There have been a spate of low quality horror films released lately (‘House Of 1000 Corpses’ being the worst of the lot). We are finally in for a treat. This along with the remake of ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ will end the drought.
In order to enjoy this properly you will need to ignore all the trailers, posters and general advertising that goes along with this film so as not to be too jaded. The advertising makes you think this is a standard teen slasher movie with lots of ‘Dawson’s Creek’ types running around looking scared but pretty. This is not that sort of film. There are some stunning actresses in here but the success of this lies in the great story-telling and constant jarring of the audience’s preconceptions. This film is anything but predictable.
The story follows a group of teenagers who hire a cabin in the woods (can you see the danger yet?). They have a day of fun in the sun, playful sexual adventures, drinking, skinny dipping, we’ve all been there. However, this all changes when a man with a flesh eating disease stumbles into their peaceful lives. The fear of catching something from him initially then one another leads this previously normal, friendly group to turn on each other and commit acts of insane cruelty and abuse, all the while justifying it as being best for the group.
A refreshing mixture of humour and genuine terror combine here to make a horror film that is worthy of an audience. The holy trinity of the ‘Evil Dead’ films is a clear inspiration to the style and content of ‘Cabin Fever’. Directed by one timer assistant to David Lynch, Eli Roth has managed to learn the art of directing a compelling film without all the pretentious flashes of absurdity that typify most of Lynch’s recent works.
OVERALL SUMMARY
This is a quality film that uses horror and humour to expose the brutality that lies within us all, which is hidden by only the thinnest veneer of civility.
