"The Cabin In The Woods" Puppeteering Horror For Fun

Every film genre has its own particular conventions, those qualities that make it a category of its own. Once we accept this, we know that no matter how original a story is, if it falls into an specific genre, it is limited by certain parameters. Horror, more than other genres, uses very repetitive and cliched narrative devices and story lines that, for the most part, aim to satisfy the sadistic voyeurism of its viewers. In recent memory the trend in horror films has been to increase the brutality and shock value of each new film. By doing so they try to ignite interest in the audience maybe by showing a new torture device, or a more vicious and depraved killer. Whatever it is they try to present as refreshing,  it always has to involve youth, punishment, and even certain specific characters  such as a jock, a virgin and a its counterpart the "whore". These teenagers will engage in casual sex and drunkenness, they might take a wrong turn on a desolated road, or maybe play with the occult. Regardless of how they get there, the end result is always their imminent death.

 Here is where "The Cabin In The Woods" comes in to flip these conventions upside down, throw them at your face, make fun of them, makes us laugh, and indeed even scare us a bit. The story written by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, and directed by the former, is a horror comedy that plays with and controls everything you expect from a horror film, but cleverly uses it to be inventive. From the opening sequence when we see Richard (Richard Jerkins) and Steve (Bradley Whitford) in an factory/warehouse environment, where  they seem to be running very normal operations for a regular company. We encounter witty dark comedy and a plot that it is as surreal as it is unique. We are introduced to a group of kids on their way to a weekend getaway in the woods. One of them Dana (Kristen Connolly) is the smart, sensitive girl who provides the story with the virginal driving force. Also noteworthy, Chris Hemsworth who plays Curt, the athlete who seems to be not so much of a typical alpha male jock. This two settings connect as it is revealed that this 5 youngsters are part of a virtual reality ritual, completely manipulated by this "agency" in order to pay tribute to certain otherworldly entity. Every aspect of the world around them is rigged by Jerkins and his team. Little details such as temperature and light are engineered to induce teenage promiscuity, in order to get what is "expected" of the victims, even if is not really who they are.

Every horrifying creature, every phobia or paranormal scenario are part of a parade of nightmares from which involuntarily these kids must choose a way to die. The film in a sense tries to give slasher movies,or even the entire horror genre, a purpose. This premise of knowing that everything we've ever feared is controlled is both soothing and terrifying. In wants us  believe that nothing ever happens by chance, that it is all part of these big murderous reality show with extremely peculiar rules. Even with this complex concept, the film never stops being stunningly funny. I'm talking about laugh-out-loud comedy, which is very difficult to imagine in a movie like this, but its there. The story is a mind game intelligently crafted, making references to cult horror films, to science fiction universes, and still staying self-contained and true to its mix-genre sensibilities. A strange combination of uber most mass appeal gore and refined writing for viewers that don't enjoy torture porn for the sake of brutal exploitation.

The scares here are at a more intellectual level. The way this "agency" is desensitized with the lives of the victims, seeing them as simple prey is troubling. It aspires to demystifies the reasons why we love to see people suffer on screen in escalating more inhumane ways. Horror films exist to live out  obscure fantasies and in a sense be in danger yet in control. That is what "The Cabin In The Woods" is, it represents horror itself by taking in all we thought we knew and exposing it. The story falls a bit short in its resolution taking the easy way out, but by that point the story is just too good for it to be  a big issue.  Even the unexpected Sigourney Weaver appearance brings something to the table in terms of completing this macabre puzzle. A film to laugh, to be scared, and to analyze. A "win win" situation in my book.  "The Cabin In The Woods" is out now in Blu-ray and DVD. Grade A.