It’s a favourite phrase of mine – Yet each man kills the thing he loves – which is why this blog is named as it is. And writer Joss Whedon and director Drew Goddard obviously have a lot of love for the horror genre – the way they slice and dice it here – both films and literature.
I love horror – perhaps it’s obvious in some of the stories I write – and I love horror films. I think Cabin in the Woods is a film for people like me – who’ve seen all the old goodies (Evil Dead, Halloween, Hellraiser etc), and who know every cliché, every trope back to front.
It begins almost like most American horror films, introducing a bunch of dumb college kids. I say almost, because just before that you’re introduced to some other guys who seem to be running some kind of black op. I don’t want to say more than that – the first five minutes of the film – because spoilers will ruin this film for you. I’d even say not to watch the trailer.
The film is scary, for sure, but mostly it’s funny, in a sick, twisted kind of way. It comments on how formulaic most horror films are (and not just American ones), and teases our expectations of what should happen next. This genre-busting horror-satire-comedy is a real scorcher of a film, that keeps your brain engaged far more than most films.
There are some outstanding scenes, with great acting. Bradley Whitford stole the show for me as the bored suit, just doing his job