The Cabin In The Woods

Every so often, there is a movie that comes to theaters that splits it's audience completely down the middle. The feelings for such a movie are so strong on both ends of the spectrum that it becomes a metaphorical "Civil War" pitting brother against brother.

The Cabin In The Woods is one of those films.

Marketed as a cliché filled, college-party-vacation-gone-horribly-wrong horror film, this movie is not what the marketers would have you believe. Instead, what you experience is  a great, original (as far as my knowledge goes), tongue-and-cheek master piece written by Joss Whedon (Firefly, The Avengers) and Drew Goddard (Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), the latter also being the director.

It tells the story of a group of College Students who decide to go on a little weekend trip to a cabin... in the woods, owned by the cousin of Curt, played by Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Star Trek). But what they do not realize is that they are being watched by a government run program that creates horror film scenarios to sacrifice young people to a blood-thirsty god. The program is run by two overly confident, conceded directors played by Richard Jenkins (Step Brothers, Let Me In) and Bradley Whitford (Billy Madison, The West Wing), and they are by far two of the more entertaining characters in the movie.

Now, I know that not everyone will enjoy this movie. I know a few people who did not like it specifically because it was not what was advertised. They went in, ready to be scared, or at the very least, thrilled by a twist ending and what-not. But the way the film is told, there are no secrets, and few scenes that will make you jump (unless you are easily frightened). They tell you what is happening from the start. But the filmmakers utilize this to their advantage.

They use it as an opportunity to create hilarious situations that will keep the audience (at least half of it) smiling and laughing.

Overall, this is just a fun movie for avid movie-goers. It pokes fun at all of the horror movies we know and love, but with more grace and subtlety than the Scary Movie franchise.

If you want to experience a movie that has the best aspects of both horror and comedy, I suggest you see The Cabin In The Woods.

My Rating: A-