Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods.
Geeks, newbies, it won’t matter – Cabin has something in its box of tricks to scare everyone.
Despite pumping out red herrings and twists, you don’t experience much in the way of suspense, shocks or smart, satisfying kicks. At best, The Cabin In The Woods is a horror halfway house.
Part Evil Dead, part The Truman Show, part Arthur Christmas... For horror hounds who love a larf, and those of us who always wondered exactly what that dry-ice stuff that rises out of the forest-floor moss is. A fun ride — but not quite a Scream.
A super-entertaining, super-slick love/hate letter to horror with a final 20 minutes that’s stunningly bonkers.
It’s a love letter to horror made by talented fans who are clearly head-over-heels.
Where Goddard joins the rest of the fright-night directors is in not being able to make his winning ideas last until the end credits roll. His movie goes too fast, too soon so that by the two-thirds point exhaustion has set in.
Unlike Scream, which managed to spoof and terrify and had a mystery to solve (who is the killer?) The Cabin In The Woods only spoofs.
Every emotion is stirred through the insane series of events which spin out of control through phantasmagorical monsters, a sharp script, bewildering plot and a killer ending. The Cabin in the Woods absolutely claws its way into my top five horror films and I think it may lurk there a while.
The Cabin in the Woods is a clever take on the horror genre, with a seismically satisfying plot twist.
The Cabin in the Woods is a shrewd, ingenious look the programmatic elements of the genre, a satire that is also a lenient celebration, and it could wind up being a set text in any MA course in horror. But however smart and sophisticated this film is, it may disappoint those who, in their hearts, would still like to be genuinely scared.
Clever meta-horror, with plenty of hyuks to match the yuks.
Cabin is not a reboot or a satire or an attack--it's the odd giggle.
I’ve only five stars to award, but it deserves an extra one for being about 30 IQ points brighter than it needed to be. Of how many Hollywood movies can you say that?
Whedon and Goddard are pretty good at making us chortle, less so at maintaining a narrative grip.
Not an effective horror film in itself, despite some outrageous blood-letting in the third act, but there's plenty for non-genre fans to enjoy and the hardened fright aficionado will have a scream with its reference points.
The Cabin In The Woods looks set to be the horror of the year.
This film doesn't just subvert its genre, it blows it apart, with wit, ingenuity and a cheery gusto that eventually leaves the viewer in loose-jawed astonishment.
A forceful, funny, frightening and ingenious horror flick.
The Cabin in the Woods does indeed make you think again, and again, but it's also a highly efficient thrill machine.
Joss Whedon's high-concept chiller is a one-off curiosity that promises much but delivers little scariness, wit or insight.
Without wishing to give too much away, this film is similar in temperament and intelligence to the Scream movies, and will appeal to both horror novices and experts alike.
This film is not a game changer, and it should not be treated as such. It’s an average horror flick with good intentions, but hollow results.
The real horror of filming scary stories.
Mr Beaks and Drew Goddard talk Cabin in the Woods, Bradle Whitford and Jack Burton.
The Cabin in the Woods shows horror speaks an international language
Drew Goddard
Cabin in the Woods director Drew Goddard goes in-depth about the secrets of the movie with Quint! Beware heavy spoilers!
General release. Check local listings for show times.