Review of The Cabin in the Woods (2012) by Allen G — 10 Apr 2016

A fun genre-masher that descents into CGI-madness but no one cares because this is the film that's perfect for it. It offers a ton of treats for horror fans, especially those, like me, who feel that the genre has been dying a slow death for a while now. The Cabin in The Woods isn't really scary, but, damn, it's fun.

This one is all about the premise- it's creative and funny and unique and offers a perfect chance to poke fun at a genre in a respectful way, whilst also demonstrating that genre's strengths. Of course, the film actually has to pull this off and, here, it does.

As a horror film, this isn't particularly great- none of the performances really captivated me, there wasn't a huge amount of tension or build-up for much of the film, and it all descends into CGI action scenes that we're all sick off.

However, this isn't just a horror film- it's something unique. A genuine mash-up of horror and comedy that's full of laughs and still full of gore and lotsa nasties. Suddenly, not taking itself seriously pays off- the movie makes you laugh and it earns the right to go completely bonkers because it never stops being fun. Bad-CGI somehow even becomes a plus when you consider that so much is happening that it would be legitimately impossible to make this film fun without lots of animation.

It's all ultimately a giant wink and a nod and, for horror fans, that's more than enough. Further, if you're not so into horror then you'll still probably enjoy this new take on it. If you're looking for something serious though- a horror purist if you will, then look elsewhere. For me, The Cabin in The Woods is funny first and everything else second. A truly memorable and original film that combines two genres that are rarely either of those things these days.