<em>The Cabin in the Woods</em> – movie review

The Cabin in the Woods – movie review

Posted: Sun, Apr 15 2012 - 11:17 AM

Where does one begin to write a spoiler-free review of The Cabin in the Woods? How can I encapsulate this story – frankly, the most original, funny, and entertaining horror movie I have seen in years – when half of its charm is in the discovery itself. I don’t know, but here I go.

The Cabin in the Woods starts in verrrry familiar territory, as five attractive young people pile into a camper and head into the wild to spend the weekend at the titular location. These five are archetypical: Curt the jock (Chris Hemsworth), Jules the slut (Kristen Connolly), Holden, the sensitive smart guy (Jesse Williams), Marty the stoner (Fran Kranz), and Dana the virgin (Anna Hutchinson). The disparity of these personalities is part of the joke: birds of a feather generally do flock together, unless of course a film needs a rather motley crew to bounce interestingly off one another as in The Breakfast Club.

We’ve been here many times before, especially in the 1980s – whether in the Friday the 13th films, or Sleepaway Camp, or, most notably, in Sam Raimi’s first two Evil Dead movies. TCITW pays homage to all of those, and then some, but doesn’t beat us over the head with too many obvious pop culture references. There are nods to previous horror films, to be sure, but many are so geek specific that if you DO get one of the obscure allusions, you will probably feel pretty special, or hip, or geeky … you know … like the other two people laughing in the theater because they got that joke, too. The film plays on our awareness of horror film tropes (especially what may lurk in a dark cellar), but does so with style and intelligence, without letting the joke spoil the suspense. While the Scream films of the 90s brought a hip awareness to their slasher proceedings, TCITW goes infinitely further in turning its own genre on its head. And boy is that putting it mildly it mildly.

This film goes places I not only did not see coming, but that I have never seen in a film of this type. I spent the first half trying to figure out the mystery of what was going on. Why DO we keep cutting away to those guys in ties (Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins, who damn near steal the movie), who work at a facility that may or may not be doing some high tech surveillance work? This is not a spoiler – the movie opens with this dorky duo. In fact, for the first few minutes, I thought I had walked into the wrong theater. By the second half, I was watching in slack-jawed awe, saying to myself, Holy shit, are we really going THERE? Only to discover that not only are we going there, we are going well beyond THERE. Where is THERE, you ask? No place you don’t want to go – you just don’t know it yet. But, the less you know about that … hell, the less you know about the entire movie, the better.

Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, it goes to the next logical place that you never thought of. There isn’t a Big Twist Ending pasted on at the end – no Shyamalamadingdong here. From the opening frame to the last, this film’s complex plot is well thought out and slowly revealed. And how often does THAT happen in a horror film? Or IS it a horror film? Or a deconstruction of a horror film? Or is it science fiction? Or … I’ve said too much already.

Joss Whedon (co-writer and producer) and Drew Goddard (co-writer and director) have both come a long way from their days on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And with this one film, announce to the world that they are forces with which to be reckoned. To date, this is the only film Goddard has directed, and even this has sat on a shelf since 2009, after MGM filed for bankruptcy. That may have been providential as … none of the five visitors who go to the TCITW was a known name in 2009. Cut to three years later and Chris Hemsworth (Thor) is on top of the world – especially with the imminent release of The Avengers. His name may draw some viewers who wouldn’t ordinarily go to a horror film, but strong word of mouth will (hopefully) do the rest. Needless to say, 2012 is going to be a banner year for both Hemsworth and Whedon, who wrote and directed The Avengers. (Banner year for the Hulk, too, HA!)

Oddly enough, if there is a breakout performance in this film, it is not Hemsworth (though he is fine). It is Fran Kranz as Marty. Normally the “stoner” archetype in movies like this is played strictly for laughs or is portrayed as an annoying buffoon. Not so here. Marty does provide comic relief (his travel coffee mug is classic), but he may also be the wisest of all the visitors to this cabin. The Stoner Sage – haven’t had one of those on our screens since Jeff Bridges donned a robe, flip flops, and a White Russian. Also, if anyone ever decides to make a biopic of Dennis Hopper, Fran is your man. (For more on this talented newcomer, check my profile of him on Examiner.com.)

If TCITW does well at the box office, of course the producers will want a sequel. Or (shudder) a prequel. But I don’t think this is franchise material. I can’t say so without giving anything away, but I would be happy if this was simply the brilliant stand alone feature that it is, towering over its milked-to-death predecessors.

Three things regarding the trailer for TCITW: One – nothing in the trailer made me want to see this film. I went because the buzz on it has been out of the stratosphere. Two – the trailer at once tells too much, and not enough. The same damn trouble I am having trying to write an enticing, yet spoiler-free review. Three – don’t watch the trailer. I know some of you won’t be able to resist (that’s why I am not posting it here), but trust me, if you can possibly see this movie without ANY foreknowledge save what I’ve written here, DO SO.

Yes, it is only April, but The Cabin in the Woods is fresh, funny, original, intelligent, and the best time I’ve had at the movies so far in 2012. For the rest of this year’s films, regardless of genre, the bar has been set high.

MOVIE GRADE: A-

Category: Movie Reviews

Tags: The Cabin in the Woods | Chris Hemsworth | Joss Whedon | Fran Kranz |

The Little Lebowski said:

"The Stoner Sage," lol

Loved this movie and the character of Marty too. I liked how what he smoked made him immune to what they were trying to do to him.

Good article man.

Mon, Apr 16 2012 - 12:25 PM

Bryant Burnette said:

I loved virtually every second of this movie, which makes three this year so far (after "21 Jump Street" and "The Secret World of Arrietty"); pretty good start to the year.

