The Cabin in the Woods is one of the best movies I’ve seen so far this year and I absolutely cannot tell you why. It’s so smart, so entertaining and so relevant that if I divulge any plot information or themes then it will sully the experience. So instead of a traditional review, here’s a list of some terrible things this film DOESN’T do:
-It doesn’t drag on for over two hours.
-It doesn’t have one-dimensional characters whose only purpose is to raise the body count or expose themselves unnecessarily.
-It doesn’t use winking meta-humor to cover up a generic story and plot.
-It doesn’t use its self-awareness arbitrarily.
-It doesn’t condemn the audience.
-It doesn’t celebrate the clichés.
-It doesn’t pull its punches.
-It doesn’t restrain itself.
-It doesn’t ignore the problems, it confronts them.
-It doesn’t bring the story to a halt to preach a message.
-It doesn’t sacrifice entertainment for coherence.
-It doesn’t become disingenuous.
-It doesn’t assume the audience is full of idiots.
-It doesn’t contain itself to one genre.
-It doesn’t waste the considerable talents on display.
-It doesn’t waste time on things that don’t matter.
-It doesn’t have faux-witty dialogue that makes all the characters sound like the same person.
-It doesn’t so much meet expectations as it does raise the bar.
-It doesn’t make promises it can’t keep.
-It doesn’t just entertain, it resonates.
Whether or not this film is financially successful, it will ultimately matter. Don’t miss it.