Back at it again with a not-so-professional movie review; given that Spooktober has already began, I thought it was appropriate to tackle a movie in the horror genre. There is however a small catch: this movie is what I would call a bit of a deconstruction on the overall classic horror.
The cabin in the woods is a 2011 horror movie and from the very moment it begins it pretty much lets you know something different is added to the formula. It never tries to hide it or be subtle about it, and quite possibly this may be simultaneously a selling point and a limitation. The fact that it never takes itself too seriously (consider just how the title appears giving off a slasher-genre vibe) makes it even more pleasant; however, less effort being put to build tension by slowly unmasking what is going on however might also prove as a partial detriment.
To condense the plot to a simple paragraph, a quasi-federal agency has to make sure that a sacrificial ritual is performed in order to appease the old or ancient gods that lie dormant under the earth’s surface. Add either a bit of Lovecraft’s eeriness or King’s strangeness, a dash of classic pop-culture monsters, and you have yourself a movie.
The main cast is presented as your stereotypical American collage majors: the nerdy one, the carnally zealous one, the stoner, the jock and…the other jock (I guess). Consider that one of the usually testosterone-driven characters is however a sociology major (while also being however pretty buff) and is played by Chris Hemsworth; this makes for an interesting character choice. Here’s the thing however, there is no growth within the characters because there is no need for it: they are stereotypes because that is what the gods require for their sacrifice.
So where is the original spin in the horror genre you might ask? Well, for one thing every choice the main characters make is manipulated by the secret agency and this alone constitutes a peculiar characteristic given the two layers the movie creates: it is as if we are watching the watchers (and creators) of a horror movie. Secondly, one of the only choice that the main characters seem to be able to make is that of their own demise. It is in the cellar of the…well…cabin in the woods… that the protagonists choose an object between a myriad of small memorabilia and that in turn will conjure forth one of the monsters that is kept under the lodge to kill them. These creatures are preserved in what could be described as elevator cells that are used only for the ritual; remnants of a time when apparently nightmares came to life. This idea alone makes for an interesting concept and potential content.
There are a few moments when The cabin in the woods seems to be serious, providing even a hint of a reflection on the human condition, but those secluded instances are purposefully cut off. In my opinion, this alone constitutes a good representation on contemporaneity and this is why I am implying that the movie is a deconstruction of the genre as well as providing a veiled social criticism.
I will not spoil the ending since it is one of the few things that the viewer would not necessarily expect.
I would give this movie a 6 out of 10 ‘zombie redneck torture families’.