One of the best horror comedies EVER
A review of Cabin in the WoodsFive college kids take a vacation to an Evil Dead cabin and choose their own death.
I did not have high hopes for *Cabin in the Woods—*I’m not sure if I even knew it was a parody. Which, in hindsight, was a great way to go into this movie.
The movie opens, and it’s every “cabin in the woods” horror I’ve ever seen. I remember thinking, how campy is this movie going to be? Usually, that’s when I tune out. But as soon as Chris Hemsworth’s character shattered the “dumb” part of The Jock trope, I paid attention.
The beauty of the movie is that it’s fully aware of horror tropes and yet tries to break them, which is how this whole movie works. The ending wouldn’t exist in a world where people didn’t break their stereotypical mold (except for Dana – she is the quintessential Final Girl, confused for The Virgin).
Kudos to whoever cast this movie, particularly for the surprise cameo. I watched it without spoilers, and I am SO glad I did.
Loves
There is so much to love about this movie.
- It’s fucking hilarious: there are so many good scenes and jokes in this.
- I see it as a bit of an homage to the horror genre. The monsters borrowed from other movies are lovingly recreated. The tropes are on-point, but also the characters are more true to real-life than most genre entries.
- The surprise cameo.
Loathes
If I have to hate anything, it’s the Ancients as an afterthought. Not a real complaint, just my least fave thing about it. Felt slightly like an after-thought.
Not real scary, few jump scares but nothing that'll make you want to leave the light on.
It's not all that intense, just the building in the first part of the movie.
There are a couple gruesome scenes, but the length of time is minimal.
Horror fanatics and novices alike! Even if you don't recognize all the monsters or tropes, it's a good movie.
I wouldn't skip, if I were you.
Essential horror