This movie reminded me a wee bit of something John Carpenter might have made once upon a time. It's more self-aware than that, but it certainly fits in well alongside, say, "In the Mouth of Madness" in some ways.

Well done, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard!

Wed, Apr 18 2012 - 03:22 AM

Andy Williamson said:

Ah, Bryant, if only John Carpenter WERE still making films as good as this. I have not seen his most recent, 'The Ward', but heard it was nowhere near the same league as when he was in his 1970s - 80s prime. Heard he is currently trying to get a "gothic western" made – which actually sounds like a really good fit, considering his love of Howard Hawks movies.

Can't wait to go see 'The Cabin in the Woods' again. Something tells me that repeat viewings of this Instant Classic will have their own plentiful rewards. Foreknowledge may make this a different, but no less entertaining experience. It reminded me most of 'The Evil Dead' (which is being remade, you know, with a script by Diablo Cody), before going off on its own unique path.

Hopefully this will tell Hollywood that horror films CAN be intelligent, without them trying to cookie-cutter this thing, which I don't think COULD be done.

Thanks for commenting, man. Welcome to my humble site.

Wed, Apr 18 2012 - 09:00 AM

Bryant Burnette said:

Yeah, Carpenter's best days definitely do seem to be behind him. That said, I actually enjoyed "The Ward." Maybe I'm just an apologist, or maybe I enjoyed purely because I went into it with no expectations at all, but I found it to be fairly enjoyable in a b-movie way.

Don't expect much in the way of "The Cabin in the Woods" telling Hollywood that horror movies need to be more intelligent, though. I work at a theatre, and most of the people I've talked to on their way out of seeing the movie have told me they thought it was one of the worst movies they've ever seen. Most of the people who make up the audience for the modern "horror" film aren't big fans of having their expectations subverted. In other words, I'd expect the box-office to fall off quickly.

But then again, maybe my theatre's patrons aren't representative of the rest of the country. We can always hope, I guess!

Wed, Apr 18 2012 - 16:05 PM

Andy Williamson said:

What? Most of your theater patrons thought it was one of the worst movies they've ever seen? WTF? People are CRAZY, man. I live in the foothills west of Denver and, in the theater where I saw it, the audience (the pretty packed audience) burst into spontaneous applause when it was over. Now THAT's what I call a crowd pleaser. 'Course I do come from a pot friendly state, and when a film like this chooses to make its Token Stoner not only the smartest person in the film, but arguably its hero, we generally consider that a GOOD thing.

I know from which part of the country you hail Bryant and, while I absolutely do NOT want to say anything derogatory about Alabama, I don't think you are typical of your fellow Tuscaloosians. I've read many of your Mahfah Ramblings, and you are, in fact, a genius level intellectual … especially when compared to some of your good old boy neighbors who probably DO like their horror better when they have to check their brain at the door, and when said film doesn't glorify one of them dad-gummed hippies.

Rotten Tomatoes still has this thing at 92% over 170 reviews – that speaks volumes. At least about film critics who LIKE having to think at the movies. (In summer movie season, many of them don't know how to do otherwise, and simply enjoy a roller coaster ride like a 12 year old. I can do either.)

I personally think TCITW has got some legs on it, and that word of mouth is going keep this thing around for awhile. Even in the face of the blockbusters. It may have a slow burn, but … time will tell.

PS – Speaking of Carpenter's 'The Ward,' is it better than Zack Snyder's 'Sucker Punch'? It does resemble it in plot, yes? Chicks in an insane asylum? Though many reviled it, I liked 'Sucker Punch'. Say what you will about Snyder, he is definitely a cinematic artiste. I look forward to what he does with 'Man of Steel'....

Fri, Apr 20 2012 - 10:05 AM

Bryant Burnette said:

I can assure you, I will not be offended by anything derogatory that gets said about Tuscaloosans, or Alabamians in general: we've more than earned it at this point. And sadly, yes, the typical audience at my theatre has been distinctly unimpressed by "The Cabin in the Woods." It was virtually empty tonight, the busiest night of the week, so at least around here, word of mouth has been poisonous.

Many thanks for the kind words. I don't believe I've ever been called an intellectual before, much less a genius-level one. I'm pretty sure those shoes won't fit me, but hey, who am I to turn down a pair of shoes?

On the subject of "The Ward" versus "Sucker Punch": there are definitely similarities between the two, but only in terms of the general setup involving a young woman being sent to a mental asylum and finding herself co-existing with a bunch of other girls. I vastly prefer "The Ward," but that's not saying much: I loathed "Sucker Punch," which annoyed me so badly that I was strongly tempted to throw things at the screen.

On the whole, though, I'm not an anti-Snyder guy. I loved his version of "Dawn of the Dead," and I also thought "Watchmen" was quite good (this despite me being a HUGE fan of the comics). As for "300" ... well, this was one of those rare instances of me simultaneously hating the movie AND being forced to admit that it was a good movie. I think there's a lot going on in that film about the nature of wartime propaganda; I think it's a smart, striking film. And yet, I hate it.

There might be something similar going on beneath the surface of "Sucker Punch," but I'd have to watch it again to find out, and I'm not planning to do that again any time soon.

So, as far as Snyder working on "The Man of Steel" goes, I'm in wait-and-see mode. My assumption is that there will be a trailer with "The Dark Knight Rises" later this summer; we'll all have a much better idea then, I'd imagine.

And by the way, for the record: I hope you're right about the long-term box-office potential of "The Cabin in the Woods." Even if it doesn't happen in its theatrical run, though, it's going to be a cult favorite for decades to come; I've got zero doubt about that.

Sat, Apr 21 2012 - 01:00 AM