If you have not seen ‘The Cabin in the Woods,’ a 2011 horror/mystery, put your Netflix queue on hold for an hour and thirty minutes and watch it right now. ‘The Cabin in the Woods,’ directed by Drew Goddard and written by Goddard and Joss Whedon, is almost like a cross between every horror film ever made, playing on standard horror tropes and underlining them with more clichés and usual horror creatures.
Dana is played by Kristen Connolly, Curt is played by Chris Hemsworth, Jules is played by Anna Hutchison, Holden is played by Jesse Williams, and Marty is played by Fran Kranz. They are a teen group from a classic horror film who go to a cabin in the woods for some fun. Every action here, on the other hand, is being orchestrated by an organization as part of a Ritual to keep giants from annihilating humanity. The protagonists eventually discover the truth behind their misfortunes, but the film ends on a bleak note with the Ancient Ones taking control.
The film is heavily influenced by ‘The Evil Dead,’ as evidenced by the premise and many of the film’s creatures. Apart from that, the film is heavily influenced by a variety of other fantasy and horror sources. They are most commonly seen during the ‘System Purge”s iconic massacre sequence, in which every creature is unleashed.
In this video, we will dissect the film, demonstrating how stereotypes were depicted, how everything was coordinated, and some of the film’s most memorable creatures.
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If An Old Man Warns You Not To Go There, Do Not Go There – ‘The Cabin in the Woods
The movie begins with two men, Hadley and Sitterson, discussing matters like child-proofing cabinets and fertility. This makes the premise feel quite ambiguous as they are seen in a facility that looks like it could deal with tech or research. The audience is confused here because what could two engineers have to do with a movie called ‘The Cabin in the Woods?
Wendy Lin joins in on the conversation and talks about Stockholm ‘going south’, leaving only Japan and the USA in the game. Betting pools are mentioned and the matter feels like it is something important but the situation is under control. Suddenly, the logo of the movie pops up with a scream, contrasting the more official, industrial vibe of the scene. This makes the audience aware of the fact that ‘The Cabin in the Woods is probably not a typical slasher movie that you would see. Something bigger than simply getting attacked by supernatural killers is at play here.
The movie introduces Dana, Jules, Curt, Marty, and Holden, the lead cast. Dana comes off as an introverted, guarded girl but turns out, she has dated and slept with her professor. Curt is a studious guy who is a Sociology major. Jules has colored her hair blonde and is acting like a stereotypical ‘ditzy blonde’ character. Marty is a stoner, while Holden is intelligent and scholarly. In an RV, they are heading towards a cabin in the woods owned by Curt’s cousin.
It plays on several popular horror tropes, the most obvious one being a bunch of youngsters going to a secluded area and staying in a cabin as seen in movies like ‘Cabin Fever. They also come across a suspicious man on the way, which is another classic trope, popularly seen in movies such as ‘House of Wax’ and the ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. On reaching the place, they seem to admire the cabin and some sexual tension is built between Dana and Holden as they see one another undressing from the opposite ends of the one-sided mirror. Right then, the scene again shifts to the industrial setting of the facility and we see that it is like a reality TV show, where everything is being arranged by the engineers in the facility for reasons unknown. From the conversations, we find out that these scientists are pulling strings to increase the sexual libido of Jules via her blonde hair dye.
They get a call from a man who talks about things such as lambs, killers, and god’s fools. It is really very confusing at this point but this event foreshadows what is about to come. Meanwhile, the entire cabin is a zone controlled by the facility, as the people bet on the upcoming events that are going to take place in the cabin.
The gang plays truth or dare while drinking. Jules is made to flirt and make out with the head of a wolf stuck to a wall, that was probably from a hunt and taxidermized. The cellar door pops open all of a sudden and they all head downstairs, reinforcing another stereotypical horror trope where people deliberately follow danger. In there they find a diary, a dancing doll, oriental dolls, a conch shell, an orb-like device and a necklace amongst other stuff. Dana reads the diary which talks about a girl with one hand, living within a problematic family dynamic. Some Latin phrases are mentioned and she reads them aloud even though Marty advises against it. Cut to the fake forest and we see something emerging from the ground.
