Badly marketed Horror Comedy exceeds expectations

If false advertising were a federal offense punishable by death and misleading trailers counted as an act of false advertising, the marketing team for "The Cabin in the Woods" would be up for a death penalty. Anyone who has seen the trailer for this seemingly clichéd horror thriller - written by Joss Whedon and directed by Drew Goddard of "Firefly" and "Cloverfield" fame ,respectively - would probably have expected the final result to be another run of the mill teen horror, bad acting and dramatic conveniences abound. Cue the shock.

"The Cabin in the Woods" follows five college students fitting firmly into horror film stereotypes of the jock, the nerd, the dumb blonde, the stoner, and the virgin, as they road trip out to the jock's cousin's titular cabin in the woods for a weekend of fun. It quickly becomes a weekend of horrors when their vacation turns into a trap set by forces that seem intent on watching them walk straight into their deaths.

Surprise number one: "The Cabin in the Woods" is a comedy. Five seconds after the opening sequence, the notion of this film being run of the mill is tossed clear out of the window, as the aforementioned forces operate in a fashion that I would swear was taken straight out of episodes of "The Office," with the monster selection, order of murders, and influence over the victims lethally stupid choices boiled down to a corporate science.

The film is highly reminiscent of "The Truman Show," or similar to what I do while watching a horror film with friends; betting on how the first victim would die, the omen of things to come represented by the creepy old gas station manager, etc.

It really is an extremely difficult task to sell this film without giving away the best material, but as someone who is only impressed with metafictional referencing when it is actually done right, I found myself laughing out loud at moments that wouldn't even be considered highlights.

When cutting from a looming zombie attack on the horizon to a group of corporate workers cheering and expressing disappointment at the bet that they've made as to what monster will be terrorizing the victims isn't even among the highlights, you've set a new record for thinking outside of the box.

The scenes of self-parody bolster how incredibly well replicated the horror film formula has been, and also showcase how excellent the acting is. This rises above the stereotype of hammy acting while still managing to conform to it, affectionately making fun of such a trope that has become a staple of this style of filmmaking.

Chris Hemsworth shows off his acting chops beyond the range subtlety and scenery chewing called for in his portrayal of "Thor" by portraying a character fitting into the jock stereotype without letting them define every aspect of his attitude. In keeping with the themes of defying stereotypes, the rest of the cast turns in fantastic performances as well, giving a three dimensional feel to people forced to have certain characteristics by nature of who they are supposed to be.

"The Cabin in the Woods" is one of those films that simply must be seen to be believed. I'd compare it to something like "Scream" in terms of how self-aware it is about the tropes of its own genre, but the deconstruction of this film is so thorough that it makes "Scream" look like a victim of cliché. It's undoubtedly one of the best films that I have seen all year, but the sheer level of shock that I received from start to finish regarding its own numerous inside jokes measures up to the most memorable experiences that I have ever had with a film in my life. If you're a fan of horror, you owe it to yourself to see this film.