If anyone read my post this morning about why I don't find horror movies scary any more, you would have gotten to the part where I stated that most modern horror movies are either remakes, extremes, or just flat out failures. Those movies like the Saw and Paranormal franchise were not scary, and they had been lack lustre movies to boot having potential but ultimately lacking in quality or originality. This is where The Cabin in the Woods shines, is it original? Yes it is very much so, the movie starts off in a very typical fashion five young people venture off to a remote location for a weekend of frivolity and excess. You have a jock like character Curt (played by a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth), his hot newly blonde girlfriend Jules, likeable nice girl Dana, scholarly Holden, and resident stoner Marty. If you are thinking how can this be original if it sounds like every other teen slasher out there well let me just tell your, there are two narratives in this movie. The second one is explained for the most part right off the bat. Now its in this second narrative that the story is truly interesting, without spoiling anything to big we are introduced to two doctor type characters Sitterson and Hadley played by Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford. It is in this narrative that the story truly gets fleshed out. But like everything these two narratives eventually come together and oh boy when they do this movie becomes one of the most original pieces of cinema I have had the pleasure of seeing. This movie is actually quite funny, think of Evil Dead funny and you instantly know where the humour is coming from. The pacing of the film is great, never having long dead periods because of the two narratives this film feels like a smooth ride. My only real negative thing to say is that the last half hour or so the pace picks up and it really picks up at break neck speeds, but the length of the movie is great and your never get that is it over yet mind set. Now for it to be a horror movie it has to have a few things; tension, suspense, and genuine scares. The tension and suspense created in this movie is better then I initially thought it would be, though I already figured what the scares would be as this is both a homage to classic genre staples and a reinvention on other staples this movie is genuinely scary especially the last scene.
Being a horror movie the film must have a score that fits and builds the mood of the film, and I have to say it works. The score for the set pieces feels just right and builds a feeling of tremendous weight when something bad is going to happen or has passed, the score is great. As is the acting. All the actors portray their assigned characters well with none of the characters being unanimously hated by the audience. There is gore in this movie but it is nowhere near the levels of some recent films, every time someone is about to die a gruesome death the camera jumps away as the blood is just about to be spilt. Again however the last half hour is filled with all the blood and gore people want and desire, it should be satisfying to anyone looking for a bloody mess. I haven't really found a horror movie I liked as much as Romero's original Dawn of the Dead but I can definitely say that The Cabin in the Woods is now one of them. I just cannot believe studios would have sat on this fresh movie for three years, this one is not to be missed.
9.5/10
+Great Pacing
+Genuine Scares
+Original Concept
-last half hour is a little to fast for my liking
-I wished I had the Blu Ray so I could watch it again right now
This is a movie that's worth seeing for the clever story and for all of the hype it's been getting for the past 3 years. And the less you say about it to your friends, the better just convince them to go with you because it's a hell of a fun time no matter how many times you've seen it. Good review Michael. Give mine a look when you can.
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