The Cabin in the Woods

Horror dreams come true… Honestly, you won’t die of fear, but if you don’t share the relatively widespread senseless conviction that horror should be taken with the utmost seriousness, you are in for a lot of fun. Mixing horror with humour is a tricky thing. I’m not a fan of films labelled “horror comedies”, like Dead Snow or Beetlejuice, because mostly they are effective only in the humour, and I feel that the use of horror properties is a bit of a provocation, like saying “we could have made a great horror movie, but better come in and have a laugh”. The Cabin in the Woods is something else, it’s not a horror comedy proper, but horror that the creators aren’t afraid to spice up with a pinch (or two) of humour and light-heartedness, constantly playing with all sorts of clichés, peeks “behind the curtains” (you’ll understand when you watch it) and an utterly insane and incredibly fun climax that’s total carnage, lasts for about twenty minutes and it’s like a horror fan’s dreams come true. It’s hard to say how those who don’t follow the genre much will appreciate it, but I was thrilled by it and played it again right away. Everybody knew The Cabin in the Woods wouldn’t be your typical ruined trip to the mountains, but it’s not even what I was expecting from the trailer (which I thought was full of spoilers), and that was a pleasant shock. Really great. So far, the best, most original and most fun horror movie of the year, and I can’t recommend it enough. I would spoil it if I said more… Shame on the Czech cinema distribution. - "The evil is defeated. Now Kiko's soul will live in the happy frog!" - "Fuuuuuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!" :-D :-D :-D (14/08/2012)

The Cabin in the Woods is a truly original film, no doubt about it, as you would hardly find a similar theme within the horror genre, which is a big plus on the one hand. However, on the other hand, this originality results in a story that is, to some extent, completely muddled and out of control, in a bad way, because a little plot disobedience is welcome from time to time. The film doesn't lack for build-up, tension and more than one surprising twist, but there are also a lot of wtf-moments where you get quite lost at times. In short, a film that is lifted out of grey mediocrity by its premise, only to have its madness subsequently trip it up. (09/02/2016)

Joss Whedon is not only a name in Hollywood, but a worldwide phenomenon when it comes to original screenwriting. He is bursting with ideas from every direction, and when he manages to bring something to completion, it is often an event. Or maybe not, because he is also able to fascinatingly kill some ideas. If there is something really interesting about The Cabin in the Woods, it's the concept that combines the good old Lovecraft style with modern teen massacre stories and plenty of horror props, all presented with a sympathetic perspective. The trouble is that The Cabin in the Woods is cluttered, and unfinished, oscillating between several genres, and what it does best, namely comedy, is hardly mentioned. Drew Goddard lacks directorial experience and probably even sufficient cinematic sensitivity to give the film a style, comb through Whedon's ideas, and above all, imprint it with atmosphere. Scenes that are potentially horror-inducing do not evoke fear. Those that could be suspenseful are rushed or wasted. The ironic elements do work, but they could be much more effective - they don't even come close to the best works of Sam Raimi. In the end, the film turned out to be a disappointment, although it cannot be said that it is a complete waste of time. I have no problem watching The Cabin in the Woods once, but I won't go back to it. Overall impression: 55%. (01/12/2013)

Excellent parody of all the clichés you can only find in horror movies. Admittedly, I wasn't really on board in the beginning and thought it was a load of crap, but then it picked up and gained momentum and I couldn't do anything but cheer for the stoner – he was just awesome. Plus, the ending was actually pretty unexpected and funny, and I was generally very pleased. Probably the best thing I've seen in the genre; too bad about the slow and unexciting start. (19/07/2013)

Of course this formula scheme is soooooo tired and the ripoff of the greatest classics so obvious that it won’t be missed even by an average cinephile viewer. Still, there remains the fact that it's pretty nicely shot and that the million times warmed-over "high school" stereotype, as far as the characters are concerned, keeps you entertained with its predictability and infinite stupidity (the jock, the blonde b*tch, the geek/stoner, the naive virgin...). As much as I hate to admit it, I give a big plus for the elevator scene, because there was some semblance of originality there and it was filmed very impressively indeed. All in all, quite a delectable one-time treat. Even so, history will not be rewritten and Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead can rest in peace (in my opinion, at least until death). (02/11/2013)