The Cabin in the Woods

This was quite a brutally mad spectacle. You don't know if the creators are really messing with you or if it's supposed to be like that. Personally, I would probably classify this film in the section where I already have Zombieland, Tucker & Dale vs Evil, or Shaun of the Dead. The Cabin in the Woods is something completely new, though. At first, it strikingly resembles the classic The Evil Dead, but over time we sink into completely different waters. I like it when a film is absolutely unpredictable, and in this case, Americans satisfied me. Thanks them for it. The film also offers sometimes unbelievably good scenes, where your jaw drops with words: "Well, what the heck is this?" The actors, except for the blonde, fit moderately well. About ten minutes before the end, it only gets ballsy. And when you don't know what's going to happen next...well, Sigourney Weaver just appears. (24.12.2012)

Der Preis für den besten "Horror" des Jahres geht an... The Cabin in the Woods. Schon der Trailer hat genug verraten, sodass allen enthusiastischen Fans klar sein musste, dass es mit einem Slasher im Waldhütten-Setting auf keinen Fall endet. Aber das Massaker, das darauf folgt, ist noch besser! So viel scharfen Humor, geekige Ideen und treffende Reaktionen auf das Genre im Allgemeinen (Asiaten haben langhaarige Geister, Amerikaner haben Zombies oder das Befolgen von festgelegten Regeln für Massaker) könnten in weitere zehn Filme passen. Einfach PERFEKT. Und das Beste daran ist, dass absolut nichts Sie darauf vorbereitet, was Sie erwartet. Verdammt, das muss man im Kino sehen! (15.08.2012)

Drei Sterne, weil das Beste erst im Finale kam. Bis dahin war The Cabin in the Woods nichts anderes als eine einfallslose Nachahmung von Tanz der Teufel mit vorhersehbaren Schreckmomenten. Wenigstens haben die Drehbuchautoren mit einem unwiderstehlichen schwarzen Humor gearbeitet, wofür ich ihnen danke. (04.11.2012)

The Cabin in the Woods täuscht spielerisch. Erwartet sicherlich keine reinrassige Horrorshow, sondern eher eine Komödie, die sich über Horror-Klischees lustig macht. Die Drehbuchautoren Drew Goddard und Joss Whedon waren einfach nicht zufrieden mit einem einzigen Thema und schufen so einen Mix aus Genres und Motiven, der wie eine Hommage an alle möglichen Horror-Klassiker erscheint und sich gleichzeitig ein bisschen über sie lustig macht. Die Charaktere sind gut (sympathisch) geschrieben und man fiebert einfach mit ihnen mit. Und wenn man das Gefühl hat, dass das Ende naht, beginnt die Fahrt in apokalyptische Dimensionen. Überraschend, hart und witzig. (22.08.2012)

The Cabin in the Woods ist zweifellos ein wirklich origineller Film, denn ein ähnliches Thema wird man im Horrorgenre kaum finden, was einerseits ein großes Plus ist. Andererseits hat diese Originalität dazu geführt, dass die Geschichte in gewisser Weise völlig verworren und völlig außer Kontrolle geraten ist, und das auf eine schlechte Art und Weise, denn ein wenig Ungehorsam ist von Zeit zu Zeit willkommen. Dem Film mangelt es nicht an Spannung und vielen überraschenden Wendungen, aber es gibt auch viele WTF-Momente, in denen man sich manchmal verirrt. Kurzum, ein Film, der durch seine Thematik aus seiner grauen Mittelmäßigkeit herausgeholt wird, nur um sich dann vom Wahnsinn die Beine ausreißen zu lassen. (09.02.2016)

Horror dreams come true… Honestly, you won’t die of fear, but if you don’t share the relatively widespread senseless conviction that horror should be taken with the utmost seriousness, you are in for a lot of fun. Mixing horror with humour is a tricky thing. I’m not a fan of films labelled “horror comedies”, like Dead Snow or Beetlejuice, because mostly they are effective only in the humour, and I feel that the use of horror properties is a bit of a provocation, like saying “we could have made a great horror movie, but better come in and have a laugh”. The Cabin in the Woods is something else, it’s not a horror comedy proper, but horror that the creators aren’t afraid to spice up with a pinch (or two) of humour and light-heartedness, constantly playing with all sorts of clichés, peeks “behind the curtains” (you’ll understand when you watch it) and an utterly insane and incredibly fun climax that’s total carnage, lasts for about twenty minutes and it’s like a horror fan’s dreams come true. It’s hard to say how those who don’t follow the genre much will appreciate it, but I was thrilled by it and played it again right away. Everybody knew The Cabin in the Woods wouldn’t be your typical ruined trip to the mountains, but it’s not even what I was expecting from the trailer (which I thought was full of spoilers), and that was a pleasant shock. Really great. So far, the best, most original and most fun horror movie of the year, and I can’t recommend it enough. I would spoil it if I said more… Shame on the Czech cinema distribution. - "The evil is defeated. Now Kiko's soul will live in the happy frog!" - "Fuuuuuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!" :-D :-D :-D (15.08.2012)

