The Cabin in the Woods

            “The Cabin in the Woods” is a mystery and horror movie that was released Apr. 13. The director of the movie, Drew Goddard, co-wrote the movie with Joss Whedon. The main stars include Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, and Jesse Williams. I rented it from a Redbox not that long ago. I think it’s a good movie with several different elements.

            In this movie, five young friends take a trip to a cabin in the woods. When they get there, they find some pretty strange things, such as a cellar with many interesting objects.  Dana (Kristen Connolly) becomes fascinated with a diary and starts to read from it aloud. This triggers a zombie family to awaken and come after them. However, there’s more to the story of this cabin in the woods.

Photo by i09

            It’s important to understand that this movie isn’t completely focused on horror. If you’re looking for a scare-you-stiff movie, this isn’t what you want. “The Cabin in the Woods” also has mystery and humor that carry a lot of weight. I’m telling you this because if you see this movie expecting a full-blown horror movie, you will probably be disappointed. With the right mindset however, you will see how good the movie is.

            I enjoyed the plot of this movie a lot. It has some of the typical horror movie elements, such as crazy killers going after their victims one at a time. It also has a few jump scares. Only the first one got me a little though. I liked that there was a twist to the typical horror movie style. It made the plot more interesting and more enjoyable. It was actually a little thought provoking.

            The actors did a pretty good job. They played the stereotyped characters believably. I liked them enough to root for them to survive. Since the movie is so plot driven though, I wasn’t as drawn into the characters as I might have normally been.

            They used the special effects very well. They made some of the scenes really fun to watch. The music of a horror movie is also important because it builds up the intensity. I really like how the music was used to help the viewer get sucked in.

            I was not surprised that I would like the movie. My brother is a big fan of Joss Whedon and therefore, he has got me to watch most of the things he has done. These include “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Toy Story,” “Firefly,” “Angel,” “Serenity,” “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” and “The Avengers,” which I’m sure a lot of you have seen. I have only seen some of the things Drew Goddard has done because they were in these things by Joss Whedon.

            If you’re looking for something a little different, this movie is perfect for you. With Halloween coming up soon, now would be a good time to see it. It’s nice to get a break from those typical horror movies.