What did I just watch?!

Rating: 7/10 (18 April 2012)

Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland
So absurd, it works; with maybe the most shocking aspect of "The Cabin in the Woods", the new Independent Slasher film from director/co-writer Drew Goddard (Cloverfield), being how this intriguing film had been shelved for almost three years. Beginning as a horror film 101 story and then progressively becoming odder and odder, Goddard seems to have found a new angle in the genre, simply by making a film which is entirely predicated on keeping the audience in a state of confusion, all the while keeping the entertainment level high throughout. And I enjoyed nearly every minute of it. But as much as I enjoyed this odd little horror film, there will undoubtedly be some who will absolutely hate it. Hate it, simply because in the midst of watching the movie, there will come a moment when one must throw out everything they think that they know about the horror films of today; and almost shelve their belief, as it were. And truthfully, that sooner it happens, the more you will enjoy the movie. Maybe the greatest compliment I can give "The Cabin in the Woods" is that its wide audience appeal, while hard to explain, does definitely exist.
Synopsis: Directly referencing Sam Raimi's "The Evil Dead", "The Cabin in the Woods" starts off as a pretty routine Slasher film, where 5 teenagers (one slut, one jock, one nerd, one pothead and one good girl) go on vacation to a cabin in the woods (for some reason). It then takes one wildly outlandish turn after another, until it erupts into its gruesome, scary, very smart, funny and (most importantly) fresh climax, that no fan of any genre will see coming. To give you an idea of what I mean by "outlandish", there is a scene where a unicorn actually impales a man; and it's played for laughs. Yeah, it's that kind of movie. In saying that, "The Cabin in the Woods", in the age of bad Slasher remake after bad Slasher remake, is one of the most original horror films/horror satires there has been since "Scream". Blasphemy, I know. But the fact is, aside from being a film that is punctuated be being released at the right place during the right decade, "The Cabin in the Woods" is a film well worth checking out.
As far as the superb comic timing goes, it does work here on a very self aware level. And this self awareness (or continuous winks at the audience) are so well constructed, that when the violence and overt sexual references do occur, and the film becomes cluttered with satirical references that may be lost on many, the supremely clever sidebars constantly keep "The Cabin in the Woods" engaging.
Side Note: Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and consummate supporting actress Kristen Connolly have substantial roles in this film; as well as the always wonderful Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) and a surprise cameo bywell I won't spoil it. But the acting, excluding Jenkins (who is superb here) will not factor in on whether you loved or hated "The Cabin in the Woods", so this aspect really isn't worth discussing.
Final Thought: I am not going to say that this was better than last year's surprise horror film "Insidious" or than 2009's seldom seen "House of the Devil"; it's just different. And again, this type of horror film isn't for everyone. Some may find that the plot twists here so off-the-wall that they may tune out all together. In fact, "The Cabin in the Woods" will work more for camp horror fans, than for the blood thirsty Slasher lovers, pretty much because it isn't a straight forward Slasher. BUT, as far as satires go, it may only be a notch or two below a film such as "Shaun of the Dead". What I mean by that comparison is that, "The Cabin in the Woods" displays one of the only instances that show a successful horror flick, which audiences can laugh with and not laugh at.
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