(This is neither an encouragement to see a scary movie, nor a defense of them in general, but just my thoughts on a particular film and the genre for those who are already interested.)
This is a horror film for folks who know and love horror films. Just as the “Scream” franchise and the under-rated “Rise of the Mask/Leslie Vernon” had a lot of dialogue discussing themes, plots, cliches, stereotypes of the genre, so does Cabin. Like those two films, Cabin will have you alternating between laughter/smirking and good scares.
But this movie is different in that while the “meta-narrative” is present throughout the film, thanks to a clever plot device (no spoilers here), it is just as present but less overt than Scream and Leslie Vernon. I think it improves on the subgenre because it doesn’t take as much long dialogue to make its point. Because I don’t know if I used the term “meta-narrative” appropriately, let me elaborate without giving much away. Much like standing between two mirrors, there are many levels at which you can enjoy it. There is a lot of metaphor/allegory about the industry and culture as it relates to scary movies. These self-referential winks add to the enjoyment.
If you aren’t used to the genre and don’t come with some knowledge of horror since 1970, you might miss out on a lot but will prob still enjoy it for being unique. The more you know about scary movies, the more you will get out of it.
There is even a Lovecraftian component that fans of H.P. will appreciate.
