"The Cabin in the Woods" Review

Greetings, Whedonites! Having attended the midnight release, coupled with my body’s general refusal to rest (due to being hyped up on caffeine, candy and unabashed fanboy euphoria) over 22 hours later, I felt the need to compose my thoughts on my favorite aspects of the excellent production that is “The Cabin in the Woods.”



My ticket... to Paradise!



***Be warned mateys, thar’ be spoilers ahead!*** (said in my best pirate voice)

First off, let me say that the plot of the film is the most refreshing take on the horror genre I’ve seen in a long time. I absolutely loved the bait-and-switch of the opening — having the credits roll while images of blood and Satanic rituals cascade down the screen mimics the title sequences of films like “Freddy vs. Jason” and lulls you into thinking “Cabin” will be a standard hack-and-slash.

The audience, expecting the sequence to cut to a group attractive twenty-somethings engaged in some form of debauchery, is instead surprised to see a bunch of run-of-the-mill scientists stressing about their social lives and discussing their work on a vague “project” (Coincidentally, why is it that Amy Acker plays a scientist IN EVERY SINGLE PRODUCTION?! She’s more typecast than Christopher McDonald as “the douche”).

In fact, we aren’t even introduced to our main characters until about five minutes into the movie. Having this unexpected transition lets us know that “Cabin” is playing on a more clever level than your standard horror fair, and immediately grabs your attention because of it.

Throughout the film, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard skillfully allow us a unique perspective on the events, as we see the two locations — the college kids at the cabin and the scientists manipulating the situation from the bunker — simultaneously. This interplay allows us to become more invested in the plot, as we root for the former group while they slowly uncover the mysterious outside forces and we are on the edge of our seats when the two settings inevitably converge. 

The bunker and the characters of Richard and Steve reminded me of “The Truman Show” and the character of Christof. I thought the casualness of the “Cabin” scientists about the brutal ritual, specifically with the morbid betting pool, echoed “Truman’s” criticism of our culture’s general desensitization, as well as the folly in “playing God” with people’s lives. 





The cast of the film really sells the movie as well. If you’ve seen any horror film, you know that the five main protagonists fulfill certain stereotypes (a plot point which later fills a much larger role), but the performances are all so earnest that they rise above these conventions. I was also specifically made me think of the cast of “Scooby-Doo” with the character’s distinct personalities (which I GUESS would make Jesse Williams a “Rule 63” Velma, and Kristen Connolly a human and much more attractive Scooby, but I digress).

As the main character of Dana, Connolly reminds me of more subdued Felicia Day, both in looks and personality — she’s a shy, compassionate and generally sweet gal. At the start, she’s played as the “straight man” of the group — the level-headed one who only reacts to situations. However, as the film progresses and her friends are offed, she is forced to become more proactive, such as when she saves Holden or unleashes the monsters on the facility, and is an assertive character by the end. Her arc is reminiscent of Sarah Connor from “The Terminator” or Ripley from “Alien” (which is why I think Whedon’s casting of Sigourney Weaver was intentional… and AWESOME!).

I was especially impressed with Chris Hemsworth. Although his “jock” persona fell into the standard traits of being sex-obsessed and arrogant, he truly cared about his friends and was noble and self-sacrificing in his efforts to save them (although I WAS disappointed he didn’t show the goods like in “Thor.” :(

Fran Kranz, as the character of Marty, was absolutely wonderful as the comic relief. He was always my favorite member of the “Dollhouse” cast, so it was especially nice seeing him here with his sarcasm intact, as well as the fact that he unexpectedly returned about three quarters of the way through the movie (Damn you Joss, and your brink-of-death twists! I’ve already conditioned myself to expect characters I love to bite the bullet — my blood pressure can’t take these inconsistencies!).

Whedon and Goodard, already known for their love for the horror genre, pull out all the stops here in their homages. Besides the setup of the first 35-40 minutes, which serves as a direct reference to Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead II,” the later reveal of the underground bunker allows them to do callbacks to countless other scary movies. As a horror hound, I had a blast seeing the nightmarish creatures in the containment areas, and trying to decide which films were being referenced; my personal list included “Hellraiser,” “The Grudge,” “Stephen King’s IT,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Night of the Living Dead,” “Friday the 13th” and “The Howling,” but I’m sure there’re countless others that I missed.

With Whedon’s signature witty dialogue and humorous sensibilities, the entire plot of the movie is structured like a self-aware joke. By having almost every mishap that befalls the protagonists the result of an outside force, the film serves a satire on the “stupid college kids” genre trope. Dana, Jules, Curt, Marty and Holden, unlike their idiotic counterparts in most horror movies, generally make smart decisions in tense situations, a fact which keeps us in the audience from needing to scream at them for their situational stupidity (DON’T DROP THE CAR KEYS! DON’T WEAR HIGH HEELS WHILE RUNNING! DON’T LEAVE THE SAFETY OF THE GROUP TO HAVE SEX IN THE WOODS AT NIGHT! … oops…)

This pic was hard to take- I was performing cartwheels of joy in the lobby:)

In fact, Marty’s warning against the group touching the creepy paraphernalia in the basement harkens back to the character of Randy Meeks from “Scream,” when he discusses the rules for surviving a horror movie. Whedon and Goddard also provide send-ups to other general clichés — I especially liked the scene where the off-putting gas station owner calls the government facility, and the two operators mocked his religious ravings on speaker phone (take that, creepy rednecks!).

Finally, the film has satisfyingly pulse-pounding third act- you really feel that the scientists are getting their just desserts for their actions (and seeing all the different types of monsters in one setting and wreaking havoc just made me positively giddy!). I also liked the end reveal — with Weaver’s monologue, Whedon causes us to question everything that’s transpired in the movie before, and truly question whether “the ends justify the means”.

Overall, “The Cabin in the Woods” is a darkly funny, creative and thought-provoking film, and fans of Whedon’s productions will not be disappointed!

Final Rating: 5 out of 5 Stakes