Cabin in the Woods

Directors employed gothic elements and zombie fiction ideas to create the psychological thriller “Cabin in the Woods”. Gothic elements are used in order to create a dark and mysterious environment and the zombies build on the ideas created by the gothic theme. The film takes place in a dense mountainous region and the characters visit a desolate cabin. The location of the cabin is important because its isolation creates anxiety in the viewer. The viewer can expect that because the cabin is located away from civilization that whatever occurs in the house will be unknown to the rest of the population. There is also a history associated with the house, and the history involves a father torturing his family. The history comes to life during the film via the zombies that emerge from their graves. It can be assumed that the zombies are members of the family that were tortured long ago. The fact that the history is reoccurring is chilling because it gives the viewer a sense that the house is unchanging and that the people that go to the house cannot change the fate of the house. By using a mix of the gothic and zombie ideas the creators of the film are able to leave viewers in a state of psychological horror after viewing.