The Unexpected Cabin on the Silver Screen

A review of The Cabin in the Woods

Ever wonder what Sam Raimi's cult classic The Evil Dead (1981) would be like if Quentin Tarantino reinvented it with a modern twist?  Director Drew Goddard has created just that in his 2012 horror film The Cabin in the Woods.

Movie poster for The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

"You think you know the story"

Everyone knows how it goes: a group of young friends travel to a secluded cabin on a lake to spend the weekend unwinding.  What could go wrong?  Only everything.  From sitting in front of the fire to running and screaming for help, the lives of these five friends will be changed forever.  This movie may appear like every other horror movie you have seen, but the tagline, "You think you know the story", says otherwise.  Be prepared for an M. Night Shyamalan style film so you can follow all the plot turns.  There are also some clear pieces of the film that Goddard adopted from some of the classics.  Between the borrowed scenes and invigorating plot, The Cabin in the Woods is a comical, thought provoking horror film that pushes the boundaries of genre.

Movie poster for The Evil Dead (1981)

As a tribute to all typical horror movies, The Cabin in the Woods is a parody that takes these classics and turns them on their heads.  Goddard uses elements of other traditional horror films to piece together The Cabin in the Woods.  Similar to Wes Craven's Scream, Goddard uses dialogue like, "Don't read the Latin" (Marty, Fran Kranz) that pokes fun at his own movie.  This adds comedy to the movie that makes it well rounded, and enjoyable for almost any viewer.  There are a  few nearly identical scenes from The Evil Dead in The Cabin in the Woods: the scene when the cabin is shown for the first time and the scene with the self opening cellar door are a couple of the prominent ones.  To the movie buff, these similarities provide enjoyment throughout the film.

The plot has enough twists and turns to make the average viewer feel like they need a map, but the film's ending is all you need to understand the whole point of Goddard's convention bending movie.  The Cabin in the Woods is not your average screaming-at-the-edge-of-your-seat horror flick.  On the contrary, you will gasp, cover your eyes, laugh, and flinch on top of the screaming.  But more importantly, this movie will make you think.  Like modern video and computer games, there are short cut scenes throughout the film that slowly reveal the undisclosed central plot.  By carefully listening to and watching these scenes, you might be able to piece some of it together and create a theory, but it is unlikely that you will be able to accurately guess the ending; it is quite the twist.  After you watch The Cabin in the Woods, it will make you rethink horror films and their common plot devices.  It will also make you rethink movie genres.  Normally, a movie can be easily distinguished by its genre and style, but are the lines that separate genres permanent?  Not for Drew Goddard, and definitely not for his film The Cabin in the Woods.  You might call it a horror film, the person sitting next to you might say comedy, and someone else might think mystery/horror.  The options are endless, and that is what makes it such an intriguing film.  Its adopted elements and comedic yet captivating nature make Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods suitable for all tastes.