Back at the facility, some people are disappointed that the zombies came to life instead of the other creatures they had bet on. The computer screens show something similar taking place in other countries such as Kyoto in Japan. Rangoon in Myanmar and Berlin in Germany are shown with the notification of ‘FAIL’ popping on the screen.
The cast is once again in the living room, having fun. Jules is portrayed as a very sexual woman as she flirts with the other men in the room. Weirdly, her boyfriend Curt is quite cool with her behaving in a promiscuous way. The two of them go outside the house together to let off some steam caused by their artificially increased libido.
Marty the stoner finds it awkward that a guy who is into academics is suddenly acting like a typical high school jock portrayed in movies (with his Letterman jacket and excessive beer drinking) while someone like Jules is acting slutty. Interestingly enough, after working on this movie, co-writer Joss Whedon ended up choosing Chris Hemsworth as Thor.
Holden is seen putting on glasses and reading Latin while we find out that Dana is ‘like a virgin’, even though she really isn’t, but it is enforced.
Jules and Curt are in the forest and he tries to have sex with her. She feels awkward doing it in a weird place plus she feels that the atmosphere is chilly. The engineers regulate the temperature and lighting while setting off a pheromone mist to get Jules more turned on. As the two try to have sex while the men use it as a source of fanservice, the members of the Zombie Redneck Torture Family attack them. In the end, Jules is killed and Curt comes running back to the cabin, bloodied.
He alerts everyone. One of the zombies shows them Jules’ severed head. With more weird chemicals being let into the room, everyone’s rationality is affected except Marty’s, probably due to the weed. As the zombie’s attack, they’re all locked individually in their rooms. Marty runs into the electrical wirings and realizes that they are in a reality TV-like situation when another zombie presumably gets to him. After every death, blood pours into a silhouette but we do not get to see what it signifies until the very end.
The facility shows the scientists who are pissed off about every country failing in their activity to get everyone killed, following Japan’s loss. At the cabin, Curt, Dana, and Holden set off to escape the place in their RV. After crossing some distance, they stumble upon a huge ditch. Curt plans to cross it on his bike and return with help but even though his leap looks long enough to take him across, he hits an invisible wall and plummets into the abyss. Dana realizes that something is controlling them, which is something Marty had mentioned before on seeing everyone’s apparent change in behavior. The both of them head in a different direction in the RV when a zombie attacks Holden, killing him.
The scientists observe the situation and think that Dana is the only one left alive, the party. Suddenly, their party comes to a halt when they find out that Marty is still alive, ruining their flow.
Dana and Marty head back towards the cabin as he tells her about everything being orchestrated and shows her into an elevator. They go downstairs and see a creature holding the orb from the cellar. As the camera pans out, we see several other creatures such as the blob, a giant lady, werewolves, zombies, mermen, unicorns, dolls, witches, and several others.
Turns out that no matter what happens, Dana cannot die before Marty. The reason is still kept ambiguous.
An assault team is sent to eliminate them and they hide in the control room. Dana pushes all the buttons and that gives way to the most intense and gory scene of the movie – the Purge. The cages open and all the deadly creatures attack the team, ripping them into shreds. There’s a huge basilisk like a snake, winged creatures, unicorns, clowns, mutants, reptiles, Hell Lords from Hellraiser, Kevin from Sin City, you name it.
The place turns into a bloodbath and we also get to see Patience, the girl who wrote in the diary that Dana read out loud. The creatures break into the control room and Hadley is eaten by a merman.
In the end, Dana and Marty enter a room downstairs that looks like a place for occult-like rituals. A woman, who is the director, comes out and explains everything to them. The five silhouettes where blood poured in after each death represented a trope – the whore; Jules, the athlete; Curt, the scholar; Holden, the fool; Marty, and the virgin; Dana. Even though they weren’t exactly akin to the particular stereotypes, the facility had to make do with what they had. They used methods to make them act accordingly and offered them as sacrifices to the ancient ones, preventing them from resurfacing and taking over the world.
