Spoilers for The Cabin in the Woods ahead.
Summary
Four years after bombing with critics in 2020, thisThe Cabin in the Woods-esque horror movie is proving to be a huge hit on Hulu. Directed by Drew Goddard in his directorial debut,TheCabin in the Woodsis a 2011 sci-fi comedy horror that follows a group of college students looking to let loose on a trip to the titular remote cabin, only to be terrorized and killed by mysterious monsters. However, it turns out a team of technicians is actually controlling all the horrors they encounter from an underground facility.
While aCabin in the Woods 2movienever happened, the horror comedy has a few spiritual successors. Onetheory suggestsSeth Rogen’sThis is the Endis a sequel toThe Cabin in the Woods, while another points out the similarities between M. Night Shyamalan’sKnock at the CabinandThe Cabin in the Woods. Three years before 2023’sKnock at the Cabin,a different horror movie was expected to fill the void left byTheCabin in the Woods.Though it didn’t perform well with critics and audiences, this 2020 title is now finding new life on Hulu.
The Cabin In The Woods: Every Monster In The Movie
Cabin In The Woods from 2012 features monsters of every shape and variety and here’s a list of every monster that appears in the movie.
Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island Movie Is Trending High On Hulu
Fantasy Island Is Seeing New Streaming Success Despite Flopping Upon Release In 2020
Spoilers for Fantasy Island (2020) ahead.Despite its initial poor performance, Blumhouse’sFantasy Island(2020) is a hit on Hulu.Directed by Jeff Wadlow, 2020’sFantasy Islandis centered around a tropical resort on the titular island where guests come to make their fantasies a reality. However, when their dreams-come-true quickly turn into inescapable nightmares, they must figure out how to make it off the island alive. Wadlow wroteFantasy Islandwith co-writers Christopher Roach and Jillian Jacobs as a prequel movie to ABC’s fantasy TV series of the same name that premiered in 1977, but filtered through a horror lens.
Fantasy Island seemed promising. Sadly, it turned out to be a big letdown, as reflected by its 8% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Based on the stackedcast ofFantasy Island,including Lucy Hale, Michael Peña, and Maggie Q, and Wadlow’s refreshing approach to the source material,Fantasy Islandseemed promising. Sadly, it turned out to be a big letdown, as reflected by its 8% critics score onRotten Tomatoes. Though it didn’t get much love upon release,Fantasy Islandhas embarked on a streaming redemption tour. At the time of writing,Fantasy Islandis currently sitting in the #7 spot on Hulu’s Top 10 U.S. chart(viaFlixPatrol), meaning it’s the seventh most popular title on the streamer overall, including TV shows.
Fantasy Island’s Ending Explained
Fantasy Island, from Blumhouse, adapted the ABC TV series with a horror lean and explored an island’s magic where fantasies aren’t what they appear.
Fantasy Island 2020 Was Supposed To Be The New Cabin In The Woods
Fantasy Island & The Cabin In The Woods Have Similar Premises
As noted, prior to its release,Fantasy Islandwas expected to be a solidCabinin the Woodsreplacementdue to their similar premises. Both horror movies are about a group of individuals who are forced to endure horrific experiences in remote locations at the hands of manipulative masterminds.Fantasy Islandwas frequently described asWestworld-meets-The Cabin in the Woodsdue to its horror re-imaging of the original series' concept, andVariety’s Peter Debruge even pointed out Wadlow’s “‘Cabin in the Woods’-like ambitions” in his review.
Fantasy Island drastically failed to meet the standard set by The Cabin in the Woods.
However,Fantasy Islandnever saw even a fraction ofThe Cabin in the Woods' success.While they both did fine commercially,TheCabin in the Woodsperformed exceptionally well with critics, garnering a 92% critics score onRotten Tomatoes. It was especially unfortunate thatFantasy Islanddrastically failed to meet the standard set byThe Cabin in the WoodsbecauseThe Cabin in the Woods' endingprevented it from ever receiving an official sequel.Fantasy Islandcould’ve given fansTheCabin in the Woodsfix they were missing, but instead, it fell flat.
Cabin in the Woods(2011)
92%
74%
$70 million
$30 million
8%
48%
$49 million
$7 million
Why Cabin In The Woods 2 Didn’t Happen
Despite its cult classic status and positive critical reviews, 2012 horror/comedy The Cabin in the Woods probably won’t ever get a sequel.
Why Fantasy Island 2020’s Reviews Are So Negative
Critics Found The Horror Reimagining Of The Original ABC Series Unnecessary
The main problem that many critics hadwas thatFantasy Islandjust wasn’t necessary to begin with. As a horror-fied prequel movie to an existing series that concluded more than 35 years prior,Fantasy Islandwas already going to be held to high expectations and put under pressure to prove itself as a substantial contribution to the franchise. Essentially, this new installment better be as good or better than the original series, otherwise, there’s no point in reviving it.
Many critics felt that Fantasy Island failed to justify its existence in the first place.
Unfortunately,Fantasy Islanddid not meet these expectations at all.Critics found thatFantasy Islandwas ridden with plot holes, inconsistencies, and clichés,didn’t stick the landing with the big plot twist, and despite its gripping setup, turned out quite boring. It would’ve still been considered a flop as a standalone film, but as part of an existing franchise,Fantasy Island’s many shortcomings were even more glaring. Ultimately, many critics felt thatFantasy Islandfailed to justify its existence in the first place, and that the franchise should’ve been left alone.
Sources:Rotten Tomatoes,FlixPatrol,Variety,Rotten Tomatoes,The Numbers,The Numbers
Fantasy Island
Loosely based on the original television series released in 1977, Fantasy Island is a supernatural horror movie that sees a group of people lured to the titular island with hopes of seeing their dreams come true. When the new arrivals prepare themselves to have the experience of a lifetime, they soon realize the idyllic paradise is a nightmarish, supernatural hell from which they must escape to survive.
The Cabin in the Woods
The Cabin in the Woods strictly follows the traditional slasher movie dynamic: a group of teens heads to a remote location for the weekend only to find themselves beset by monsters. However, what they don’t know is that the inevitable horrors they will face have all been arranged by a mysterious team watching from a facility deep underground.
