The Cabin in the Woods is unclassifiable. Is it horror, sci fi, or comedy? Is it a clever mash-up of all three? Does it lovingly pay tribute to past horror films, or mock their genre tropes?
In the end, I walked out of the theater not sure what to
make of it, but the smile on my face told me that it really didn’t matter. I’m
not exaggerating when I say that The Cabin in the Woods is the most enjoyable
movie I’ve seen so far this year. Perhaps it’s my favorite horror-comedy since
Scream 4. And everyone knows how much I love Scream 4.
Because I enjoyed the unusual twists and rhythms of this
movie, I don’t want to give anything away in this review. I want everyone who
walks into this movie to have as little knowledge as possible, because the ride
is such an unusual and twisty one. But I will say the dialogue is Whedonesque
and clever, the deaths are memorable, and the last half hour is filled to the
brim with moments that would make any horror fan want to stand up and cheer. The
world that this movie creates for itself is insanely clever and immersive; it
basically explains how every horror film ever made could co-exist in the same,
crazy, wonked-out universe.
Please, please, please see this movie while it is still in
the theaters. Pay the ticket price. This is a singular experience. I may not
know how to classify it, except to say that it’s good. Really, really good.