According to the rules, the whore dies first and the virgin dies last. They had eight minutes left to die otherwise humanity would be doomed. However, the virgin could be kept alive.
Dana decides to kill off Marty because the entire world was at stake but she gets attacked by a werewolf. In the end, the director is killed by Patience, and Dana and Marty let the Ancient Ones re-rise, leading to the end of humanity.
Horror movies are often plagued with stereotypes such as the ones we already mentioned and ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ plays on those tropes, reinforcing them, as it is all part of something way bigger. With monotony taking over the horror genre, writers Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon tried to bring something fresh to the game, to help horror rise back from their plummeting reputation in the film industry. They wrote the script after locking themselves in a room for three days, giving rise to the first draft. It is also home to a wide range of pop culture references with its doll-like creatures, clowns, werewolves, and other beings. It would’ve been particularly amazing if we got to see the creatures from well-established horror movies such as Pennywise from ‘It’, Leatherface from ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’, Freddy Kruger from ‘The Nightmare in the Elm Street’, Jack Torrance from ‘The Shining’, The Pale Man from ‘the Pan’s Labyrinth’, and so on. But that would probably require a heavy dose of legalities, so similar creatures were used to give the audience a similar taste.
Deadly Monsters That Appeared In The Movie
The movie boasts a wide arsenal of monsters, some of them are popular in horror, some inspired by other movies, and some are original. They have been provided to the Facility by the Ancient Ones to help conduct the sacrificial rituals accordingly, after being summoned. And for each monster, there is an item that can summon it.
In fact, the creators shaped over sixty artifacts for the cellar scene, even though not all of them were seen, shown, or visible. They are mainly seen during the Cube Prison scene and the System Purge scene. Here are some of our picks for this video.
Fronius; Lord of Bondage, and Pain
He is referred to as the ‘Hell Lord’ as listed on the Facility whiteboard. Sitterson had bet on his release, which unfortunately does not happen until the very end. Played by Greg Zach, this Hell Lord has pale skin with blades on his head. He presumably has telekinetic abilities and summons chains to torture his victims. He can be summoned using the spherical orb as seen in the cellar, which is a reference to the Lemarchand’s Box from the Hellraiser franchise. In fact, he was inspired by Pinhead, whose nail-embedded head was swapped for this guy’s saw-embedded one.
He is first seen following the elevator scene and his appearance is what causes Dana to snap. This is primarily because she notices the orb in his hands, taking her back to the moment at the cellar, and she realizes that they were responsible for picking the creature that will attack them.
The Ancient Ones
These are the main big bad guys of the show (with special emphasis on the big). They have existed long before mankind and rest under the Earth. With blood from ritual sacrifices, they can be kept dormant for a year but the failure of the ritual will result in their awakening followed by humanity’s destruction. This is precisely what happens after all the countries fail to give their offerings this term.
Turns out, the ritual has been performed every year since the dawn of humanity. A long time ago, a girl would be thrown into a volcano but the Ancient Ones began to demand more complex rituals with time for their entertainment, resulting in multiple victims, long, orchestrated scenarios, and autonomy of the potential victims to spice things up. The monsters are manifestations of these evil Gods as punishment for being young. They dwell deep within the Earth and are ginormous. They could’ve been inspired by the Titans from Greek Mythology who existed before the Greek Gods. More directly, they pay homage to the author H.P. Lovecraft’s works on the Cthulhu Mythos.
Killer Clown
The Electrical Department had bet on this one but he was released only after the Purge. It looks exactly how you’d expect a clown to look, with the red nose, white skin, and colorful, frilly clothes. Clowns are one of the most popular creatures in horror flicks so their appearance feels almost necessary, even though they do not contribute anything to this plot.
