SXSW 2012 Review: Cabin in the Woods

How does one even begin to review a film like Cabin in the Woods, whose very premise is a spoiler? That’s the question that has been bugging all the film journos (well, most of them) here at SXSW.

When he introduced the film at the premiere last night, producer and co-writer Joss Whedon implored the audience to enjoy the film and not tell anyone what it’s after the credits rolled. He recommended we just call it “awesome” and tell our family and friends to see it.

So here’s the thing: this movie is awesome. It manages to be a great horror film and a great comedy and a great something-something-lips-are-sealed at the same time. It’s increasingly rare to find a film that turns a genre on its head while still staking claim to a level of originality, but that’s exactly what we have here.

So what happens in Drew Goddard’s movie?

Everything… Goes… Nuts.

You think you know why a group of stereotypical hardbodied coeds are in for a horrific say at the eponymous cabin in the woods, but you really don’t. (One hint: Goddard wrote 9 episodes of Lost. Cabin will make you wish he wrote the final season.)

It feels like Goddard and Whedon knocked it out of the park on this one. This film is fun and refreshing. It’s good for the horror fan and, well, the Whedon fan in us all. I had a blast.

Go see it when it comes out in April and let’s talk specifics then.