The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Five rather stupid teenagers go for a weekend retreat in a reclusive cabin way out in the middle of a wood located nowhere near anywhere. Ignoring the menacing warning of the hillbilly gas station attendant, they begin their frolicking, only to accidentally awaken a trio of specters bent on brutally murdering them all. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Even a casual movie-goer has heard this synopsis describe any number of other movies, with the cause of the deaths being the only thing that really differs. Ever since movies like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Halloween solidified the slasher genre as a reliable money-maker, a formula was put in place and has rarely been altered through the years. Now, with their new movie The Cabin in the Woods, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon have put their collective creativity towards what they call a “loving hate letter” to modern horror.

Here’s the thing. What I described above is not the actual plot of the film, but a scenario created by the movie’s real main characters, a group of scientists and law officials who are forced for mysterious reasons to perform this murderous ritual every so often on five unsuspecting stereotypes. This plot is ingenious because it allows the movie’s creators to not only have fun with making countless references and jabs at the horror genre, it is also a way to reprimand the very people who probably went into the theater expecting a barrel of thrills. The way that the simulation’s creators (or screenwriters or audience members) laugh their way through their grisly work is more subtly disturbing than any of the actual violence in the movie, which is very rarely frightening. Then again, when was the last time a slasher movie actually was scary? 1978, I’d imagine. No, this movie plays out as pure parody, though there aren’t as many laughs as there is finger-pointing. I could feel Goddard and Whedon’s frustration with their own target audience as they go out of their way to explain what is wrong with movies today. And that’s what made me appreciate this thing the most. There aren’t very many people in Hollywood who will admit how much of a machine it is, because this movie pretty much explains how movies are constructed today, and that goes for all genres, not just horror.

The Cabin in the Woods is such a pleasantly unique experience. It is a horror movie for those who have seen too many of them and, trust me, you haven’t seen this one before. My only complaint is also a rather big one. The climax, which includes a thorough explanation for everything that went on prior, is very underwhelming. The surprising imagination that makes the first two-thirds so enjoyable quickly runs out before the ending. Regardless, this is a great piece of new entertainment that manages to make its statement without sacrificing enjoyment. This may not be great horror or even great comedy, but is great criticism. Now, if we would just learn our lesson…

7/10