The fortune-telling machine in the cellar is the device that can summon him. However, they are almost never summoned, probably because it’s much more complicated to summon one compared to reading a diary or blowing a conch.
He doesn’t have any special powers and instead, stabs his victims. In a scene, he is seen mocking Hadley. He is also bulletproof.
Several clowns have dominated pop culture and collectively influenced the existence of this one. We can thank Pennywise from ‘It’, Joker from the DC Comics, Poltergeist’s Evil Clown Doll, Batman Returns’ Penguin minions, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and the likes for the existence of this creature in the movie.
The Doctors
These humanoid monsters are bet on by the accounting department from the facility. Not only were they quite obviously seen during the Purge but they also make several other appearances in the movie. They were present in the bottom right corner as the camera zoomed out during the scene where we get to see the monsters for the first time, following Dana meeting the Fornicus. We also see them when Dana and Marty hide in the elevator.
The doctors wear masks and matching caps but they are stitched into their skin. Of course, they have a bloodied appearance with burnt skin. One of them looks like his/her eyes have melted off.
Their way of killing was by using their crude tools on the victims. They probably experimented on them. They might’ve been summoned using some medical equipment but we don’t get to see that.
The characters were inspired by horror’s ‘Evil Doctor’ trope with reference to ‘The Human Centipede’, Dr. Jekyll, and most notably Frankenstein.
Giant Snake
Bet on by the Internal Logistics team in the Facility, this Giant Snake can be seen thrice in the movie after the Purge. The first time, it appears right when the Purge begins. It then appears when some security guards notice it leaving the Elevator Lobby and finally as it hisses at the camera after a man is flung over the railing by another creature – the Deadites.
It looks like a cobra but is gigantic in size, quite bigger than the Anaconda or the Python. Its attacking style is lethal and it swallows its prey in seconds but the snake is not seen using poison. Maybe there was a snakeskin in the cellar and that could’ve summoned it.
Snakes have often been villainized in the media and movies, mainly due to their eerie nature, which acted as an inspiration for the Giant Snake. Movies like ‘Anaconda’, ‘Snakes on a Plane’, ‘Mega Snake’, and ‘Python’ inspired this trope. Harry Potter’s large Basilisk could’ve also played a role in its conception.
Dismemberment Goblins
Unlike the monsters mentioned before, the Goblins weren’t bet on, as seen in the Whiteboard scene.
These humanoid creatures are demonic and immensely strong. One of the goblins is green, with chains wrapped around the wrists and neck. The other goblin is taller and less stubby. It is also red and looks demonic with its horns, sharp fingernails and teeth, and bat-like wings. Their preferred mode of killing is by tearing their victims apart, limb by limb. Their maniacal laughter echoes through the lobby during the Purge. They can probably be summoned using chains.
They appear for the first time on a mini-monitor. They are seen again after the Purge as they grab a member of the Force and dismember him. They also appear on the monitors riding on a golf cart. These creatures were favorites among the crew according to the several footages of the developers talking about them.
goblin-like creatures have appeared in pop culture for a long time, such as the goblins from Labyrinth and the Gremlins franchise. Their joy ride in the golf cart scene mimics a scene from Hobgoblins.
Angry Molesting Tree
This is an unconventional one, unlike the more generic horror tropes such as snakes, clowns, and goblins. They were bet on by the Wranglers department and have been seen twice. The first time happens to be right after the Purge when it drags a member of the Security Force into the elevator and murders him violently, as noted by the blood spilling out. The next time it appears on the monitor, dragging an unconscious man.
The tree is large and has no leaves. Even though we don’t get to see it kill, we can assume that it kills its prey by permeating its branches into them, judging by its name. It can also use those branches to ensnare its victims, as it does with the unconscious worker.
One can probably use leaves, barks, or sap to summon it.
