“The Cabin in the Woods” is a campy, gory delight destined to be a cult classic.
“The Cabin in the woods” starts out like the typical slasher film with a group of friends traveling to jock-and-scholar Curt’s (Chris Hemsworth) cousin’s cabin for a rustic getaway. The trip to the cabin is rough enough, with a rude and spooky gas station attendant giving the group a hard time.
The group including all the stereotypes ranging from the good girl to the stoner, make it to the cabin and discover it is not exactly what they were hoping for.
The good time hoped for quickly turns creepy when they discover the cellar of the cabin is full of oddities that both intrigue and scare them. When the good girl Dana (Kristen Connolly) reads a passage in Latin from a diary she found in the basement the group’s good time turns into a nightmare.
“The Cabin in the Woods” has the same campy feel that “The Evil Dead” franchise has. The gore and special effects are all extreme and the storyline is so ridiculous and entertaining that it is obvious the film will have a cult following.
Hemsworth is by far the biggest name on the cast, but the lack of big name actors adds to the cheesy campiness of the film. Fran Kranz, Anna Hutchison and Jesse Williams, along with Connolly, have never had any major roles or performed in many, if any, huge films. Their acting is less than perfect, but that is to be expected in a campy slasher flick.
Two bigger Hollywood names play smaller supporting roles, and the characters are among some of the funniest in the film. Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford play two behind-the-scenes guys, Sitter and Hadley. The two work together flawlessly, and the banter and jokes between the two characters add a degree of hilarity that is set apart from the rest of the film.
“The Cabin in the Woods” is as unique as it is entertaining, and it offers an unconventional point of view to the slasher film.
“The Cabin in the Woods” is rated R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, language, drug use and some sexuality/nudity.
