Rated
R (Strong Bloody Horror Violence and Gore, Language, Drug Use and some Sexuality/Nudity)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 35 Minutes
Cast-
Chris
Hemsworth-Curt Vaughan
Kristen
Connolly-Dana Polk
Anna
Hutchison-Jules Louden
Fran
Kranz-Marty Mikalski
Jesse
Williams-Holden McCrea
Richard
Jenkins-Richard Sitterson
Bradley
Whitford-Steve Hadley
Brian
White-Truman
Amy
Acker-Wendy Lin
Tim
De Zarn-Mordecai
Sigourney
Weaver-[Redacted]
Directed
by Drew Goddard
 |
| You think you know the story...think again. |
Note: I have done
my best to avoid spoilers but reading this review will reveal the ideas behind
what the film is about without pointing toward any specific scenes.
I
always get a number of different responses when I tell people that I review
films as a hobby. Some are merely curious about why I do it while others
derided it as a huge waste of time but as posted on my best friend’s Facebook
profile, ‘time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.’ Writing film reviews is
certainly no easy task and goes beyond stating whether you like or dislike a
movie. Active attention must be paid to every film that you are watching so
that when you sit down to write the review, you have enough detail to backup
your opinions in an articulate and coherent manner. The real difficulty with writing film reviews is in how much you reveal
to the reader. This is the dilemma I face with “The Cabin in the Woods,” a
horror film written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, who also serves as
director. Although completed in 2009 with a release date set in 2010, the film
unfortunately languished on the shelf for two years due to the financial
troubles faced by distributer MGM, who are now recovering from Chapter 11
bankruptcy. Finally released into theaters courtesy of Lionsgate, “The Cabin in
the Woods” may just be one of the most brilliant horror films I’ve ever seen.
Whedon and Goddard have crafted something that not only serves as a love letter
to the genre but also deconstructs every element in a manner that is funny,
clever, and most importantly, original.
The film opens with a series of
puzzling cave images depicting various cultures committing blood sacrifices
throughout history. Fast forward to the present day, we find Curt Vaughan
(Chris Hemsworth) and his girlfriend Jules Louden (Anna Hutchison), with their
friends Dana Polk (Kristen Connolly), Marty Mikalski (Fran Kranz), and Holden
McCrea (Jesse Williams), packing their bags for a weekend away at a remote
cabin that was recently purchased by Curt’s cousin. Elsewhere at an undisclosed
underground location, two ordinary-looking scientists named Richard Sitterson
(Richard Jenkins) and Steve Hadley (Bradley Whitford) is observing the five
college students as they travel to the cabin for purposes unknown. Curt and his
friends make it to the cabin safely but as the night wears on, it soon becomes
increasingly clear that they are not alone and that something is lurking in the woods.
“The Cabin in the Woods” is a
film that is best viewed without any
knowledge in advance and I will do the best I can to avoid spoilers because
much of the film’s enjoyment comes from the numerous surprises it has to offer.
This is a film based on deception and it fools you by offering up one of the
most generic horror premises of all: a group of college friends go to the cabin
in the woods to enjoy a weekend of debauchery. Countless horror films have
dealt with such a premise before but then Whedon and Goddard begin to turn the tables
on the audience by slowly subverting established clichés while you’re left wondering
just what the heck the two scientists in the underground bunker have to do with
anything. Rest assured that the writers have a clear vision in their mind and
execute it with aplomb. The film also gleefully satirizes and comments on how
far the horror genre has come over the past one hundred years and there are
numerous nods to various horror films from “The Wolfman” to even “Hellraiser.”
Some of the references might be too obscure but for everyone who fancies themselves
a fan of the genre, it offers up a level of participation from the audience
that is unheard of, allowing the film to explore places without fear of
ridicule. If this sounds awfully vague, I apologize in advance but it is for
your own good. Classic character archetypes and conventions are deconstructed
but not in a way that Wes Craven accomplished for his “Scream” films. The
characters in Goddard’s film are not aware of their situation like we are and
this creates a situation where they are being watched for the enjoyment of
others ala “The Truman Show,” revealing that much of the appeal of horror is in
watching others slowly suffer. What is really amazing is that the writers succeed
in balancing two conflicting tones and create something that is both funny and serious at the same time. Despite
being marketed as a conventional horror film, none of what happens is
particularly scary or shocking but it does
deliver on the blood and gore, especially during the final twenty minutes.
When
“The Cabin in the Woods” was being filmed back in 2009, all of the cast were
unknowns but Chris Hemsworth has come a long way. He was James T. Kirk’s father
in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot “Star Trek” and now stars as the Norse God of
Thunder in 2011’s “Thor” and the upcoming film “The Avengers,” ironically
directed by Joss Whedon. The rest of the cast aren’t as recognizable but all of
them, including Hemsworth, portray their characters in a convincing manner. The
fact that they are being manipulated by forces out of their control helps you
sympathize with them as they attempt to fight back and survive. Richard Jenkins
and Bradley Whitford play the two scientists residing in the underground bunker
whose sarcastic back-and-forth banter provides a lot of laughs to lighten the
mood. Sigourney Weaver even pops up to make an appearance at the end but to
reveal her role would spoil the entire film.
Released on April 13, 2012, “The
Cabin in the Woods” has received overwhelmingly positive reviews with 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed
it as ‘an astonishing meta-feat, capable of being funny, strange, and scary—frequently
all at the same time.’ The audience I saw the film with thoroughly enjoyed it
as well judging from the comments that I overheard and I foresee the film
becoming a cult classic the future. It’s astonishing how a film that was
shelved for two years could turn out
to be so brilliant and clever. The film is expected to land in third place with
an opening weekend debut of $15 million, which is fine but nothing spectacular.
Although many have proclaimed their love for the film, some have already started
to deride it due to feeling cheated by the marketing in a situation similar to
last year’s “Drive.” If that is the case, then this is the advertiser’s fault and not the film. I sure hope no one sues
Lionsgate though! “The Cabin in the Woods” is a film that was one surprise
after another. This is a horror film made by horror fans for horror fans and I urge you to run to the theater to see it now!
Final
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
“I
seriously believe something weird is going on!” (Ain't that the truth?!)
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