Review: 'The Cabin in the Woods' 4K UHD is no horror show
Posted Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at 5:05 PM Central
Last updated Tuesday, September 12, 2017 at 8:07 AM Central
by John Couture
To call The Cabin in the Woods simply a horror film would be a disservice to the film - and to horror itself. True, the film is technically a horror film with a subtle science fiction bent, but it's so much more than that.
So too, the 4K UHD Blu-ray version of The Cabin in the Woods is more than just another catalog film being repurposed for a quick cash grab. No, it's pretty apparent from the opening moments that the studio went back and gave the 2012 film the attention it deserves. After watching this definitive version, you will easily understand how this film quickly became such a cult hit.
I have to admit that I was a bit slow to the party on this one, despite my affection for the horror genre in general. Despite the involvement of geek extraordinaires Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, I was hesitant to jump in with both feet because I thought it was simply another in a long line of cliche homages to the films that I grew up on.
The reality is that it an homage, but so much more. The film takes the old horror cliches and turns them upside down rather quickly and you're left trying to figure out what you're watching and then everything changes again. The film is a great little gimmick and it holds up to repeat viewings.
The 4K UHD Blu-ray only makes the film that much more enjoyable. Naturally, there are many scenes set at night with low light. The HDR really shines during these scenes and you can see a noticeable difference between the 4K UHD Blu-ray and the Blu-ray version.
Likewise, the Dolby Atmos audio track is a massive step forward over the existing audio track on the previous Blu-ray version. Sure, the beginning of the film doesn't feature as much loud action as the third act, but the subtle nuance of quiet really takes over at the beginning and even in the quieter scenes, it's apparent that the Dolby Atmos track is the way to go here.
In terms of bonus features, that is the one aspect of this version that is lacking. That's not to say that it is a barebones version, quite the contrary, the bonus features are rather robust and compliment the film nicely. It's just that there isn't any new bonus features. With such great cast and crew involved in the film such as Chris Hemsworth, Joss Whedon and Amy Acker, I was really hoping that they would get the gang back together to do a little retrospective piece on the film.
Still, the film as it stands is worth an investment and for true technophiles, it is worth upconverting your existing Blu-ray copy. Did I mention that the cost is quite friendly to your wallet? You can buy it on our site now for only $15.95.
