Rent The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Post-modern Truman-show-esque Grand Guignol Horror Pastiche - The Cabin in the Woods review by PV

I give this film 3.5 stars rounded up to 4, because despite its wit, sharp script, interestig premise and snappy dialogue, good visuals etc, the pomposity of the ending spoils the movie for me.

The first half hour and hour are the best; the rest delves into unnecessary mataphysical spiritual territory. That's a shame really and the movie would have been better without foolishly veering down that path in the final minutes.

As a parody and pastiche of horror movies (especially the wonderful Wrong Turn) it's great fun. The characters - especially the stoner - are great fun too, with some sharp lines.

The underground lab scenes initially confuse, but then it all comes together like mind and brain connecting as it dawns on everyone (incl the audience) what's happening.

Fans of blood and gore with like the final half hour - me, I didn't really need that. But the Grand Guignol is fun anyway and suitably modern in its in-yer-face blood n guts. I actually saw some of this as comedy, especially all the references to past movies, though I'm not sure others will.

This movie is basically a horror version of The Truman Show - though it's less intelligent and original than that movie and I have no idea why people are using the word 'genius' about this film. It's a good fun movie, which is great, but that's it!

It is clearly aimed at teenagers - but sneaks in a lot of intelligence that will go over many of their heads, especially with dialogue unclear and action so fast I had to rewind and play again to see and hear everything!

Many I am sure with just watch for the gore - and there are some genuine jump-out-of-your-seat surprises too!

There is also enough intelligence here for more demanding viewers, so all in all, a movie wel worth watching. 3.5 stars

Comedy not horror - The Cabin in the Woods review by JH

A cliche-twisting more-comedy-than-horror take on the stock 'teens got to the woods and die' horror trope.

Stellar cast all around, I particularly enjoy Whitford and Jenkins' double act, and wit-laden dialogue abounds: no surprise anything this smart would involve the ever-flourishing Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon.

Just a pleasure to watch.

Black Horror Comedy - Very Clever, Very Entertaining - The Cabin in the Woods review by GI

The first time you watch this you'll face plenty of early confusion and question whether you're watching the right film. The title sits the film fairly and squarely in the horror/slasher genre but it will quickly become something far more intriguing. Yes on the surface this is a story of five students who head off for a weekend at the titular ramshackle cabin. The characters all fall into a set of stereotypes you'd expect; the sex hungry one (Anna Hutchison), the alpha male (Chris Hemsworth), the brainy one (Jesse Williams), the fool (Fran Kranz) and the virginal innocent one (Kristen Connelly) but this is deliberate. Because as the plot unravels you'll find this is a subversive black comedy that deconstructs the horror genre in a most entertaining and quite funny way. If you loved Scream (1996) you'll perhaps get what I'm on about here because Scream did the same thing. I'm not giving much away by saying that the five main characters are attacked at the cabin by something terrible but there's also something else that becomes clear as the film gets into it's stride. A thoroughly entertaining and thrilling film that definitely needs checking out if you've not seen it. Homages galore are liberally strewn throughout the film particularly in the final third so have fun because this is a real treat.