There was a handful of films I knew I wanted to review when I decided I would be setting this challenge for myself. 'Cabin Fever' (2002) was one of the films at the top of the list. I had never seen it before, but I knew the basic concept behind the film and instantly knew that it would fit in with the theme of these reviews. A group of teens stuck in a cabin and infected by disease? Perfect. The film is pretty much your typical horror movie plot. A group of teens have booked a cabin in the woods to celebrate their graduation. Preparing themselves for a weekend of drinking, drugs and debauchery, the group are soon confronted by a man who is suffering from some sort of flesh eating disease. After scaring the man away they soon realise that they themselves are becoming infected. It then becomes a battle to survive the disease, as well as the locals who are trying to kill them to stop the spread.
Going in and had some expectations of this film, and for the most part there were very much met. It is a pretty standard teen 'slasher' horror film except instead of their being a psychopathic killer, the killer is this disease. Narratively it is extremely simple, and it is something that has been used in horror films for years. Groups of teens going into secluded spaces and being killed one by one is nothing new. But there is a reason it is a narrative concept that continues to be used and that's because it is an entertaining one. I like films like this, in as much as I find them entertaining. Are they actually good films? That is a different question. The film seems to struggle with what it wants tobe. It is described as a horror comedy, but I feel like the film struggles to decide which side of this spectrum it wants to sit on. There are some properly silly moments of comedy which don't seem to fit with what else is happening within the film at all and it takes you out of the filma little bit. This film is technically proficient, but there are a couple of moments where it becomes a little hokey or confusing especially with a couple of editing choices. One aspect of the film that is extremely well done is the gore. Going in I was expecting the film to be really over the top in regards to the gore effects, but it does a brilliant job in keeping them seem real well also being properly grim to look at. There is one scene in particular where the gore helps deliver a real moment of horror. Most of this film is not scary at all, but this one scene is super effective. It is in these gore effects where the film gets you and pulls you in. The suspense of seeing how far they'll go with them, how they'll keep upping the ante is what keeps the film entertaining.
The acting in the film is what you would expect, so not very good. But come on, its a horror film about a group of tennagers in the woods dying one by one, no one is expecting Daniel Day Lewis levels here. And yeah, no one is very good in the film, but none of the actors are genuinely terrible either. The two performances probably worthy of most criticism comes from Jordan Ladd and Joey Kern, playing Karen and Jeff respectively. Both are mostly fine, but do have some shoddy line deliveries and kooky moments. But the main issue is that there performances are just the most forgettable performances in the film. James DeBello is similar in his level of performance as Bert, but he seems to be putting more into it and he has a much more memorable performance as a result. The best two performances in the film from Cerina Vincent as Marcy and Rider Strong as Paul. Strong is the protagonist of the film and so we spend most of our time with him. He does a good job of playing a reluctant leader type, and by the end of film is doing a decent job of showing how the whole experience has changed him completely. Vincent is mostly just fine, but her performance in that one scene I mentioned earlier in this review instantly makes her one of the most memorable characters in the film. I also definitely need to mention director Eli Roth's cameo as Grim. Very annoying, very stupid, doesn't need to be there.
'Cabin Fever' isn't a very good film, but I can see why it has become a cult classic. It has a standard horror narrative that you've seen so many times before, and it has the acting to match your expectations of these horror films. There are some weird editing and technical choices in the film, and it also struggles to get a handle on what it is, a comedy or a horror. But I would be lying if I said it didn't keep me entertained for the whole runtime, and the really top notch gore effects are one of the main reasons that it manages to do this. This film is one I will recommend. Its not very long and it is a fun watch. But be warned, that one scene I keep mentioning is a genuinely grim one.