I've never seen a movie like this and I probably never will again. This is a horror where everything that has always been perceived as “classical horror elements” is turned upside down and you struggle to keep up. Enough said! This is just one of those movies where it’d be a shame to say anything more. Just watch it and then let me know how shocked you were so that more people decide to watch it. I think that should do it. (14.07.2014)

Excellent parody of all the clichés you can only find in horror movies. Admittedly, I wasn't really on board in the beginning and thought it was a load of crap, but then it picked up and gained momentum and I couldn't do anything but cheer for the stoner – he was just awesome. Plus, the ending was actually pretty unexpected and funny, and I was generally very pleased. Probably the best thing I've seen in the genre; too bad about the slow and unexciting start. (19.07.2013)

Joss Whedon is not only a name in Hollywood, but a worldwide phenomenon when it comes to original screenwriting. He is bursting with ideas from every direction, and when he manages to bring something to completion, it is often an event. Or maybe not, because he is also able to fascinatingly kill some ideas. If there is something really interesting about The Cabin in the Woods, it's the concept that combines the good old Lovecraft style with modern teen massacre stories and plenty of horror props, all presented with a sympathetic perspective. The trouble is that The Cabin in the Woods is cluttered, and unfinished, oscillating between several genres, and what it does best, namely comedy, is hardly mentioned. Drew Goddard lacks directorial experience and probably even sufficient cinematic sensitivity to give the film a style, comb through Whedon's ideas, and above all, imprint it with atmosphere. Scenes that are potentially horror-inducing do not evoke fear. Those that could be suspenseful are rushed or wasted. The ironic elements do work, but they could be much more effective - they don't even come close to the best works of Sam Raimi. In the end, the film turned out to be a disappointment, although it cannot be said that it is a complete waste of time. I have no problem watching The Cabin in the Woods once, but I won't go back to it. Overall impression: 55%. (01.12.2013)

Unimaginable madness, what initially appears to be a routine horror flick, gradually transforms into something incredibly inventive and new. It reminded me the most of the TV series Lost, which was very popular at the time, meaning that if you don’t watch it until the very end, you will either understand nothing at all or very little. Cabin in the Woods is a sophisticated game with the viewer, setting its own rules within the genre and having absolutely no problem with it, something that can definitely not be said about every film in such a trash genre. (07.06.2013)

WOW! I can’t think of a better way to describe this film. If you're expecting a classic mindless bloodfest that becomes routine, stupid and predictable after the first kill, you're completely wrong. Cabin in the Woods is a true genre blast and probably the most modern and stylish horror film in years. Take this in any way you want, because the biggest mistake would be if I were to give you any significant approximation of what happens on screen. Screw the reviews and the synopsis, just go ahead and enjoy it. This is worthy horror! 85% (20.08.2012)

When I watched The Cabin in the Woods and learned about the excitement it generated among horror fans, I felt like I was missing something. A perfect rating seems completely absurd. However, it's talked about as the best film made in the genre in 2012. Moreover, it's claimed to be the most original. It’s an incredible contradiction when you realize that almost everything in the film is very unoriginal. You’ll feel like you’re watching Evil Dead for a moment, then Cube, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you had feelings reminiscent of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. There’s actually very little originality here. The most original aspect is that this unoriginal content is combined in an original way into a cohesive whole that surprisingly works. On one hand, it feels new and fresh, even though it’s unoriginal. The Cabin in the Woods draws from a long history of horror and uses it to present a rather ordinary horror comedy. It’s not a light comedy that lacks dull spots; it has them. Yet the story is interesting enough to captivate you. The originality of the execution and the combination of seemingly disjointed elements works. So does the subversion of horror myths. It doesn’t matter that the film turns into an ordinary B-movie by the end, exhausting all its ideas and just trying to make it to the finish line. It’s good. Against my will, I have to say it’s a good film. Unoriginal, but presented in a new way. I didn’t laugh like a madman, but some of the jokes were genuinely good. There are great lines, especially the references to old classic films. Still, I can’t help but feel it’s sad where horror is heading. Are we going to praise unoriginal films simply because it’s no longer possible to create anything that is new? Have we really run out of original ideas, and are we just recycling and trying to view it differently? Remakes, pilfering classics, parodying them, as is happening here, and of course the effort to twist it a bit. Long live the strange world where the best is what has already been made, and everything new is often rightly criticized. (01.03.2013)

Of course this formula scheme is soooooo tired and the ripoff of the greatest classics so obvious that it won’t be missed even by an average cinephile viewer. Still, there remains the fact that it's pretty nicely shot and that the million times warmed-over "high school" stereotype, as far as the characters are concerned, keeps you entertained with its predictability and infinite stupidity (the jock, the blonde b*tch, the geek/stoner, the naive virgin...). As much as I hate to admit it, I give a big plus for the elevator scene, because there was some semblance of originality there and it was filmed very impressively indeed. All in all, quite a delectable one-time treat. Even so, history will not be rewritten and Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead can rest in peace (in my opinion, at least until death). (02.11.2013)

I expected the film to scare me. Unfortunately, I didn't understand the abundance of gory nastiness and genre clichés that I've long had my fill of in various B-horror films. I appreciate the idea, but I was by no means impressed by the film's treatment of it. (30%) (14.07.2020)