Zack Gill
Entertainment Editor
Many people go to horror films because they love the adrenaline rush provided by fear, but perhaps an equal amount go to horror films to laugh at the absurd carnage portrayed on the screen in some sort of sick, gleeful schadenfreude.
Director Drew Goddard’s new film, “The Cabin in the Woods,” is for that latter group. Falling more to the comedy side of the horror-comedy, this new film, co-written by Goddard and the legendary Joss Whedon (of “Buffy” and “Firefly” fame), will cater to the bloodlust and funny bone of every filmgoer.
“The Cabin in the Woods” begins with a cliched, almost archetypical horror movie set up. A group of college students — including the nerdy girl (Kristen Connolly), the stoner (Fran Kranz), and the alpha male (Chris Hemsworth) — heads to the titular cabin for a party getaway. Eventually, stereotypical horror movie tropes set in and the group goes into the cellar and awakens a family of zombies via Latin incantation.
What the college students do not know is that they are being watched by two mysterious desk jockeys (Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins) who manipulate every aspect of their stay at the cabin. From a high-tech control room, the two white collar workers create every scenario for the college students, leading them to their ultimate demise.
It’s hard to talk about the film without spoiling too much — the plot takes an insane turn toward the end. At least this much can be said: the final twenty-five minutes are some of the craziest in any horror film ever, and the bloodbath that ensues in them is one of the most creative and hilarious in any horror film ever.
“The Cabin in the Woods” is not an especially scary film, or really a traditional horror film at all, despite what the advertisements may tell you. Still, the film will probably end up gaining a massive cult following anyway, like the similarly genre-bending cult classic “Evil Dead II.”
Many of the film’s performances are surprisingly superb — especially its most comedic ones. Whitford, from his years of practing Aaron Sorkin dialogue on “The West Wing,” is perhaps the most adept at Whedon’s signature snappy dialogue. Kranz, who previously collaborated with Whedon on the short-lived television series “Dollhouse,” is also particularly funny as the stoner Marty, one of the college-student victims.
The film is surprisingly special-effects heavy compared to most horror films: fantastical CG creatures coexist with makeup-laden zombies and other ghoulies. Everything in the film, from a design aspect, is completely convincing. From the titular, dilapidated cabin to a sleek, high-tech facility, the film makes the most with its relatively low budget of $30 million.
“The Cabin in the Woods” is for anyone who can tolerate blood and gore. The film has enough laughs to entertain people who hate the typical horror film, and subverts enough genre tropes to entertain even the most jaded of horror fans. “The Cabin in the Woods” is rated R and is playing in theaters nationwide.
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