The movie seems to be heavily inspired by ‘The Evil Dead’. The Angry Molesting Tree pays homage to the scene where a woman is raped and killed by an evil tree and then devoured. Other inspirations for the tree are: the Whomping Willow from ‘Harry Potter’, Angry Apple Throwing Trees from ‘Poltergeist’, the vines taking over in ‘Jumanji’, and the roots from a tree making a person disappear in the ‘Sleepy Hollow’, among several others.
Merman
Steve Hadley passionately bets on this one because he had never seen the Merman before. Interestingly enough, it is the Merman who kills Steve Hadley after the Purge.
This half-human and half-fish is far from looking as good as Jason Momoa in Aquaman and has sharp teeth, blue skin, unkempt hair, and a blowhole on the back from where the victim’s blood spurts out. In a scene, Sitterson cribs about how much of a nightmare the cleanup process for the Merman was.
Its cube prison might have existed underwater and it could be summoned by blowing into the conch shell. Curt almost did.
H.P. Lovecraft has previously written about dangerous merpeople in ‘The Shadow over Innsmouth’. They also take inspiration from movies like ‘Frankenfish’ and The Creature from the ‘Black Lagoon’. The Merman in ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ resembles those seen in Irish folklore.
Dragonbat
If Batman and Daenerys Targaryen had a love child, this would be it. No one from the Facility bet on the Dragonbat, and it flew around the lobby during the Purge.
It appears during the Cube Prison scene in the first wave of the Purge when it pins down a security member and eats him while pursuing Dana and Marty. It also gets a whiff of Ronald, the Intern’s scent.
As per its name, the creature is a hybrid between a dragon and a demonic bat. It is not nearly as small as a bat and not quite as large as a dragon. It is possibly one of the deadliest creatures, as noted by its high speed, screech, and thirst for blood.
It can probably be summoned with a bad tooth or something similar.
Hybrid animal creatures have appeared in horror and fantasy movies for ages such as ‘Dinocroc’ and ‘Sharktopus’ and it directly influences the Dragonbat.
Chimeras from Greek mythology are creatures with a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a dragon’s tail. They are terrorizing and another huge source of inspiration for the Dragonbat. Even though ‘Toy Story’ isn’t horror, we can draw parallels with Sid’s horrifying hybrid creations here as well.
Sugarplum Fairy
Originally called ‘The Ballerina’, the Sugarplum Fairy is not bet on and seen twice – once when Marty spots her in the Cube Prison and once in the CCTV camera. Phoebe Galvan portrayed her.
She looks like a ballet dancer in her preteens but has the mouth of a lamprey with sharp teeth throughout her face instead of eyes or a nose.
Holden almost summons her while toying around with a music box with a porcelain ballerina on it. She would’ve appeared if he let the song come to an end.
The Sugarplum Fairy from The Nutcracker was turned lethal for the conception of this ballet dancer. Movies such as ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ and ‘Black Swan’ helped demonize her more. Tooth fairy creatures from ‘Darkness Falls’ and ‘Hellboy II: The Golden Army’ also acted as inspirations, possibly.
Unicorn
Bet on by the Engineering Department, the Unicorn appears once as it impales a member of the Security Force to death.
It looks like any other unicorn with a horn on its head. Considering the fact that the Ancient Ones are a mythological reference, the Unicorn fits right in.
The cellar boasts a unicorn tapestry that can summon this creature.
Mythological creatures have often been antagonized in horror flicks and a unicorn bears testament to that. The Leprechaun, Rumpelstiltskin, Alice from the American McGee’s Alice video game, Witch Hunters from Hansel & Gretel, and the Gingerdead Man heavily influenced the conception of the Unicorn.
As pretty and majestic as they look, unicorns can be violent in nature and are drawn to the purity of a virgin. German folklore, Celtic mythology, Nordic folklore, The Chronicles of Narnia, Heraldry, and Late antiquity are several sources where we get to see unicorns appear in fantasy. Other dark fantasy movies such as 1975’s ‘Black Moon’ and 1985’s ‘Legend’ can also be added to the mix.
