Mitchell Beaupre’s review published on Letterboxd:
As a massive fan of Joss Whedon for years, the long wait for The Cabin in the Woods to finally reach the big screen was excruciating. When it came to theaters it was met by wide praise from audiences and I share in that group, although I have to admit I wasn't quite as enthused as others. Co-written by Whedon and Drew Goddard, and directed by Goddard, Woods is a twisty spin on a familiar premise; five college friends go for a vacation to the titular cabin and meet some grave circumstances at the horrors that are unearthed. From the start though, the audience is aware that this isn't your typical gore fest.
I'll avoid spoilers for those who haven't yet had the pleasure of seeing it, but the film opens with a scene between two office-dressed workers played by Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford, who we very quickly learn are orchestrating this night of terror for mysterious reasons. The Cabin in the Woods is very intelligently written by Whedon and Goddard, as the Jenkins/Whitford duo take on a role similar to their own partnership, taking these characters and orchestrating gruesome circumstances for them to try and survive. It's hard to delve into the brilliance of the writing without feeling like I'm revealing too much, but the way that Whedon and Goddard play with this kind of perspective gets more and more impressive as the film continues.
The way that they turn the mirror on not only themselves but the audience as well, is something rarely seen in the horror genre and it's done with this knowing appreciation for the thrills of this kind of film. It never feels like they are judging the audience by acknowledging them and the sick pleasure they get out of watching these kids in peril, but the knowing jabs at the genre are well thought out and don't feel like cheap shots. Whedon and Goddard have a clear appreciation for the genre, which helps to keep this away from becoming too silly of a parody and instead lets it become a horror film as much as it is a "meta" one.
There are a lot of comedic jabs and knowing glances, but it never strays too far into the territory of comedy to where one would classify it as such. It is very much a horror film that just so happens to be aware of itself and it's conventions. The many layers to the proceedings are crafted skillfully by the writers, and the whole thing follows this well-designed three act structure. Act one is the set-up, act two is where they turn that on it's head and act three is where they practically put it all in a blender and forget to put the cap on. The Cabin in the Woods is an incredibly fun ride, with an intelligence that any Whedon fan has come to expect from him at this point.