Director: Drew Goddard
Cast: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Anna Hutchison, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Amy Acker
Plot: Five friends take a vacation in a remote cabin in the woods. Once there, strange things happen and they have to fight to survive.
Review: That plot summary sounds pretty much like your average horror film, but I assure you it's not. This film, which has been delayed release for 2 years is writer Joss Whedon's idea of what horror films should be: gory, cynical and unpredictable.
Whedon teams up with writer/director Drew Goddard to create a horror film that has all the stock ingredients you've seen before: women in sexy outfits, guys who act brave or stupid, dark setting, remote area, ugly monsters, violent deaths, lots of blood, the works. The difference is how it all turns out, which is totally unlike what we are usually familiar with.
From the get go, we get a scene in some industrial facility, featuring a bunch of people that are funny but not really likable. (If I mention more about them, it'll be giving away too much) We are then introduced to our team of five college kids, all of whom are the usual kind we've seen in films like this. The buildup is short, and once the shit hits the fan, it's a fun ride all the way.
The actors playing the five kids all nail their roles, especially Fran Kranz who plays the stoner Marty. He not only gets the best lines in the film, but totally owns the role he's been given. Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford do well in their roles too, though I can't really say what those roles are, sorry. A well known actress makes a cameo in the final act, I'll let you see who it is for yourself.
Whedon and Goddard have done a splendid job with this. They have successfully made a horror film that is scary, funny, gory and more importantly unique. In some ways I find it a bit silly as well, but that's probably Whedon's point all along. Recommended. (4/5)
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