This year's Cabin in the Woods turned the horror genre upside down, and was able to do so in a unique and extremely entertaining way. The film parodied the genre's seemingly inability to escape it's cliches, and poses the question of whether they are the downfall of the genre, or all that keeps it together. I unravel the twists and turns of the film, all after the jump. Do beware however, a new viewer's worst fear resides below the jump, spoilers!
The film Cabin in the Woods was brilliant because it was able to represent the entirety of a genre. It even exhibited how it works and entertains, all through a fantastically disguised metaphor. The film was advertised as the stereotypical cliched horror, to draw the audience in the film with hopes to break down the genre it is posing as. This all builds into why the film is so grand, and if you misunderstood what the film was truly trying to convey, you may have missed out on a great film. The movie is certainly open to many interpretations, and I just lay out some of my own thoughts on the film, and things I have taken away from it below.
The film started out as every other cliched horror flick does. Five teens head to a remote and hidden-away cabin in a gloomy forest, hoping for a fun retreat, and get more than they bargain for. We do get a glimpse behind the scenes to a facility, whose employees must carry out these movie-scene murders in such a way that appeases the gods.
What we finally see however, is why this all happens. We learn why the cliches must always play out as expected. The facility run by Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford's characters represent the film maker. The two 'producers' in charge of the horror simulation answer to the 'director'. (Clearly some aspects of the film were made to be more conspicuous to help along those who couldn't quite grasp the concept.)
Much in the way that the facility must carry out these sacrifices to appease the gods, movie makers must make cliched horror movies that satisfy their audience, and keep them from wanting something more, something that asks the audience to think for themselves, and to interpret a concept with a mind of their own.
A good example of this is plot strings in many films: In every movie there seem to be connections that are far too convenient, and far too fitting simply just to carry the plot along. In the film we see the 'Hollywood' facility throw in these conveniences, represented by pheromones and gases. Chris Hemsworth's character seems to be thinking straight, suggesting they stay together. However, this would not work for the film, so they inject some gas and ,just like that, the gang decides to split up. Horror film characters are often static and unchanging, as producers make this choice, knowing it will please the audience. In the film, we continue to see this come into play.
Hemsworths' dynamic character who discusses Sociology with Dana as well being athletic is streamlined into a one-trick-pony brainless jock. We see a varsity jacket materialize, and suddenly he seems to carry a football around everywhere. This occurs with all the other characters as well, as athletic Holden finds a pair of glasses and a brain to become the 'scholar'. A mysterious voice also soon drives Marty to do things even his stoner self would never do.
In the end of the film, the survival of 'The Fool' and his defiance is a metaphor for Hollywood's underestimation of it's audience, thinking they would be content given the same material disguised and repackaged each time. The breaching of the facility and subsequent death of it's workers represents a revolt by the audience, and failing of movies to entertain an audience who now demands more. With the gods escaping at the end of the film, the audience has finally come to a realization and demanded more, and changed cinema forever. Whedon and Goddard hope to have enlightened their audiences and help them demand more than cliched films from Hollywood. For those of you who grasp the film, the end of it should also be a personal victory, as it represents your freedom from conventional horror cinema, as well as the gods from their masters who had kept them at bay for far too long.
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