Genre films are at once breeding grounds for originality and staleness. Fantasy, science fiction and horror have introduced powerful cultural icons, but they also have an infamous tendency to descend into 11?part franchises or endless remakes. In an era when the latter has come to dominate the horror genre, "The Cabin in the Woods" injects a much?needed critique with startling originality, paying homage to its predecessors while ripping apart their weaknesses at the same time.
The film ostensibly follows five archetypal teenagers as they head to a distant and sinister cabin in the woods for a weekend of "freedom." Things are bound to go wrong, but never for the reasons that you think and often not for the reasons the movie seems to tell you either. The first act is drowned in horror tropes, from the ominous gas station owner to the creepy diary in the basement.
Amidst the cliches, seeds of subversion are sown throughout the film, building up to masterful twist after masterful twist. There are plots within plots, deconstructing horror films from the inside out. This is a film made by guys who loved the horror films they watched growing up, but couldn't help asking why the blondes always had to be so stupid or why it would ever make sense for a group to split up when being hunted down by ravenous zombies.
Those "guys" are writer?director Drew Goddard and his writer?producer partner Joss Whedon. Both men have already achieved distinct cult statuses - Goddard wrote "Cloverfield" (2008) and various episodes of "Lost" (2004?2010), and Whedon created "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997?2003) and "Firefly" (2002) among other cult shows. Whedon's fingerprints are found in quick?wit dialogue, self?aware humor and constant satire are present throughout the film, but Goddard brings a distinct and enticing visual style to his directorial debut, combining in?your?face gore with intimate character moments.
Completed in 2009, "The Cabin in the Woods" has been sitting on a shelf for three years as a result of MGM's recent bankruptcy and a fear that it would be unmarketable. Indeed, the trailers get the tone of the film completely wrong. It is hardly suspenseful in the conventional sense, but "The Cabin in the Woods" finds an unusual tonal balance between vicious, gory horror and clever satire. It is funny and shocking in a way that "Scream" (1996) or "Scary Movie" (2000) could only dream of, going far beyond anything "Zombieland" (2009) dared to attempt.
Beyond just satirical horror, "The Cabin in the Woods" delves into the heart of what makes these stories tick. Whedon and Goddard know this genre from top to bottom, and they spare no expense in questioning every aspect of it. They find originality not in coming up with new ideas, but in turning the story on itself. The writers are represented in the film, as is the audience, along with the myths and culture that drive us to make stories up in the first place. From the most basic of premises, "The Cabin in the Woods" dreams very big indeed. In the interest of avoiding spoilers, suffice it to say that this film takes self?awareness to its logical extremes.
It is not surprising that a film so cognizant of how films are made is technically brilliant. All the cogs fit together impressively well for a film that could easily have descended into total confusion. The music and visual tone are carefully calibrated to recall classic slasher films, but with just enough going wrong to unsettle the audience. A story so daring is not without its flaws, but the sheer momentum of how the film comes together carries it through any minor plot holes.
A film as boldly thrilling and funny as this is a rarity. But what makes "The Cabin in the Woods" truly remarkable is its relentless originality. One might be forgiven for thinking that this is another routine horror film from its bland advertising. Yet it is anything but routine, folding in on itself in fascinating ways and taking apart the horror genre lovingly and furiously. Ironically enough, the best way to describe the innovation of "The Cabin in the Woods" is to resort to a cliche: It really does have to be seen to be believed.
