I should start by saying that I am not a fan of the horror genre. I love Buffy, Angel, movies like Underworld and Constantine, but I don't count myself as a fan of the horror genre. To me they seem like movies that focus on scaring the audience instead of telling a story and entertaining, and that's not why I shell out between $10 and $20 to sit in a dark room and listen to crinkly snacks and stage whispers from people I inevitably want to punch (or in that once case chuck a book at). That said, this movie is a horror movie. THAT said, this movie is not a horror movie. Confused? Good.
At this point I implore you to stop reading if you haven't seen the movie; it's got a unique and complex plot that is fun to watch unfold. All reviews that I read of it were very bare-bones because Goddard wanted the audience to get to discover what's happening along with the characters and I highly suggest that's the way it's seen.
*SPOILERS*
Five attractive twenty-somethings go off for a weekend at Curt's (Chris Hemsworth, Thor before he was Thor) cousin's cabin near a lake. This cabin is in the woods (get it?!) in the middle of nowhere. Other than Curt, there is his pre-med girlfriend Jules (Anna Hutchison) , their stoner friend Marty (Fran Kranz), Curt's jock/intellectual friend Holden (Jesse Williams), and the sweet and quiet nerd Dana (Kristen Connolly). Everything is going great until the cellar. That's when everything changes and the real nightmare for these characters begins. People die and regardless of whether anyone survives, no one lives happily ever after. In conjunction with this, the stereotypical horror plot, is a secondary story that is reminiscent of Angel. I refuse to divulge more of Goddard/Whedon's secrets.
What makes this film so great is how incredibly unique it is; it dissects and reimagines the horror genre while paying homage to the greats like Carpenter (The Thing is Goddard's favorite horror movie). It feels to me like it gives a reason for the genre to exist in the first place without sacrificing the basic DNA of what a makes a horror film, and that's what make this film so delicious. One other thing really made this movie for me:
Marty is the "doofus" character that many ensemble pieces seem required to have. Joey on Friends, Ripcord in G.I Joe, and even Fran Kranz's character on Joss Whedon's short-lived Dollhouse series. The three I just listed are the ones who make it work and aren't painful to watch, but there are countless examples of where writers, directors, and even actors have felt the necessity for this type of character and just ruined the scene or event the entire show/movie. Fran Kranz has this uncanny knack of toeing the line between true comedy and camp, and that makes him both unique and invaluable in a story such as this. While Connolly is adorable as Dana, and Jesse Williams plays the terror to a tee, it's Fran Kranz who had me cheering.
Another thing I'd like to note about how Goddard filmed this movie is how he handled the gory bits. Now I'm not squeamish when it comes to movie gore (except for that scene in Pan's Labyrinth where the villain sews up his face, eugh), but I like it to serve a purpose. The premise of the movie was already grizzly enough, that I appreciated it when Goddard allowed a lot of the truly horrible scenes to occur just off camera. Well, that is until the end when the shit really hits the fan, but then it makes sense to show it. Nothing in this movie is pointless; every line, every character serves their purpose.
I honestly feel that this needs to be seen on the big screen. The horror genre is one to see in a dark room, on a big screen, with great surround sound, and this is no different. So while there may be a lot of great movies coming out, don't pass on this just to see a big ticket movie (unless it's The Avengers) because you'd be missing out on a true gem. It's taken since 2009 to finally get released because of studio bankruptcy and not it deserves it's moment in your nightmares. . . I mean the spotlight.
4.9999 out of 5
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