Zombie Redneck Torture Family
This was the group of monsters that were ultimately summoned, bet on by the Maintenance Department and Ronald the Intern. The Buckners were a murderous family that enjoyed torturing and killing those passing by their homes. They were said to have a ‘100% clearance rate’.
They are undead humans who enjoy killing. Sitterson mentions how they are completely different compared to normal zombies. In the movie, they are seen wielding weapons and launching coordinated attacks so they probably have some intellect.
We get to learn about their background as Dana reads the diary. They followed a pain-stricken religion in the early 1900s, where torturing others tested their faith. Patience Buckner had her arm severed.
They were summoned by Dana and killed Holden, Jules, and the Director.
Zombies have been a fan favorite in horror for a long time but the Buckner family, in particular, is reminiscent of the Bloody Benders, who are a family of serial killers. The cannibalistic Sawyer family from ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ can also be a possible influence. Summonings in Latin is another direct reference to ‘The Evil Dead.
Werewolf
Werewolves have appeared in horror and fantasy for decades. In ‘The Cabin in the Woods, they were bet on by the Finance department. They appear during the Cube Prison scene, the Purge, and the Ritual scene as it attacks Dana from the back.
Werewolves are humans who turn into violent humanoid wolves on the night of a full moon. They are feral and attack anyone that comes their way. When they transform back into a human on the next day, they retain little to no memory of the events of the previous night.
Their summoning item is not directly mentioned, even though it could be a silver bullet or fur.
Werewolves have appeared in two overwhelmingly popular fantasy franchises – ‘The Twilight Saga’ and the ‘Harry Potter’ Series, as seen with Jacob Black’s family and the likes of Remus Lupin and Fenrir Greyback respectively. They have also been seen in Tolkien’s writings, Narnia, the Goosebumps series, mythologies, and folktales from all over the Western world.
Dolls
These monsters were bet on by the Kitchen Staff and are seen several times throughout the movie.
They look like normal humans who wear eerie masks with no expressions, that give them black lips and thin eyebrows. It is not known whether they are a family or just like to travel together. They are dressed in all black and use switchblades, duct tapes, matches, and gasoline tanks to kill their prey. Unlike the other creatures in the Facility, Dolls are calm and collected, making them more sociopathic than the rest.
They can be summoned by a mask identical to the ones they wear.
Dolls wearing masks are popular antagonists in slasher films. Their emotional coldness has also been used quite a number of times. Films like ‘The Strangers’ and ‘Child’s Play’ have cemented Dolls as an evil adversary in horror. Not to forget, several people do have a phobia of dolls.
Samara II
As the Ritual is held in several countries all over the world, we get to see footage of kids being plagued by a ghastly creature in Kyoto, Japan. The creature looks eerily similar to Samara from the ‘Ring’ series, with its white outfit and matted hair.
They can possibly be summoned by a ‘phone ring’ but in the end, the kids perform a singing ritual and turn her into flowers, claiming that the evil has been defeated.
Death Robot
Also known as the Killer Robot, this Mecha-Scorpion has pneumatic legs and arms resembling that of a spider. It shoots grappling hooks and is one of the deadliest Monsters of the facility.
The buzz saw from the cellar could be its object of summoning. The Robot is seen during the Purge, killing the guards from the Security Force. Movies like ‘RoboCop’ and ‘the Terminator’ must’ve inspired it.
The Kraken
This mythological creature appears towards the end of the System Purge. It is an enormous sea monster from Greek and Scandinavian folklore. It has multiple limbs and attacks ships and sailors. Despite being a sea creature, it is seen moving at high speed on the ground.
Some mythological artifact could’ve been the object that summons the Kraken. They have appeared in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’, ‘The Clash of Titans’, ‘Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus’, ‘Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep’ and ‘It Came from Beneath the Sea’, among several others.
The Blob
It is seen in a deleted scene from the System Purge. Other than that, the Blob appears in the Cube Prison scene. It is big, shapeless, and slimy. It looks like it has veins and lumps pulsating, and can possibly be a failed scientific experiment, or something of alien descent.
