Wrapped in the seemingly familiar cocoon of a clichéd 'teen slasher' film, 'The Cabin in the Woods' is a salient lesson in not trusting first impressions. In this under-rated gem Josh Whedon and Drew Goddard have crafted a superior horror, that both shocks and puzzles. With a script that reveals just enough of the plot's underlying complexities to keep in audience the dark until late on, but also delivers action and edge-of-the-seat tension to keep viewers hooked, 'The Cabin in the Woods' packs more into its 95 minute run time than many films manage over two hours or more. The cast includes both household names such as Chris Hemsworth ('The Avengers') and long time Whedon collaborators like Fran Kranz ('Dollhouse') but this is really an ensemble piece, with the dynamics between the relatively large central cast for a film of this size perfectly pitched. Bursting with if not fresh then innovatively applied ideas, this is a film at ease with itself, assured enough to make bold and interesting changes to the traditional teenage-friends-hunted-by-mysterious-killer template. You'll be hard pressed to guess the twists and turns, and this coupled with a sense of dark humour, and more than a few scares plus a good dollop of gore, help make 'The Cabin in the Woods' one of the finest horror films of 2012.

The Cabin in the Woods is a horror movie with a twist. If you think you know horror/surivial films? Then think again! It has a refreshing change of plot and enteraining characters, quips and deaths. With the genius mind of writer/producer Joss Whedon 'Avengers', 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', 'Angel' - to name a few and director Drew Goddard - 'Cloverfield'. This is set up to be one of the best horror films in a while. It's a very entertaining film that I would rate highly.