A Fresh Take On Modern Horror

Rating: 9/10 (6 April 2012)

On the dusty shelves at MGM's studios lay "The Cabin In The Woods", the new film by "Cloverfield" director Drew Goddard and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" writer Joss Whedon. Although completed three years ago the project was backlogged due to financial difficulties at MGM until Lionsgate finally picked it up and have finally distributed it ready for eager audiences to see. At no better time either with Whedon's upcoming highly anticipated "The Avengers" making the risk of this under the radar release minimal and lowering the effect of potential damage.
Explaining any of the plot would be doing the film a disservice, as it's jigsaw-esque structure is one of its strongest points. The basic premise however is five high school kids take a break to a remote cabin in the woods where their stay escalates into disastrously horrific results due to an unseen force, which may or may not be controlling everything that is happening. It's billed and sounds as though it's journeying down the same road that most teenage horror-slasher films seems to take but that would be far from the truth as the story takes all the conventions of which we've grown accustomed to; the slow build-up, the unnecessary sex scene, the stupid decisions the protagonists make which cause you to shout at the scream due to their choices and throws it all on it's head creating a tongue in cheek comical look at how horror movies have become.
All the characters tick all the boxes for the traditional teen horror movie conventions. Dana (Kristen Connolly) is the sensible, timid student; Curt (Chris Hemsworth) goes along the typical jock lines; Jules (Anna Hutchison) comes across as the girl who craves attention, dressing in scantily clothes; Marty (Fran Kranz) is the stoner who brings the comic relief and there's Holden (Jesse Williams) as the sensitive male. Unlike other horror movies with these presets we care for these characters as they essentially start as five normal teenagers, the story forces them to fall into their caricatures, which gives them more of human, approach rather than the stale interpretations that other horror films do. Alongside the cast are two other actors worthy of a mention Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford as a duo, comical double act, their role however is not worth mentioning as it's better to be experienced not knowing.
What really makes Cabin stand out amongst the long stream of consistent horror movies is how it manipulates and twists the traditional conventions of a teen slasher horror movie and turns it into a useful and developed plot choice. No one exclaims how the situation their in is remnant of the films they've grown up with, breaking that wall between the film and the audience, the conventions are used to push the story forward and give reasoning forward. For example, why do the majority of modern horror films include and scene depicting sex? Why do characters decide to split up, allowing themselves to be picked off one by one? All these are answered and none of the reveals for forced or unnecessary, but well crafted plot points bringing a tongue in cheek style to the story without over playing it unlike films such as "Tucker & Dale Vs Evil", a small independent horror-comedy which goes for the same vibe and oversteps it mark. Cabin causes for a sly satire.
Any reservations about this film are minuet but are still worth noting. Though billed as a horror/comedy, the film rarely reaches any level of terror unlike the brilliance of "Shaun of the Dead" but never reaches the over comedic levels of say the increasingly tedious "Scary Movie" saga. It doesn't particularly reach a happy medium, however it does stay highly entertaining from the moment the titles appear to the end credits. During this 90-minute ride however are small plot holes, which may bring a viewer out of the experience, but for a film of this stature a certain level of disbelief has to be brought in on the audiences part. The whole premise could seem ridiculous as it plays out, especially during the final act where the tension and entertainment explode to a high-pitched level, though the film earns that right and brings a unique ending to the film that will stay engraved into your memory for weeks on end.
With all the low standard horror films that are streamed into multiplexes it's refreshing to see a project not backed with an adapted script or a revitalization of a previous film, which provides a tongue in cheek approach to the horror genre. It's not a particularly deep character piece; neither will it sweep up a large amount of awards at the Oscars. It is however a highly entertaining, tense, comical approach to modern day horror movies, turning the genre on its head doing something bold and fresh. This is a film made by the fans, for the fans.