Directed by Drew Goddard.
Written by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon.
Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz. Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford.
The old cabin where teens go get murdered by beasties gets a fresh lick of paint.
This film was finished a few years ago but shelved due to MGM going bust. On the plus side that stopped the film getting a bad 3D makeover but did make us wait for a fun and new spin on a tired cliché of horror cinema.
It’s nice to see someone try and come up with a reason for why unkillable slasher killers and other monster would stalk young people that decide to go stay in a cabin in a remote area where the locals are super-sinister. Some of these old-staples are skewered in a satirical way but still working within the rules of the movies set-up.
I have to keep vague as a lot of the fun is in seeing how things are twisted around in the name of making everything old new again. I just don’t want to be that kind of guy.
The directing is taut and as a result the actors play their roles well. Hemsworth showing the likeability and humor that would get him the role of Thor. Fran Kranz (who excelled in Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse) plays a blinder as a stoner who sees things more clearly than the others. Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford make for most of the laugh out loud moments and you’ll wish to see more films that put them together. Goddard has also made a nice looking film that towards the end shows up the modest budget. The score is effect but maybe a bit generic but that could be intentional considering the type of films it’s riffing on.
The great and clever thing about The cabin in the woods is that it works whether you know horror movies or don’t know them. Of course, there’s something more for those that are familiar with the genre but it’s only an added extra to an already deliciously subversive take on a thinned out corpse.
It’s not a gorefest but I’ll take inventive over bland bloodiness anytime.
8/10
