The Cabin in the Woods

Most people who know me know that i am a huge fan of Joss Whedon and tend to love everything he does (well, except for the things he did pre-Buffy, like Titan A.E. and episodes of Roseanne... the less we speak of those, the better). So it should come as no surprise that The Cabin in the Woods is one of the movies I've been anticipating like crazy. The question is, was it worth the anticipation?

I could be accused of being biased due to my pre-existing Joss-love, but I think the accolades mentioned on the poster above are well-deserved. The problem is that so much of what makes the movie so ground-breaking and entertaining hinges on the plot twist on the plot twist on the plot twist (no, that isn't a nonsensical grammatical error; there really are like three plot twists that each hinge upon the one preceding it) that it's really hard to write about the movie without giving anything away and ruining it. What I can tell is that a group of kids played by a really likeable and talented cast (it should be mentioned that the entire cast, not just the kids, is talented and likeable) travel to an isolated cabin for a weekend of fun and get a whole lot more than they bargained for. There are a few scares and some gore along the way, but never at the expense of an intelligent plot and witty script. There are some twists and turns that we expect, but falling into those cliches isn't detrimental here as it would be in other movies; in fact it is more necessary than you might think... and I'm on the verge of saying too much. As much as i'd like to make this a full review, I really do fear giving too much away. So I'll say is that, for me, this is the early contender for movie of the year, and that you need to see it. Now. C'thulu... I mean, um... God knows I'll be seeing it again soon.