The less you know about The Cabin in the Woods, the better chance you’ll enjoy it. Co-written by Joss Whedon (Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and directed by fellow Buffy writer Drew Goddard, hardcore fans won’t need much more than the blunt tagline to know what to expect: “Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen.”
For those of you who might need more convincing, the basic premise is to take a classic horror movie and turn it on its head. On one level, this movie really is just a run-of-the-mill, blood and guts extravaganza, with the victims embodying the five classic stereotypes of the horror genre: the athlete, the nerd, the slut, the fool, and the virgin. But this classic formula is given a sinister twist once the audience realizes that they aren’t the only ones watching the mayhem unfold.
The film pays tribute to the horror genre while simultaneously mocking itself. At some points, it’s reminiscent of Scary Movie, although not quite as ridiculous. Where many scary movies boost their production value through gruesome new weapons and fake organs—often at the expense of dialogue and character development—Cabin features Whedon’strademark wit, brilliantly delivered by a dream cast of both veteran and up-and-coming actors. Heartthrobs ChrisHemsworth (Thor) and Jesse Williams (Grey’s Anatomy) play the athlete and the nerd, respectively, and newcomers Kristin Connolly and Anna Hutchison play the virgin and the slut with gusto. Fran Kranz steals the show as the foolish stoner, and established actors Richard Jenkins (Burn After Reading, Step Brothers) and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) also add some unexpected flavour. The main cast brings depth to characters that are initially presented as archetypal, giving the audience a gory horror movie with all the familiar plot points, while also offering a chance to actually root for the young victims.
The film’s pacing keeps it from feeling too much like any other tired, predictable scary movie. As promised, it’s aslasher film, but Whedon and Goddard’s unique perspective on horror, namely frequent and unique scene cuts, are enough to keep the audience guessing, and ensures that there is never a dull moment. By the end of the movie, so many questions about human nature and juxtaposing perspectives have been brought up that one might want to head right back into the theatre and watch it again. It’s a brilliant mix of bloodshed and ironic humour that is thoroughly the product of Joss Whedon, and it’s great.
