15 Greatest Horror Films Of The Decade (So Far)

3. The Cabin In The Woods

Karen Gillan Oculus
Lionsgate

It's debatable if The Cabin in the Woods is really "true" horror, but even if it dips over more into the realm of horror/comedy/sci-fi, it's still easily one of this decade's highlights. 

Right down to its hilariously generic title, the whole setup of the film is meant to trick audiences into thinking this is a cliche horror movie where a bunch of ditzy teenagers go to a cabin in the woods to be picked off one by one. But in actuality, a laboratory of men and women is watching them from hidden cameras and manipulating their environment, like the Truman Show of horror.

From there, the movie is both a glorious celebration of everything great about this genre as well as a condemnation of everything bad about it. It embraces the fun of crazy monsters and with tons of guts, but it also mocks the genre's cliches that audiences are getting really sick of. 

But while Scream mocked similar tropes a decade ago, The Cabin in the Woods takes this a step further and examines what these cliches say about society. What's the significance of audiences flocking in droves to watch teenagers being tortured and punished? 

It's a truly unique movie with great characters, hilarious dialogue, and one of the most memorable third acts in the history of cinema. 

Contributor
Contributor

Lover of horror movies, liker of other things. Your favorite Friday the 13th says a lot about you as a person, and mine is Part IV: The Final Chapter.