It is inspired by the movie, ‘The Blob’.
Toxic Mutants!
The Demolition department bet on the Mutants who appear many times during the Purge.
These are disfigured humans who are the results of experiments gone wrong, as noted from the radiation scars and chemical burns on their skin. They behave like zombies and are references to the mutants seen in the ‘Chernobyl Diaries’, ‘Wrong Turn’, and other creatures infected by a deadly virus.
Snowman
The Communications Department had bet on the Snowman but it was not seen during the Purge.
It looks like a regular snowman but can locomote and interact with the physical world, much like Olaf from Disney’s ‘Frozen’ but pretty sure this one is way more lethal. It can possibly be summoned using a carrot or a snow globe.
His conception was inspired by Jack Frost and the Goosebumps book ‘Beware the Snowman’. Do you still wanna build a snowman?
Mummy
This monster was bet on by the Psychology department and similar to the Snowman, was not seen during the Purge. However, it did appear in the behind-the-scenes footage.
They look like your stereotypical mummy, wrapped in white bandages, appearing as a reanimated corpse. Some of its bandages have bloodstains on them.
Any embalmed item could’ve been used for its summoning.
‘The Mummy’ series has heightened the popularity of mummies as antagonists and is possibly crucial to the conception of this monster.
Giant Tarantula
The Giant Tarantula was not listed on the Whiteboard but seen in the Cube Prison and during the Purge.
It looks like a regular tarantula but way bigger, making it a lethal predator. It probably attacks by eating its victims or poisoning them with amplified venom production.
Spider webs could be the cause for the tarantula’s summoning.
Shelob from the ‘Lord of the Rings, movies like ‘Tarantula!’, ‘Tarantula Eight Legged Freaks’, and ‘Earth vs Spider’ are likely to have inspired Giant Tarantula. Arachnophobia in humans might have acted as a heavy inspiration.
Twins
These monsters, even though listed on the Whiteboard, were not bet on. They are two young girls who look and dress the same. They always hold hands and move together, operating as a single entity. They do not wield any weapons so it can be assumed that they have superhuman abilities.
Objects appearing in pairs could’ve been its summoning item.
The Supernatural Grady Girls from Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’ might’ve inspired them.
Yeti
This animalistic humanoid creature is briefly seen during the Cube Prison and System scenes. It is large, with brownish fur wrapping its entire body. Their characteristics can vary from folklore to folklore but commonly, they are all quite fast and have immense strength.
It appears on a CCTV camera while throwing a member of the Security Force around. Bigfoots and Yetis have been present in folklore all over the world, be it the East or the West, inspiring this very creature.
Jack O’Lantern
The Security Department had bet on the Jack O’Lantern, who goes on to appear several times during the Purge. It is seven feet tall and dons a pumpkin for a head, carved in the typical Halloween way. Generally, Jack O’Lantern’s breathe fire in folklore.
A pumpkin in the cellar was probably what could summon him. ‘The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow’, ‘Goosebumps: Attack of the Jack O’Lanterns’, and other Halloween stories inspired this monster.
The Huron
Bet on by the Research and Development department, the Huron is a stereotypical Native American man who wields a Bowie Knife and is summoned by a tribal drum in the cellar.
During the director’s commentary, it was revealed that the Huron stemmed from North American settlers who considered the indigenous people to be savages, which inspired the Huron for this movie.
Alien Beast
The BioMedical Department bet on the Alien Beast who was seen once during the second wave of the Purge. It is an extraterrestrial monster with a complex physical structure. Possibly summoned by an alien egg.
Xenomorphs in the ‘Alien’ franchise designed by H.R. Giger are huge in pop culture, and the Alien Beast is believed to be a homage to its life cycle stage – Facehugger.
The Bride
The Digital Analysis department had bet on them but she is not seen during the Purge. As a result, her appearance is unknown, even though she most likely looks like a woman dressed in bloodied bridal wear. Jules almost summons her while putting on a gem necklace but is interrupted by Dana.
