The Cabin in the Woods- 4/5 – Movie reviews by Ry!
Cabin in the Woods – 4/5 – Standards are what makes are breaks movies a lot of the time for critiques and audiences alike. In horror movies, there are things the general audience expects, and if you don’t get what you expect a lot of the time, you are either going to feel it is terrible and/or it wasn’t worth the viewing. This movie is something of the ‘out of box’ experience. It throws out standards of what is a horror movie. It breaks in from the beginning of the film by mocking clichés of horror films, while showing wit and humor while at the same time being that standard horror flick. Feeling confused yet, it really isn’t. This movie goes from being bland to being the definition of opposing the standard. The only difference is, this movie is freaking fantastic and is truly an exposition on what horror movies are expected to be, and just turns the genre it upside down on itself.
So, the basic premise for this movie starts with the basic horror devices. We have five friends who go for a vacation in a remote cabin in the woods, to have some fun and time off from the real world. What turns into a bastion of a great vacation turns into something they didn’t bargain for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods. Here, this is where the movie breaks standards and turns into an amusing and descriptive complexion of horror movie clichés. It does a masterful job in complimenting the mockery of horror standards with great dialogue. Behind the camera of the cabin, you have controllers that are controlling the horror scene for the ‘audience’. Suddenly, certain ‘characters’ figure there is something truly wrong with this and the cabin. Once they find the real truth, all hell breaks loose. This isn’t a figure of speech, literally, all hell breaks loose.
In the last third of the movie, it is just a showdown of every horrific cliché in horror movies over the last fifteen plus years. What could be anguished in the over-the-top motion is truly a remarkable feet as we are giving a bloody-disgusting scene after scene in a comically but meaningful way. By the end, you realize the truth behind this film, that we are filled with certain expectation of horror films, that changing the common threads could not only turn something mundane into something magical, but breaking standards should be done. Change to the horror genre should be made, and with the right writers and direction. It is possible.
The above aren’t spoilers, but the truth from the film. I will say this. This movie is a majestic and marvelous feat in writing, direction and definition of being creative and unique. Joss Whedon has a hand in this movie, and you can tell it to be true. I applaud this movie, and hope everyone gets a chance to watch it. Rent it, buy it … I really recommend adding this to your collection as a blu-ray purchase.