“Horror Movies Always Know What We Did Last Summer”: Meta-Horror, Philosophy, and “The Cabin in the Woods”

Abstract

The paper reviews Suzanne Kord's 2023 book dedicated to the film “The Cabin in the Woods.” It analyzes the film's meta-nature through allusions and references. The review explores philosophical themes addressed in the movie, including the clash between faith and nihilism, the ethical implications of self-sacrifice, humanity's place in the world, the individual versus humanity, and the issue of free will. It highlights the film's extradiegetic elements, emphasizing how “The Cabin in the Woods,” as a philosophical text, elicits a philosophical response from viewers. The paper presents Suzanne Kord's horror theory, which posits that the essence of the genre lies not in fear but in guilt. It offers an assessment and brief critique of this theory.

Keywords

• practical philosophy
• meta-horror
• “the cabin in the woods”
• horror
• nihilism
• ethics
• free will
• horror theory
• fear