Five college friends of varying personality types but equal attractiveness decide to spend the weekend in a cabin in the woods, but once they get there, things don’t exactly go as planned. This is the basic premise of “The Cabin in the Woods,” and you probably think you already know exactly what is going to happen. But you have no idea.
Yes, “Cabin” has all the usual tropes you’ve come to expect from this kind of movie — blood, sex, zombies and screaming. But director Drew Goddard and co-writer Joss Whedon (the renowned creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) have added a whole new and fascinating layer to this story in the form of a mysterious underground bureaucracy watching and influencing the teens’ every move.
That’s not a spoiler, mind you. Instead of saving the knowledge of this factor of the story for some shocking third-act reveal (as most directors would have done), Goddard and Whedon decide to let the viewer in on the secret right away. The effect of this is that instead of wondering and pondering over the organization’s existence throughout the film, the viewer is able to wonder and ponder over its purpose and its practices, which are each far more interesting topics of theorization. Additionally, the film uses this plot element as a brilliant way to comment on and criticize the often overly constructed and contrived setups and behaviors in modern-day horror.
In fact, as the movie progresses, there is the building realization that it is about far more than what is playing on the screen. Rather, it turns into a metaphor for horror films in general — how they’re produced, how they’re viewed — that is an intelligent and fascinating development, and sure to inspire some worthwhile post-film discussion.
The makers of this film, you can tell, are hardcore fans of the genre, and every frame is packed simultaneously with an obvious love for horror and also a stern critique for what it has become. Very much in the same way that when your parents yell at you, it’s because they love you and want the best for you, the criticisms in this film feel respectful and supportive instead of bitter or mean-spirited.
Admittedly, those who come to this film wanting scares above all else will walk away disappointed. The film _is_ scary, but it’s nothing on the level of the “Paranormal Activity” films and others of that ilk, and it will not likely give you nightmares or make you afraid to leave your house. But this is by design. “The Cabin in the Woods” isn’t as concerned with making you scream as it is making you think about why you wanted to scream in the first place.
But don’t misunderstand me and think that this is some hoity toity intellectual exercise. “Cabin” is fun! And it’s often hilarious! The third act in particular is one of the most exhilarating and frankly awesome sequences I think I’ve _ever_ seen in a theater, and will be quite difficult for the rest of 2012 to top. But it has a brain, too, and a heart. And it is, I think, just the right shock to the system this stale genre needed to stay alive.
4.5 out of 5