the movie but for me that wasn’t the case. Although I didn’t hate the movie or think it was terrible, I didn’t think it was great either. I’d give it a 5/10.

  2. Wow. 5/10 is pretty terrible. I’d say 8/10 – it was fun and interesting. Definitely the best “horror” movie I’ve seen in a few years though thats not saying much.

  3. I agree with skarydrunkguy (love your username btw). It’s the most creative horror film I think I’ve ever seen actually… (again not saying a lot as this genre isn’t overly creative). But I enjoyed it 🙂