You Think You Know the Story...

Rating: 8/10 (8 April 2012)

No spoilers here, people. I saw CABIN back in March, and, now with some free time, I've decided to write a review for it. To keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, here's the most basic and vague summary I can offer you about the story: A bunch of teens go out to a cabin in the woods and bad stuff happens. Also, you think you know the story, but you really don't, unless you already read the script or have someone spoil it for you, both of which I'd highly advise against. CABIN is one of those films where the less you know about it, the more satisfying the end result is. Trust me when I say to stay away from trailers, reviews, etc. until you have finished seeing the film. However, in this day and age, that's easier said than done, so let me ease your mind when I say that although the trailer does seem to reveal a lot, it's fortunately misleading.
A critic who reviewed CABIN discussed it in terms of the three act structure, which I will be doing because it makes it easier to understand without giving much away: In the first act, you'll be thinking, "I've seen this all before." As the film progresses to its second act, you'll be thinking, "Wait. What is going on?" By the third act, you'll think "What--I can't even...THIS IS CRAZY." By the time the credits roll, you'll think "Did I just really see what I thought I saw?!" That was basically my thoughts throughout the film. CABIN is like SCREAM. And again, it isn't. While SCREAM deconstructs the horror genre through the dialogue from its characters, CABIN takes a more subtle approach, as if the filmmakers were winking to the audience. CABIN deconstructs the horror genre and then builds it back up, forming a completely different creature. It assumes the audience is intelligent and has some fun in the process. While SCREAM ridicules the sad state of the horror genre, CABIN celebrates it. It gives reasons why the horror genre exists in the first place and why it should stay. In a way, CABIN even gives reasons why recent horror films are the way they have been for many years.
CABIN is both a horror and a comedy, although I would say more comedy than horror. The funny parts are hilarious, and the scary parts are scary. The film effectively mixes the two without feeling awkward, and there's also a great sense of inventiveness going on here. Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon managed to make an ingenious film that is highly entertaining yet intelligent at the same time. However, the film isn't perfect. For one, the group of teens aren't really interesting to care for. They all do their jobs fitting their stereotypical roles and then subverting them, but most are still underdeveloped. However, this issue is minor once the film reveals its more mind-twisting layers. Fran Kranz is the best of the bunch, providing some of the film's biggest laughs. There's also a great pair of veteran actors, Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford, who steal every scene they're in. Their chemistry is just undeniable, effectively playing off with each other. Some of the effects work is also rather cheesy. I felt that the film could have used a bigger budget to successfully display the big ideas both Goddard and Whedon had in their crazy heads.
Still, the flaws are rather small when compared to the film's monumental successes. CABIN is not only a great film, it is an important one. Regardless if you're a horror fan or not, CABIN reminds us why we go to the movie theaters in the first place. It reminds us why the horror genre is here to stay. Let me end with a quote from critic Emanuel Levy's review of the film: CABIN is "an important reminder that inventiveness can still go a long way in Hollywood—when it is given a chance to shine."