The Cabin in the Woods Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: Five college kids stay at a cabin where a slew of monsters are held as a means to perform an ancient ritual.

Review: It isn't hard to see why this film was so difficult to market as it incorporates so many aspects of the horror genre. It's clever how they manage to pay tribute to most horror cliches while still being faithful to the genre; this aspect of the film is the most creative and it was presented so perfectly. Essentially, evil gods demand sacrifices to maintain a balance of peace within the world; these sacrifices are your stereotypical teen-slasher fodder. At the same time, the means in which the people are dispatched can be any matter of being we've seen over the decades from horror films. I will give some major credit to the writers for really knowing their horror lure and throwing in many hidden monsters and easter eggs to impress any horror aficionado. You can almost infer that we are led to believe most horror movies we've watched are apart of this ritual process. Often times this movie crosses into parody territory as certain chemicals are used to create cliches like the "horny teen" or the bad decisions such as the "let's split up" phenomenon. For some reason, many audience members did not know what to make of these parody elements, but I felt it showed that the writers wanted to acknowledge much of the shenanigans we see going on like the hero always tripping while on the run from a killer. The way everything is presented is entertaining with a business approach by an unnamed government-esque operation to ensure the ritual goes according to plan. It is a little slow starting and certain parts just felt like they could have been done better, but, for the most part, this is a solid look at the current state of horror while trying to do something new. Forget any whining about this not being a "true" horror movie, because if there were any movie that demonstrated how well writers know the genre, this film would be it. On the other hand, this may hurt the film because casual viewers won't appreciate all the work, imagination, and knowledge that went into trying to cover virtually every horror cliche, monster, scenario, and plot element over the past thirty or more years. If you're a horror buff, especially from the '80s onward, you should love this film. As for the general audience, know ahead of time that this is not your typical slasher or however it was marketed.

Notable Moment: When all the monsters are unleashed from their containers with a convenient big, red button.

Final Rating: 7.5/10