Scary bride tropes seen in ‘Bride of Chucky’, ‘Bride of Frankenstein’, and ‘Corpse Bride’ would have inspired her. With Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard enjoying some satire, it could also be a reference to men fearing their wives or the commitment required in marriage.
Deadites
These are reanimated monsters who look like corpses, bet on by the Story Department, appearing during the Purge.
They are humans who have been possessed by demonic entities. Their bodies begin to decay and morph, with the eyes turning pale and teeth growing sharper due to Dark Magic, giving rise to the Deadite. Tampering with occult objects could’ve summoned them.
The Deadites from ‘The Evil Dead’ inspired these creatures.
Sexy Witches
Bet on by the Archives Department, Sexy Witches are monsters released during the Purge. They are regular women who have alluring appearances and practice witchcraft. They probably rely on techniques requiring seduction.
Tarot cards, love potions, and crystals might summon them. They are a horror trope seen in ‘The Craft’, ‘The Witches of Eastwick’, ‘Charmed’ and ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’. The term ‘Sexy Witches’ is also a wordplay on the term Sexy B-words.
Vampires
Vampires are one of the most popular creatures in horror. In the movie, the Distribution Department bets on them.
They are immortal beings with cold, pale skin with an allergy to sunlight. They tend to possess supernatural powers and suck on the blood of victims. Amulets or stakes might have been able to summon them.
Movies such as ‘Dracula’, the ‘Twilight’ series, Tolkien’s mythology, ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ belong to the long list of vampire-oriented tales that have inspired ‘The Cabin in the Woods.
Cyclops
These are monsters from Greek and Roman mythology but they were not seen in the Purge.
They are generally male, tall, strong creatures with one eye. He appears during ‘The Cabin in the Woods: Visual Companion’.
According to Greco-Roman mythology, they were sons of the primordial gods Gaea and Ouranos. They have appeared in Rick Riordan’s ‘Percy Jackson’ series several times.
Witches
Unlike the Sexy Witches, ordinary witches look scary with pale faces, creepy expressions, and white hair. The Operations Department had bet on them and they appeared throughout the Purge.
The movie boasts only one witch who has a hag-like appearance. She possibly uses Dark Magic to claim her victims and her summoning items can be cauldrons or broomsticks.
Witches have appeared in horror movies, books, and tales since horror was birthed.
Kevin
Kevin is a mysterious human who is kept in the Facility. He looks like a regular man, making him extremely dangerous because looks can be deceiving. He can make the victims believe that he is on their side and then sacrifice them. Marty almost summons him while toying with a film tape.
Kevin from ‘Sin City’ might have inspired this human monster. In the director’s commentary, Kevin is shown as a sadistic person. Characters like Norman Bates from ‘Psycho’ come to mind on seeing Kevin.
Reptilius
Nobody had bet on this animalistic monster who appears in the Purge.
The creature has green scaly skin and legs like that of a dinosaur. Its tail is armored while the head resembles that of a dragon.
Its object of summoning could have been reptilian toys.
The creature bears resemblance to Godzilla, which might have been a source of its inspiration, alongside dragons and dinosaurs, namely, ‘Jurassic Park’.
Is There Going To Be A ‘Cabin in the Woods 2’?
‘The Cabin in the Woods is a commercial and critical success and being a horror movie, a sequel is expected from it. However, there are currently no plans for such a sequel. The primary reason for this is the ending of the movie which denotes the rise of the Ancient Ones and an apparent end of the world.
However, it is not uncommon for horror to have reboots, spin-offs, and prequels. Drew Goddard, in an interview with Fandango, has stated that he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of making a sequel as a lightning bolt of an idea could strike him anytime. However, anything conceived so far for a sequel has undermined the ending of the movie, which is not something he was willing to sacrifice.
And with that, today’s video comes to an end. Have you watched this movie? Which creatures were you able to pinpoint? Did you enjoy this video? If yes, don’t forget to like and comment on this video. Till then, goodbye. And have a nice day!