Early Reviews for THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% Approval Rating (28 out of 30 critics liked it)
CinemaBlend
The Cabin in the Woods is a genre exercise at heart, and though it has the potential for real greatness-- at certain points you might think Goddard could take this story anywhere-- it settles for ultimate audience satisfaction, which is pretty close to greatness anyway. It's so, so much fun to watch with an audience-- any audience, anywhere-- and to revel in that experience of being perfectly manipulated by a director and writer who know every button to push.
4.5/5
ComingSoon.net
"The Cabin in the Woods" is a fantastically-crafted debut by Goddard with so many moving parts, one would expect a far more experienced director would be necessary to pull it off. In Goddard's hands, it all comes together quite well, making for a brilliantly clever and genuinely funny take on horror stereotypes that's a must-see for horror fans as well as offering something new for the cynics who feel they've seen everything that can be done with tired and overused horror clichés.
4.5/5
Bloody Disgusting
The strength of Cabin in the Woods comes in the playful nature of the screenplay. Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon play everything tongue and cheek in a completely meta atmosphere. Ultimately, Cabin is an extremely fun movie that’s beyond satisfying, especially for those expecting some sort of bloodbath. And even though there’s a pretty heavy amount of CGI, there’s an equal amount of unbelievable practical effects. Tonally, it all makes sense when you see it.
4/5
IGN Movies
The Cabin in the Woods is an incredibly clever and fun take on classic horror movie. Filmmakers Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard -- the two wrote the film together with Whedon producing and Goddard directing -- have come up with a wonderfully conceived story that gives a bigger than life and fascinating explanation for why so many horror movie cliches exist in the first place. If you're a fan of the genre, you really have to check this movie out.
4.5/5
HitFlix
"Cabin In The Woods" is, first and foremost, a wildly entertaining movie that plays off of our collective familiarity with horror tropes, and it delivers the sort of experience that absolutely demands that you see it in a movie theater with as many friends as you can gather. It is fun, it is thrilling and it is smart. If you want an absolutely clean experience without having any of the film's surprises spoiled for you, see it opening weekend and read nothing between now and then.
A-
The Cabin in the Woods - Rotten Tomatoes