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Cabin Fever

Rated '15' by the BBFC for very frequent, strong language, some moderate sex sequences and gory horror.
Cinema release.

Teen horror films.  You know the drill; a group of teenagers venture to an isolated cabin/drive on an isolated road, they figure there's something not quite right, and all but a couple end up getting mangled and sliced in a quite horrific fashion. Yawn.  Nothing tires as much as an unoriginal slash-fest, so what on earth could catapult Cabin Fever far enough into the realms of entertainment for it to warrant the entrance fee? Well, how about an original plot, edge-of-the seat tension and the best elements from all the past horror classics?

Cabin Fever begins with a handful of college students who set off for a boozed-up celebration in an isolated forest, promising drink, drugs and lots of sex.  Unfortunately things are never quite that simple.  Upon arrival they are greeted with the usual horror clichés; "Be careful if you venture into the woods", and the usual ambiguous ramblings of nearby villagers.  On the night of their arrival they are 'attacked' by a hideously deformed man who appears to have had the skin ripped off his face.  In amongst an orgy of expletives and violence he is set on fire, and disappears into the night.  Just what had happened to him, though, and what possessed him to attack the group?  Sure enough, they will soon find out...

The tension is, at times, terrifying, with some jump-scenes that will almost have your heart leaping out of your chest.  The portrayal of friendship and betrayal at times of danger is second-to-none, as each character deals with the terror differently, showing their true courage, or in a couple of cases the desire to protect themselves, and only themselves.  Unlike other horror movies such as Jeepers Creepers 2 or Scream, all of the characters are vulnerable.  Whereas in JC 2 the characters who were concerned with helping others were the ones who lived, Cabin Fever has hero and coward slaughtered equally, deservedly or not.  And it is the fact that it is so unpredictable that makes Cabin Fever so entertaining, as the survivors are definitely impossible to foresee.

Add to this the dark humour hidden within the gore, and the shocking finale, and you have yourself an immensely enjoyable one-and-a-half hours of entertainment.  Highly recommended.

Rating- 85

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