The Cabin In The Woods (Movie Review)

Horror films are something that I don’t usually rush to the cinema to see, though it is a genre I’m happy to put over my money for, from the pop end of the market with the Final Destination films, to recent ones such as ‘The Woman In Black’. But there was definitely something in the marketing and the reaction on the internet to the ‘The Cabin In The Woods’ that made we want to see it.

And I’m glad I did as ‘The Cabin In The Woods’ is one of the best concepts in a movie I have ever seen. The film tells the story of five teenagers who head to a, er, cabin in the woods, for a weekend but upon arriving there, in the wake of a warning from the owner of a local deserted petrol station, they find a cellar full of mysterious objects and trinkets that sets in motion a chain of events that sees them being picked up one by one.

So far so cliché you may think, and you’d be right to believe that, as it’s intentional. Though the trailer for the film did give some clues away that this is more than an ordinary horror film don’t worry about the spoilers as the major schtick of the film is revealed in the very first scene but there is much more to come that you won’t know about.

What the trailer doesn’t reveal is possibly the most fun final thirty minutes in a film for a long time. The first forty minutes or so is typical horror movie territory with a handful of jump scares, dark rooms and typical teenage pursuits including drinking, smoking and, er, making out with a stuffed wolf’s head. This first part of the movie does occasionally find itself dragging though it’s punctuated with excellent turns from the cast especially Fran Kranz as a stoner, who has some of the best lines in the film and delivers them flawlessly, and Bradley Whitford, who lights up the screen when he’s on, and with the switching between two different scenarios there’s always something new to keep the film fresh. Matched cuts and juxtaposition are used excellently in the film and one scene set before the bombastic finish will have you smiling.

It’s the finish, though, that makes the film and without giving anything away it’s an excellent balance of tongue in cheek plotting, horror action, top class CGI and an eye for comic timing. ‘The Cabin In The Woods’, throughout its 95-minute run time, manages to balance very effectively its scares, laugh-out-loud moments, “romantic” sections and smile-enducing action scenes without ever seeming like its spreading itself thin. A scene with Bradley Whitford near the end, built up throughout the film, is a great pay-off and if you don’t enjoy the final half an hour with a permanent smile on your face and occasionally a dropped jaw then there’s clearly something wrong with you.

With plenty of twists and turns, mild scares and a plethora of well written and hilarious lines and scenarios, plus perhaps the most depressing end to a film since ‘The Butterfly Effect’, I whole heartedly recommend ‘The Cabin In The Woods’. The first half of the movie may have its moments of cliché and times when you’d like it to move a bit faster, but this is more than made up by the ending.

It was almost enough to give me a husband bulge, to quote the film.

9/10

You can also read Liam's take on the movie at http://cybaria.net/horror-deconstructed/