"The Cabin in the Woods" is easily one of my favorite horror movies. It's either that or "Alien," though I tend to lean toward the latter since that's one of the better movies ever made.
Welcome! This article is part of Trick or Stream, a seasonal series in which members of the Tom's Guide staff share what they're planning to watch for Halloween 2024 and their takes on the horror genre, with the goal of helping you find great movies that you might want to stream during spooky season.
Here's the dirty little secret though — I'm not a huge horror fan. There are some horror movies I genuinely like, but often I find the genre to be repetitive and uninspired.
That's why I find myself recommending "The Cabin in the Woods" to fellow movie lovers who are ambivalent about the genre. While this is a horror movie, it's also a brilliantly executed satire on the entire slasher horror genre. Plus, it has a twist or two that land expertly, including an incredible cameo at the end of the movie.
But before I wax poetically about why I love this movie so much, here's a bit about what "The Cabin in the Woods" is about.
What is 'The Cabin in the Woods' about?
'The Cabin in the Woods' stars Kristen Connolly as Dana Polk, Anna Hutchinson as Jules Louden, Chris Hemsworth as Curt Vaughan, Jesse Williams as Holden McCrea, and Fran Kranz as Marty Mikalski. These five college students are gearing up for what should be a fun weekend in the woods.
But of course, this is a horror movie. So a pleasant weekend isn't in the cards.
As the students arrive, things aren't going smoothly in an undisclosed underground bunker. Technicians Garry (Richard Jenkins) and Steve (Bradley Whitford) are dealing with failed operations in Stockholm and Japan while preparing for the unsuspecting youths.
Once the group of five has settled into the home away from home, Gary and Steve start unleashing horror after horror upon the students. The goal? Kill all of them — though four out of five is good enough.
'The Cabin in the Woods' excels at being a satire — but it's still a great horror movie
If you don't want to be spoiled, turn back now. I'm not going to give away the whole movie, or its truly amazing cameo, but I do have to reveal a bit of what happens once Gary and Steve start knocking off students.
Honestly, it's Gary and Steve's plotline that is my favorite. The idea of this horror movie really just being a covert organization pulling the strings as some part of ritual sacrifice is engaging, and frankly, their chemistry together is great. While the students are dealing with a true horror movie above ground, we're getting almost a workplace comedy below.
Still, this is a horror movie. And if you watch it on Peacock after reading this article, you'll see that for yourself. While it has elements that elevate it above your traditional slasher flick, there's a ton of blood and murder. A lot of people die. Granted, because the movie doesn't take itself too seriously, the murder and mayhem don't hit quite the same as they do in something like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," but it's all still there.
So if you're looking for something to watch this Halloween, look no further than "The Cabin in the Woods." I promise you won't regret it.
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