Truman in the woods...

Rating: 7/10 (13 April 2012)

Fresh, fun and bloody far-fetched, Buffy God Joss Wheldon and director Drew Goddard's ferocious black-comedy may be riddled with plot holes to the point of absurdity, but it is different. Good different? Yes and no; The Cabin in the Woods is a wry and rash blend of every sub-genre known to horror that plays like a dystopian spin on The Truman Show. Imagine bits-and-pieces from every horror flick you've ever seen swirling in a cruel yet comical crimson cocktail. Slasher, zombie, paranormal, abnormal- you name it, it's in there. We even have the classic horror cast set-up; the jock, the whore, the stoner, black dude and virgin. They're all in there too- but for good reason.
Bolting itself to a My Little Eye-like concept of a reality TV show gone wrong, this horror hybrid is set somewhere in the future and tells of 5 teen' stereotypes who opt to spend spring-break in a tucked-away cabin in the woods. Big Brother is watching, though. A detached control-room full of quirky hands and 2 cynical stage managers (including a priceless Richard Jenkins) have something in store for the oblivious 5. The would- be woods is like a giant stage. It's been rigged with all sorts of booby-traps and pitfalls with a tone of cameras to catch the whole damn thing. But why?
Wheldon's screenplay doesn't beat about the bush; a rushed and frantic start ensures we know the who, the what, the where and the how after just 5 minutes. But not the why. This, along with the perpetual blood- letting, iconic horror film nods and laughs, is the question that drives the Cabin in the Woods to a barnstorming final third that borders on the brilliant and the daft, the ludicrous and the predictable. Jumpy in places, edgy in others, Goddard takes the style, form and ideas put forth by the likes of The Evil Dead, Scream and The Truman Show and runs with them.
In spite of its energy, though, The Cabin in the Woods doesn't pull up many trees. Goddard's given up a good and gory, almost spoof-like addition to the horror genre that brings to mind the likes of Raimi, Craven and Jackson but it isn't the "mind-blowing game-changer" some are making it out to be. The brunt of its class lies, if anywhere, in its tongue-in-cheek humour- away from the woods and in HQ; the oddball antics of Jenkins' and co. are pure gold and the part of the knowing stoner Marty (Franz Kanz) is a fresh and droll addition.
Goddard's piece of horror movie-making twists and turns a tad and is built on an array of interesting concepts but ultimately fails to leave the size a dent it perhaps could've left on the genre. His Cabin in the Woods is worth a watch for its zest and zane alone, though. Making it an absolute must for any horror film nut. Optional for everyone else.