The Cabin In The Woods

Bunch of young people go into a cabin in the middle of the woods. Bad things happen and they start dying. If this sounds like the opening to a bad survival horror movie, you'd be right. However, the entire premise of Cabin is sufficiently unique that you'd probably be pleasantly surprised. Not to spoil anything, the movie certainly isn't your run of the mill survival horror. It is something of a huge elaborate conspiracy setup, whereby a bunch of kids are sent to a cabin in the woods, to face off against some classic horror movie monsters. And yes, the monsters are actually real. The movie manages to subvert a lot of the classic horror stereotypes in the context of a setup, where the common horror flick archetypes act the way they do because of manipulations by puppeteers in a command room somewhere. Given how novel the show's premise is, it's difficult to say much without spoiling the story, but suffice to say that I am greatly pleased by how they turned the genre on its head. You'd never see horror movies the same way again. What keeps this movie from true greatness is the pacing (which is a double edged sword), whereby the true premise of the story is only revealed right at the end. On one hand it keeps you guessing, but on the other it creates a niggling doubt that perhaps the reveal could've come earlier. Despite this, I am quite happy that for once, the story was designed from the start to get everyone killed. As many would know, I don't like people much, and it's awful nice to see blood spilled in gratuitous volumes while ensuring minimal survivability. It also helps that the show takes a turn that is a wee bit Portal at one point. Those who've played the game would understand. Regardless, I would say this movie has the makings of a cult classic and is nowhere near as cheesy as it may seem to be at first blush. It gets 8/10 from me.