Review: The Cabin in the Woods

The horror genre is perhaps the only genre in need of a constant rejuvenation. It seems that every fifteen years a new kind of horror film emerges to breath some fresh air into the stale genre. The problem is that breath of fresh air is then repeatedly tainted by pretenders at the genre like Eli Roth or Rob Zombie.

The Cabin in the Woods is the most recent breath of fresh air, but before we continue, let's take a moment to discuss the one thing this film doesn't do that many critics claim it does.

This film does not, in any sort of capacity, "redefine the genre." Now, I'm not saying this to be the one dissenting juror, I'm saying this because it is a literal impossibility. A genre is a specific kind of story that adheres to a strict set of conventions. A story doesn't need to acknowledge each and every convention, but there are a few basic ones that are necessary.

Now, when you redefine something, you take what is already there and completely change it to something else. For instance, let's say we change the definition of the word "shelf" to "a portable light source." We have now redefined the word "shelf," but since we have, we are no longer talking about a shelf. The same applies to genres. If we take the conventions of a specific genre and redefine them, we are no longer working within that genre. Therefore, you can not, in any imaginable way, redefine a genre.

You can, however, add conventions to a genre (which is not a redefinition because you're still working with the basics) or creatively weave the available conventions into something that seems unfamiliar (which is what The Cabin in the Woods really does). Also, adding elements of other genres to a specific genre doesn't change it, it only creates sub-genres (like horror-comedies, political thrillers, romantic comedies, etc.). So by now you're probably saying, "Who cares? Why does it even matter? Aren't being a bit pretentious?" I get it, not everyone cares about the semantics, but I do and this is my review so let me have my moment.

Now, on to the heart of the matter. The Cabin in the Woods is the brainchild of cult favorite Joss Whedon and long-time collaborator Drew Goddard (who also directed it). It stars Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz and Jesse Williams as five college students venturing forth on a weekend excursion to a cabin in the woods. It's the basic set-up for all great (and not-so-great) horror films.

Each of the five students represent a specific archetype of character present in just about every horror movie. There's Dana, the virgin (Connolly); Curt, the athlete (Hemsworth); Jules, the whore (Hutchison); Marty, the fool/stoner (Kranz); and Holden, the scholar (Williams). Also along for the ride are Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford as two white-collar office employees who are the cause of much of the chaos that ensues.

Based on the trailers, it's obvious that this is no run-of-the-mill cabin in the woods story... well, really it is, but... the whole thing is just one big self-referential... think of it this way. You may think you know the twists that will occur in The Cabin in the Woods, but chances are you won't nail them all.

The film's greatest victory is its attention to detail. Whedon and Goddard really combed through the script and tailored it so precisely. Don't take any line of dialogue for granted, for there's something significant to character and plot in almost every word.

In the end, this is film will go down as a horror fan favorite, much like Scream and The Evil Dead before it. And despite any arguments to the contrary, The Cabin in the Woods (along with last year's Tucker & Dale vs. Evil) is just the kind of film that the horror genre needs right now. See you in five years when the whole thing goes stale again.

The Cabin in the Woods - 3.5/5