The Cabin in the Woods

"I have the Harbinger on line two..."
"Oh Christ, can you take a message?"

Five friends, Curt (Hemsworth), Jules (Hutchinson), Holden (Williams), Dana (Connolly), and Marty (Kranz) go on vacation to a remote cabin "off the grid."  The cabin is very old, and they discover relics in the basement.  While in the basement, they read a Latin incantation that causes a problem.

Meanwhile, from the moment they arrive at the cabin, every action is monitored by Sitterson (Jenkins) and Hadley (Whitford).  Sitterson and Hadley, and their team, have a larger agenda.  Will anyone survive the night?


From the moment I heard about this film I wavered back and forth "I want to see it," "I'll never see it."  I wanted to see the film because it was written by Joss Whedon, and I love everything he does.  I didn't want to see it because I don't like scary movies... yes, I occasionally delve into the genre, but I have a vivid imagination...  Anyway, I ultimately decided I wasn't going to see it, so I read the plot synopsis.  A few weeks ago I decided it was a good idea to watch the film... despite several people advising against it.  So I bit the bullet and moved it to the top of my Netflix queue, and found a friend to watch it with me.

Definitely not what I was expecting.  The synopsis reads like a traditional horror film, with a major twist.  But watching the film, they definitely play with audience expectations, and even discuss them at one point.  There are aspects of horror and lots of blood / gore, BUT it is also funny.  And often the plot jumps back and forth between terror and humor, and sometimes it's campy.  The mixture works and keeps you from getting too comfortable with the style.

The cast is great.  The writing is creative.  And the effects are good (if you ignore a few scenes).  It's a good film, worth looking into if you can handle some gore and scary moments.

And for people asking about a sequel... have you seen the ending?

The Cabin in the Woods (2011) 95 minutes
Rated: R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, language, drug use and some sexuality/nudity
Director: Drew Goddard
Starring: Kristen Connolly as Dana
Chris Hemsworth as Curt
Anna Hutchison as Jules
Fran Kranz as Marty
Jesse Williams as Holden
Richard Jenkins as Sitterson
Bradley Whitford as Hadley