Horror comedies: “The Cabin in the Woods”

Horror and slasher movies don’t necessarily have to be all serious or disgustingly violent and gory, as the intelligent The Cabin in the Woods shows, even if it has all the ingredients as well.

The Cabin in the Woods
(USA 2012, director: Drew Goddard)

Five young people go into the woods, only to find out that not everything is what is seems when discovering an old book in the basement and unleashing more than a weird organization working in the background can handle.

Being innovative or witty in a horror movie, especially in the slasher genre, isn’t easy, but The Cabin in the Woods pulls it off with two worlds of science and horror colliding. It’s difficult to write about all the twists and turns without spoiling the fun one has when not knowing where the movie goes next. Suffice it to say that even after having watched it once, it’s still as enjoyable the second time around, despite lacking the general confusion of not knowing what goes on.

Knowing about the rules of the slasher genre and deconstructing them isn’t enough, though, so it’s great to see that this isn’t simply a parody with stupid characters, but a mix of other genres as well, and it’s even more fun if one sees all sorts of references to different kinds of genre cinema. While most of the protagonists aren’t anything more than slasher fodder, they’re still likable to a certain degree.

It’s also a very violent movie at times with blood and guts thrown around aplenty. It certainly could have used some funnier dialogue at times, and memorable characters aren’t really found here, either. But what The Cabin in the Woods delivers is pure fun with fast pacing, sick twists and an even more amazing final part. It might not reinvent the horror genre or live up to all the hype, but in a stagnating genre, this is as good as it gets.

Score: 9/10

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Official Universum Film Website

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