The Cabin in the Woods

The Cabin in the Woods is a very refreshing film that deviates from a lot of the common horror movie elements, throwing odd twists and turns that manage to surprise the audience many times. Metafiction is clearly visible within the film, as the characters are partaking in a fabricated horror story, controlled by technicians who are trying to kill them to please a supernatural "ancient" being. All the zombies and frightening monsters that the five characters see are sent out accordingly by the technicians that are controlling the cabin. This reminded me of the many dystopian novels where there is an omnipresent force that constantly monitors the people they are controlling, such as the Hunger Games and the Maze Runner. The film captures the essence of the fantastic, where the characters are reasoning with themselves, trying to figure out their situation. When Dana and Marty realize that everything that they experienced in the cabin was controlled by people, it is not considered to be uncanny but instead metafiction. However, in the end it is revealed that there indeed is an otherworldly force, the "ancients" who will destroy the world, if the 5 individuals are not killed. This is definitely the supernatural, because there is a world that works in a different set of laws. I found that this unexpected plot twist was a bit ridiculous, yet pretty interesting. Never have I ever come across a horror story that basically ridicules the fundamental elements of horror other than The Cabin in the Woods.