The Cabin in the Woods

After the "parody" movies of the 2000s comes The Cabin in the Woods, a lesson in how to poke fun at a genre while still telling a compelling story. It incorporates all the clichés of the horror genre but in a clever way that all ties together. Even when you think you know what's going to happen, the film goes off the rails and goes into completely new territory.

The Cabin in the Woods (2011) follows a group of friends who go on vacation to a cabin and find themselves getting more than they bargained for. Overall, this is a fun and interesting horror. It's definitely a love letter to fans of all things horror, including fun little references to other films.

The cinematography is very lacklustre and I definitely expected more in terms of colour palettes and camerawork. The lighting is fairly poor at times too, and it's hard to see what's going on. However, there are a few shot transitions that I really liked.

The sound design is also quite basic, and it doesn't really help to set up an effective atmosphere. However, I did like the score. It isn't entirely original, but it's a lot of fun and very attention grabbing. Also, there are some super funny music cues throughout.

We get a good feel for the characters, and although they follow very basic tropes, this just adds to the 80s inspired charm of the film. There are some hilarious lines, paired well with distinctive and goofy performances. I particularly like Fran Kranz as Marty and Bradley Whitford as Hadley.

The film is unique from the start, and a fun and easy watch all throughout. It doesn't drag and feels a lot shorter than it is. It does get a little confusing at times but I feel it's explained well and in an easy-to-digest manner.

An incredibly clever and meta take on the horror comedy genre. It is both a love letter and a criticism on the cliches and tropes used in horror movies. What makes this film unique is how it uses the tropes for its narrative purpose.

I personally, would move or remove some of the scenes in the first act to give the movie a sense of mystery. There is a lot of scenes with a certain duo that I feel would have been better introduced in the second act. That way the first act feels more like a cliche horror movie because it gets completely flipped on its head in the second act. Apart from that, I find this to be a throughly enjoyable film!

This film is firing on all cylinders. The cast is AMAZING! It pokes fun at the whole horror genre, while still managing to be one of the best in the genre. This flick is Hemsworth-the-watch.

I don't know why people are saying that this film was an abomination and advising others not to see it, because it has all if the element required in a fantastic horror.

For me it re-ignited the flame in what was a dying genre, being poisoned by numerous of extremely bad films. Not only did it make it's way into my favorite horrors of all time, but it makes me have faith that people can once again create a true horror. Now there are only remakes of horrors, ( Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street ....) or prequels, ( Prometheus ).

This movie is full of twists and turns you don't know what way it's going to go. It's smart, funny, gory and sexy with fantastic acting by all the cast. I was on the edge of my seat hungry for more.

Overall, I rated this movie a 10 because it deserved it. This was one of the best films I've seen in a very long time and is one that I'll be watching over and over again.