Jumping decades ahead from the 1984 “slasher” hit A Nightmare on Elm Street, today’s blog is about a more recent horror movie listed in Steven Jay Schneider’s book “1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.” And that movie is none other than the 2012 horror comedy The Cabin in the Woods, directed by Drew Goddard.
[NOTE: This blog will contain spoilers for “The Cabin in the Woods.” You have been warned.] The History Co-writing the screenplay in three days with director Drew Goddard (Cloverfield, World War Z, The Martian), Joss Whedon (Serenity, The Avengers) described this film as a “loving hate letter” to modern horror movies. Specifically, he and Goddard aimed to critique both what they love and hate about horror films in the modern era: a mixture of thrills and horror for the former, and these types of movies leaning into “torture porn” for the latter. Principal photography lasted from March to May of 2009 in Vancouver, Canada. While much of the underground complex featured in the movie is made up of sets, the crew did shoot in the Aerospace building of the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Production designer Martin Whist, inspired by Kubrick, wanted the space to look and feel “industrial,” “utilitarian,” and “institutional.” Visual effects work began in December of 2008 (several months before shooting even started) in order to digitally create sixty different monster types based on performances from “close to a thousand” people. According to Oscar-winning make-up artist David LeRoy Anderson of AFX Studio, the only way that him and his team were able to complete the creature visualizations before production began due to their crew of about seventy employees working “at least two jobs.” Despite the pressure, Anderson reported that they had “an incredible time.” With a production budget of 30 million dollars, The Cabin in the Woods was released in April of 2012 to generally positive critical reception. In addition to grossing more than double its budget worldwide, the film was praised for its humor, screenplay, tone, and effective yet endearing satire of the horror genre. The Pros When it comes to some of the best horror movies ever made (like Rosemary’s Baby or Get Out), a “slow burn” pace involving a compelling mystery is often effective at pulling me in for an entertaining thrill-ride. And, in a sense, The Cabin in the Woods is that. Its first act centered on five archetypal college students staying in a spooky cabin evokes films like Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead. Of course, it wastes very little time foreshadowing the mystery while simultaneously pulling the rug out from under the audience with monster attacks. Admittedly, this initial sense of familiarity was trying when I watched this movie. But, its effective scares and intriguing mystery kept me interested long enough to feel won over by the peak of the second act, which leads into…well, I’ll get to that. 😊 When it comes to the writing, Goddard and Whedon offer up more than a smart satire of horror tropes but a thoroughly agreeable critique of modern horror. Its focused spotlight on what makes horror movies both revolting and enticing serves the film’s greater purpose that any great movie should have: entertainment. Strip away the social and genre commentary, and The Cabin in the Woods is still a more-than-adequate thriller with plenty of scares and monster antics. But their screenplay, injected with poignantly inspired moments of humor for the cast to bite into, layers its commentary as the frosting on a tasty cinematic cake to elevate the movie to the status of modern classic. And while most horror movies tend to de-emphasize the importance of its protagonists in favor of focus on the villains, I did very much appreciate this early Chris Hemsworth before he became fully immersed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thor. He fully embraces the “bimbo jock” mantra but sprinkles his undeniable charisma with every look and movement to the point where the second act’s lack of sufficient action is more than made up for with his noble yet foolish heroics (and laugh-out-loud death scene). All that being said, however, The Cabin in the Woods is most memorable for its final thirty minutes. Not only is the mystery of the cabin itself finally solved, but Goddard and Whedon’s no-holds-barred third act oozes with monster chaos and bloody insanity that makes up for any minor gripes or criticisms that I have for what comes before. Simply put, the movie is worth watching on this fact alone: it gets better from start to finish, which (in my humble opinion) is certainly preferable to the alternative. The Cons Speaking of the flaws of The Cabin in the Woods, I do not think by any means that the writing is perfect. In fact, I was not super impressed by Goddard and Whedon’s approach to world building with regards to “The Facility.” While I understand the satirical purpose of it, I just found the amount of time spent on the employees and infrastructure of this group of masterminds to be less about serving the film’s social commentary and more there to simply service the plot. On another note, while I gleefully enjoyed Hemsworth fully embracing his “jock” archetype I’m afraid that his presence overshadows the other four members of the cast of “killables.” None of their lines, relationships, or arcs are memorable when put up against the nature of their deaths. And while this doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of the film as a while, it does keep it from achieving a degree of timelessness that other horror movies with unforgettable leads or villains (like Halloween or A Nightmare on Elm Street) have. So, what are my final impressions of The Cabin in the Woods? While not necessarily one of the greatest horror movies ever made, it’s definitely one of my favorites. Its sensitive blend of genuinely funny and scary moments mixed with a compelling mystery and an over-the-top third act that will burn itself into your memory makes for a very fun time. Despite its flaws, I highly recommend checking it out this spooky season. What are your thoughts on Drew Goddard’s The Cabin in the Woods? What modern horror movies do you recommend? What opinions of mine do you find absolutely ridiculous? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, this has been… Yours Truly, Amateur Analyst
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Austin McManusI have no academic or professional background in film production or criticism; I simply love watching and talking about movies. Archives
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