Cabin in the Woods, a horror movie conceived by the likes of Joss Whedon and friend Drew Goddard, set its sights on the entire history of the genre and let it rip in fabulous, giddy fashion. That's to say, this flick from 2012 - sick and tired of the same cliches and laboured conceits clinging to horror cinema - paved the way for a new batch of meta-horror films; movies that set out to simultaneously embrace and deconstruct the genre. Cabin in the Woods, then, is arguably the best meta-horror movie of the past decade, and is certainly the most clever since the likes of Kevin Williamson's Scream. In setting up an age-old premise, beat by monotonous beat, Cabin in the Woods unravels the layers beneath countless teen horrors, underscoring the plot with an irresistible dimension. We're won over before the hour mark... and then the true genius strikes. Like this list? Agree or disagree with our choices? Think there are other, more notable movies that helped to define the last 10 years of horror? Let us know all your thoughts on the matter in the comments section, ya'll.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
