The 2011 horror movie The Cabin in the Woods is famous for poking fun at typical horror tropes and telling a story about five typical characters. A friend group including Holden McCrea (Jesse Williams) as The Scholar, Marty Mikalski (Fran Kranz) as The Fool, Curt Vaughan (Chris Hemsworth) as The Athlete, Kristen Connolly (Dana Polk) as The Virgin, and Jules Louden (Anna Hutchison) as The Whore stay in the traditional horror movie setting suggested by the title and a nightmare begins.
The Cabin in the Woods has a fun ending that gives a smart explanation of what the main characters have been put through. While fans always hope for a sequel, the final scenes do sum everything up well, and the movie is a great example of how fresh the horror genre can be. The Cabin in the Woods ending shares what happens to two of the best characters and plays with some tropes as well.
What Happens At The End Of The Cabin In The Woods?
While The Cabin in the Woods is a horror movie that needed a franchise, as it would be fun to see a sequel or even several more films, the ending does feel satisfying. The Director (Sigourney Weaver) tells Marty and Dana that the five main characters are archetypes who are being sacrificed in a ritual that is going to end the world. She tells Dana to murder Marty, but before she can, a werewolf comes out of nowhere and hurts her. The movie has a hilarious final scene, as the two characters are still alive and they chat casually, knowing that the world is literally ending around them.
The Cabin in the Woods ending is creative and fun and pays off the rest of the movie, which takes a lighthearted approach to the horror genre. The final scene switches things up and ensures that although Dana is the final girl who should survive, she has to die because it's part of the ritual. The Cabin in the Woods is considered one of the best horror movies of the 2010s because it's surprising and fast-paced, and it tells a satisfying story up until the very last moments. The pace never lags for a moment.
It's also smart to end the story in an ancient temple where the ritual is finishing up, as this means that The Cabin in the Woods has a great horror movie setting. This location is unexpected since given the title and first part of the movie, it seems like the whole story will take place in this typical, beloved setting that has been used in so many movies before. The Cabin in the Woods never stops surprising audiences and that includes in the last moments when Dana and Marty meet The Director and find out the truth about what's going on.
Who Is The Director?
The Cabin in the Woods ending also introduces The Director, who Dana and Marty realize is in charge of this ritual. She runs The Facility and Patience Buckner (Jodelle Ferland) kills her, which is a strong and powerful ending since she is so evil. She has been working hard behind the scenes this entire time, and her reveal is surprising and clever, especially since Weaver plays this part in a perfectly eerie and chilling manner.
While this is a horror movie with multiple villains since Dana and Marty come across countless monsters before they meet The Director, she is still the most compelling antagonist. The Director is such a great character because she's pure evil and expects people to listen to her and do whatever she says.
What Horror Tropes Does The Cabin In The Woods Ending Use?
While some slasher tropes are necessary, other horror movie tropes are corny and have been used so many times that fans groan when they see them once again. The Cabin in the Woods uses horror tropes throughout the movie and also in the final scenes, and because the story pokes fun at them, they work really well.
Some of the best tropes used are "The End Of The World As We Know It" and "Anyone Can Die." When it's clear that the main characters have died and the apocalypse is near, The Cabin in the Woods has a smart and well-written ending that leaves nothing to be desired.
As Marty is "The Fool" and Dana plays into the final girl horror trope, it's clever that these two characters are the ones making the big decisions at the end. They are more likable and relatable than the others in their friend group and they're also both the smartest, as they realize that something is wrong before their pals do. Because Dana and Marty play into familiar horror movie character stereotypes, audiences feel like they know them well, and that makes their deaths feel powerful, sad, and also inevitable.