REVIEW: The Cabin in the Woods

After just getting back from camping and having been requested by several people to see The Cabin in the Woods, I finally got the chance to sit down and watch it.  Directed by Drew Goddard and written by Goddard and Joss Whedon, The Cabin in the Woods is a fast-paced thriller that takes the audience through a number of different twists and turns.  It's always surprising and practically impossible to guess the end.  With the help of a strong script,  a unique idea, and a well-assembled cast, The Cabin in the Woods is a major success and is a lot of fun to watch.

The Cabin in the Woods follows the lives of five college students on their way to spend a weekend at a cabin located in the middle of the woods.  There's the good girl virgin, Dana (Kristen Connolly), the jock, Curt (Chris Hemsworth), the naughty girl, Jules (Anna Hutchison), the smart bookworm, Holden (Jesse Williams), and the stoner, Marty (Fran Kranz).  Upon arriving at the cabin, bad things start to happen and an evil is unleashed upon them.  And that's all I can say about the plot without giving anything away.

The ideas that Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard dreamed up are simply amazing.  The Cabin in the Woods pays homage to all the great horror movies while still deconstructing the horror genre and all its flaws.  Unlike many horror films, this one has a strong, and unique, script.  You never know what's going to happen next, and that's one of the aspects that makes this movie so good.  It has so many twists and turns; you'll feel like you're on a roller coaster.  But trust me, you'll enjoy every moment of it.  And it has the best possible ending.  You may scratch your head at first and think it's dumb.  But it literally makes it impossible for a sequel, and that's all I'll say about that!

A strong script is nothing though without a good cast.  Luckily enough, The Cabin in the Woods assembled a great cast. All the actors make you feel for the stereotypical characters.  They flesh them out.  This was the first horror movie in a long time where I was actually rooting for the characters to live!  And chances are, you'll probably relate to one of the characters, which adds more to the emotional quality of the film.  Despite all the actors giving a good performance, Fran Kranz steals the show as the stoner, Marty.  He has all the best lines and is downright hysterical.  Pretty much every time he opens his mouth, expect to laugh.

This leads me to my two complaints, if you would even call them that.  I realize I keep calling it a horror film, and it does fit that genre, but it's not what you'd expect.  The staff that marketed this film made it seem like a terrifying horror flick.  It's not.  I get scared easily by scary movies, but I walked away from The Cabin in the Woods feeling fine.  There are a few scary moments, but it's not scary.  In fact, it's more weird and funny than anything else.  Second, I'm not sure how good the movie is a second time.  The aspect I loved the most was that it always kept me guessing.  Now that I know the entire plot, I'm not sure if I'll enjoy it as much the second time, though I know I'll still enjoy it.  That being said, it is still a surprisingly fantastic film with solid performances and a witty script. It's definitely worth at least a watch, and if you're a fan of horror movies, then it's probably worth a buy.

RATING: 4.5 / 5

This movie is rated R (strong bloody horror violence and gore, language, drug use and some sexuality/nudity)