For me personally, the story of the horror genre is a sad and disappointing one. A genre that at one time brought audiences to theaters in droves and caused us to wake from our nightmares in a cold sweat has since diminished to one that relies on cheap gags and the over-excessive gore factor. The Cabin in the Woods, however, was a pleasant surprise for me because it turned the genre on its head while simultaneously returning to the feel of classic horror.
The Cabin in the Woods is the story of five friends who go on vacation to a remote cabin where they learn a terrifying truth. This was my first time watching this movie, and I loved it for a variety of reasons. The Cabin in the Woods is so genre-bending: it is horrifying in some places, and then it can be downright hilarious. The movie also has some clever nods to classic horror cinema that made me smile. The movie also pokes fun at its own genre at one point when Sigourney Weaver (in a fantastic cameo appearance) subtly points out that every horror movie has the same kind of characters. Speaking of which, I love the fact that Marty (played by Fran Kranz) is immunized to the chemicals that the other characters are inhaling because he smokes marijuana. There are a few very minor problems that I would like to address. Firstly, a person being impaled by a unicorn seems a little silly. Secondly, at one point we see Curt (Chris Hemsworth) mount a motorcycle and attempt to jump a gap between cliffs, and yet there is nothing prior to this moment in the movie that shows he is capable of jumping any kind of vehicle. Thirdly, at the beginning of the film we see Sitterson and Hadley (Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford) walking on the upper levels of a building, and then we inexplicably see them walking on the lower levels. Hey, I did say these were minor problems and they certainly did not prevent me from loving the movie.
Drew Goddard is the director of The Cabin in the Woods. I love the way he directed the movie because it feels very eerie, creepy and the jump scares are all well-timed. On top of doing all of this, he actually made a genuine horror/comedy which I personally find difficult to do. The moments where Sitterson and Hadley are watching what is happening are very funny. This has the feel of a classic 80's horror movie, and there were a couple of moments in the movie that I felt like looking over my shoulder to make sure that I was alone.
It is very hard for me to turn my brain off when I am watching a movie. However, for The Cabin in the Woods it was quite the opposite. It is one of those movies that you can just sit back and have fun watching it. If you are fan of the horror genre, you will definitely love The Cabin in the Woods.
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