Editors Note: For those interested, CitizenBot reviewed Cabin in the Woods during SxSW as well.
Here’s SithBot:
I’m somewhat scared to write my thoughts about this movie, as I’m afraid that anything I say might run the risk of giving away some plot point or twist (or lack thereof) that would dampen anyone’s enjoyment of discovering these things first hand in a theatre. And yes, I recommend seeing it in a theatre, not just because I think it deserves to make a lot of money before the Avengers comes out and crushes everything, but because horror movies should be a group experience. There’s nothing quite like watching something scary with a group of strangers and finding yourself immersed in the psyche of the crowd and reacting, whether in fear, a laugh, or catharsis, with everyone else. At least, that’s the reason I enjoy seeing horror movies in theatres. If you’re in it just for the blood, guts and torture porn, then I suggest you skip Cabin in the Woods and rewatch Human Centipede for the 100th time, as this movie is something you not only wouldn’t enjoy, but is probably too smart for you. For everyone else who didn’t go to the midnight screening of Saw 525 in 3D, you’ll love the film.
As I stated before, I won’t go into too much detail of the plot aside from what you may have gleaned from the trailers and tv spots. Five good looking and (gasp!) smart 20 something college kids head out for a weekend of fun and some debauchery (even smart kids like to party) out in the woods in a cabin that one of their cousins apparently purchased from the Evil Dead films (I’m seriously doing research to see if it’s from the same set). Once there, the booze and weed are unleashed and then, well, something happens and they start to be stalked by some kind of ancient evil that needs their blood to be spilled to be quelled. Oh, and this is all being controlled by a group of people in a lab/tv station somewhere who are upset with the Japanese and spend time betting on what is going to kill these kids.
Confused? You should be, but don’t worry, as you’ll fully understand everything, and then some, once the credits roll. The easiest way to sum up what is going on is to say Cabin in the Woods is like the Truman Show meets Evil Dead, except ratings aren’t what the producers are going for … It’ something a bit more sinister.
The Cabin in the Woods is the first film since Scream to take the entire horror genre and completely turn it on its ear — not only in pointing out how cliched and predictable they have become, but to prove you can have a smart, fun and gory movie that doesn’t rely on gross out parlor tricks that have become commonplace ever since the first Hostel was released. In fact, had this movie been released back when it was originally finished, the writers of Scream 4 could have taken down a few notes to learn what ‘meta’ really means and how to appropriately include that in your script. I don’t think its a stretch of the imagination in any way to predict that less talented directors and writers will be ‘borrowing’ the tools Whedon and Goddard used to put this thing together.
Speaking of Whedon, I’m pretty sure most everyone who reads this site was at least somewhat on board the moment they learned he was involved in this project. The pedigree he brings to everything he touches almost guarantees high quality and enjoyment; the Avengers is one of the most anticipated movie of the year, and a lot of that is due to who is leading the helm, not just the characters. Goddard was the only one I was worried about. Despite the fact that nearly everyone and their brother was in love with Cloverfield, I really dislike that film based mainly on what I feel to be a contrived script and boring characters. The fact he was not only writing but also directing was my sole sticking point going in, but I can thankfully say my fears were allayed as he proved masterful in both roles. The script is quick, witty, fun and avoids obvious plot twist pitfalls, and the movie drags you in from the first scene and never lets go. There are no lulls of exposition to explain ‘what is going on’, instead allowing the story to unfold organically with no wasted moments. In fact, the one brief scene where ‘all is explained’ just sums up what we have already learned, and exists to allow a very fun cameo and to setup the finale. I really wish more writers and directors would follow suit and allow the audience to discover things for themselves instead of spoon feeding them in one big reveal or trying to be extremely clever and spouting a bunch of nonsense (Matrix Reloaded, I’m talking to you).
My only (little) complaint is that the acting is just ok. You really care about the characters and none devolve into complete horror movie stereotypes, but none really stand out as doing an amazing job, with the exception of Fran Kranz as the resident stoner and comic relief. He really manages to steal the scenes he’s in, doing so with a wide eyed glance or something muttered under his breath. Again, everyone did a good job and run circles around the actors in every other horror movie in recent memory, it’s just everything else in this movie sets the bar exceptionally high, so that’s what I have to grade it by.
So in case you couldn’t tell, I really love this movie, and am incredibly excited for the wide release this weekend so I can run out and see it again, this time hopefully picking up on some of the nuances I know I missed the first time around. I also can’t wait to show it to my circle of friends, and it’s been a long time since a film had me this excited to get others onto the bandwagon. While Whedon and Goddard didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel or anything, they did manage to create a worldview that will have you rewatching your favorite horror movies through a new lens and make you wonder if THAT’S what was going along the whole time. I predict many will imitate what has been accomplished here, but just as people tried with classics like Psycho and Scream (including some of its sequels), few will be able to reach the benchmark set by Cabin in the Woods.
-Sithbot