Sept 18: The Cabin in the Woods

"Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods."

Directed by: Drew Goddard, Rated: R, 95 minutes

The Cabin in the Woods is hands down one of the best horror movies I have ever seen. Packed full of scares, laughs, plenty of gore, and a hell of a lot of twists, the film is completely unexpected and quite the surprise. It's mind blowing and original and takes everything you know about horror movies and turns it completely upside down, twists it, and turns it inside out. Written and directed by Drew Goddard, a long time collaborator of both Joss Whedon (who also co-wrote the film) and J.J Abrams, you can only imagine the lengths the movie can go with such creative geniuses behind it. 

I f**king love you, Joss. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 

The movie follows your ordinary, cliche plot of a bunch of twenty somethings heading to the middle of the woods at a dilapidated cabin just because they can. Drinking, drugs, and sex ensue and after the 'gang' mistakenly unleash a family of redneck zombies, everything gets crazy. Unlike the usual plot, the cabin holds many secrets. I wouldn't consider it a spoiler, as the trailers give it away and the opening scene discusses it, but the cabin is actually a staged "set" controlled by a couple of programmers (Richard Jenkins and Brad Whitford) in some scientific research facility. They control the temperatures, the locks on the doors, and even inject the air with pheromones to get the libidos and the sex going (those watching demand the boobies). Thus, with everything going against them, the people at the cabin must figure out a way to escape their omnipotent puppeteers and get out of the nightmare they're in. 

Yep, Thor's the jock. Yes, it works. 

The Cabin in the Woods is one of the best movies of the year. There's simply so much that happens that's completely unexpected and as the plot unravels, it grows more and more incredible. Yes, the first part of the film is your ordinary story, but once it gets going and turns on its side, the pay off is extraordinary. The final twenty minutes or so are absolutely mind-blowing and seeing everything play out is not only gruesome, but so much fun. There's so much creativity in each scene and design. It immediately warrants another viewing to catch every detail. Not a lot of films (especially horror movies) have that quality to them. Not since The Evil Dead has a horror film entranced me so much and made me want to know all I can about the film, the making of it, and every bit of information about the story. 

It's hard to top Ash and The Cabin in the Woods gets damn close. 

Instead of going about my usual recommendation I am actually pleading to you to watch The Cabin in the Woods. It's an incredibly rewarding film that leaves you floored at the awesomeness that's played out on the screen and makes you excited about the horror genre again. It's one of the few must watch films of the year and delivers in every aspect, providing laughs, cringes, gags, and even moments of absolute happiness as you're blown away by what's actually happening. The script is smart, the acting, although nowhere near terrific, is perfect for the film and the visuals leave a smile on your face. Don't go rent this movie, go buy it and share it with all of your friends. Now.

The Good:

taking what you know about a cabin in the woods and turning it into something you have never seen before (and I mean that) 

The Better:

monsters... that is all

The Best:

knowing that original stories like this actually still exist in the world, that Joss Whedon continues to deliver, and that Drew Goddard is now THE director to look out for

Overall: 8.9/10

Trailer: