The Cabin in the Woods

Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard’s deliriously entertaining homage to horror cinema takes a format as old as the hills – teens run into trouble at a secluded, creepy getaway spot – then twists, subverts and plain shatters any and all genre tropes with such affection and glee that it's difficult not fall in love with it. As becomes clear very early on, this is no ordinary spooky retreat. The environment is manipulated to put the nubile fodder in harm’s way by mid-level office drones (played by Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford) from a mysterious fortified bunker. It's a delightful concept, exploited to full comic effect by some whip-smart dialogue, wry set-pieces and beautiful performances from two smashing character actors; Whitford in particular impresses with a sleazing-up of his Josh Lyman from The West Wing. Not an effective horror film in itself, despite some outrageous blood-letting in the third act, but there's plenty for non-genre fans to enjoy and the hardened fright aficionado will have a scream with its reference points. [Chris Fyvie]