Spoiler-Free Review: Cabin in the Woods

I am not big on spoilers to start with, but I am going full-board with this spoiler-free write-up by not saying a goddamn thing. I may write a spoiler-full breakdown/analysis later, but I want to see it at least one more time before making that attempt. It will be more fun that way. So this actually isn't a review so much as a praise-singing.

I will tell you this: If you didn't spend two hours of your weekend seeing this flick, then your weekend was completely wasted. Go see it. Right now. If you found this site, then you have at least a passing interest in horror films (if not a full-on rager for them). And you are the people this movie was made for. It's incredibly smart, clever, funny and scary, and in all the right places. This is a film that horror fans have been deserving of for a long-ass time. It understands both the genre and the audience, and it doesn't patronize.

You'll enjoy the shit out of this movie if you go by yourself, but you'll have even more fun if you go with a friend. Or several. Because after the credits roll, you're going to want to go out for a beer. Or coffee. Or just sit in the theater parking lot for a couple of hours, if that's your thing. Point is, you are going to want to discuss. It BEGS to be talked about among genre fans. When you leave that theater, you're going to want to talk about this one for hours - the things you noticed, the stuff you want to see again, various references to classic horror films, the meaning behind it all, how adorable Amy Acker is - expect a solid 2 hours conversation at the minimum.

And it begs for repeat viewings. Because there is so much to take in and so much to begin to break down. Whedon and Goddard really put a lot into this one, and there is so much to love about it. This is the film that horror fans have been wanting for years.