Review of The Cabin in the Woods (2012) by James S — 28 Jan 2014

I normally avoid horror movies. I've always found that they take themselves far too seriously, and suffer from lackluster writing. I'm happy to say that Cabin in the Woods avoids both of these problems by being both tongue-in-cheek and well-written.

The premise is simple enough: Five friends are out to spend a weekend in a remote cabin in the woods. While initially excited, things quickly turn for the worse when they encounter a mysterious blah blah blah, you get the idea. The premise is not what sells the movie: the actual movie is the good part.

Everybody gets some very witty lines. There are many fantastic shifts in tone, accompanied by Whedon's signature fast cutting and quick action. Irony is everywhere, and the film definitely takes you in directions you do not expect, with plenty of surprises along the way.

There's some pretty good acting here as well. Each of the five friends (Hemsworth, Connolly, Kranz, Hutchinson, Williams) all show their characters well, although Williams didn't sell his archetype as well as he could have. The other group (Whitford, Jenkins, and Acker) really sell their 'everyday office workers' vibe, which contrasts beautifully with the other five.

Even if you are like me and are not a fan of horror, this is still a very enjoyable movie, and a fun deconstruction of the genre. Fans of horror will likely find even more to like.