Film Road to Halloween: The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

The road to Halloween is paved with good films. Wherein we countdown to the spirited season with a hundred doses of horror. 93 days to go.

Throughout the early part of the 21^st century, the horror genre was at an identity crisis. Most of the films that were coming out were remakes of previously good horror films or generic slasher films that are cheap to make and have no real value to a film conversation.

But then in the 2012, a little horror film came out that changed the genre and the modern day horror film for good. The Cabin in the Woods premiered with praise and a decent box office, after many years of being pushed back and placed on the shelf to collect dust. On the surface, the film has a basic premise but underneath, there is more to this film than meets the eye.

“A little horror film came out that changed the genre and the modern day horror film for good.”

The film follows a group of teenagers that go to an abandoned cabin in the woods for a weekend. Only to find out there are far more sinister things going on than just a creepy cabin. Sound like something you have heard before? That’s because you have, but there is a twist to the familiar story.

The twist is that they are being watched and their actions are controlled by two men played by Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins. They work for an organization that must perform simulations, horrific acts that are being done across the world that must be met to completion. The end result of not completing at least one of these tasks will result in catastrophic results for the entire world.

But as the simulation keeps going, the members of the cabin start to realize something isn’t right. As the curtain starts to fall, the direr the situation becomes for the two men behind the desk.

“It’s a great homage to classic horror films of the past.”

As the movie plays out, a regular audience member can get caught up in the story and think that this is just another good addition to the horror genre. The film is like if Quentin Taratino was making a horror movie, with sharp dialogue and plenty of fun twists. It’s a great homage to classic horror films of the past, with versions of famous creatures and monsters presented throughout the film.

It also noted as being one of the first big roles ever given to Chris Hemsworth. Though due to this films delays, he had already starred in Thor by the time this film came out. It’s a deliciously fun horror movie that leaves you smiling once you have left the theater.

But as stated earlier, this movie has more to say underneath. This movie is critiquing the genre and asking audiences why they are settling for middle of the road horror movies? Why are they settling for slashing, ultra-bloody films that are meaningless voids of quote-unquote entertainment?

The answer is simple, Hollywood tricked you in believing that this is all the horror genre can do for almost a decade and half. They got away with no one challenging the idea that slasher films aren’t just the only horror genre that can be made or that audiences want to see. So director Drew Goddard and his co-writer Joss Whedon made was the ultimate critique to challenge filmmakers and filmgoers that this isn’t how horror, or any genre, should be operating.

“By establishing that everyone you see in the film is smart, they have the ability to question everything at any time.”

The number one way Goddard and Whedon bring this critique to light is through the idea of awareness. All the characters that go to the cabin, while usually written as dumb, disposable characters in lesser films, are written so smartly through this film. By establishing that everyone you see in the film is smart, they have the ability to question everything at any time.

That is why when things start to seem off, they are fast to react to being a part of something they know is wrong, much like an audience member watching the film. It’s similar smart writing that we have seen in films that have come out over the last couple of years.

Sure we have seen a renaissance over the last couple of years within the genre. We have the phrase “elevated horror” being attached to any indie or mainstream director that tries to do their own horror film. We know these films will rise above the normal horror commotion that usually comes out around Halloween every year. And The Cabin in the Woods isn’t necessarily the reason that a lot of those films exist but it kind of is. It’s interesting to see a film like this be released.

“The horror genre we know today changed shortly after this movie came out.”

The film criticizes every aspect of the genre and how we consume it. Only to then have a complete changing of the guard not so many years later. It’s a ballsy thing to put an entire genre on blast but what Goddard and Whedon do is make something so intelligent that it’s just as fascinating to watch as it is entertaining.

The film finds balance; it echoes to a time where the genre said something about the world. It echoes to a time where the genre could be relevant. Therefore, while the importance of being relevant is there, it is also a warning to the film world that things need to change.

Maybe the studios got smart and changed the way they wanted to make horror movies. Maybe audiences wanted something more from their films. Or maybe filmmakers just decided to make horror films for their upcoming projects. However you look at it, the horror genre we know today changed shortly after this movie came out.

It is truly amazing what looking in the mirror can do, and how horror film history as we know changed for the better. The Cabin in the Woods is a revolutionary horror film for this century. Therefore, we should be thankful that it exists, otherwise who knows what the genre would look like right now.