Critic Reviews
-
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
... disgusting and brainless ...
-
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
You've got to love a horror movie that wears its bloody influences so happily on its sleeve, and then proceeds to roll it up and start swinging the axe in a different direction.
-
Mark Rahner, Seattle Times
You won't want to eat, drink or be touched after a bout of Cabin Fever.
-
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle
Cabin Fever starts small, and stays small, never reaching the transcendent Blair Witch heights of the biggest low-budget successes.
-
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Cabin Fever gets the job done. It's appropriately gruesome and genuinely scary -- and, despite the body count and the way people die here, it has a wicked sense of humor.
-
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
Movies about flesh-eating viruses don't come along every day. Cabin Fever, which opens today, demonstrates why.
-
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
...a nail-biting horror movie that has audiences alternately covering their eyes in fear during scenes of gory revelation, or guffawing out loud...
-
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
An unabashed homage to grungy '70s and '80s rural horror.
-
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
It's apparent on screen that Roth hasn't an original creative bone in his entire body as he brainlessly throws a variety of contrived elements that make a horror movie but never succeeds in assembling them and pulling it off...
-
David Cornelius, eFilmCritic.com
What it loses by trying to be a comedy, it makes up by trying to be a showcase for the grotesque.
-
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Tenta desesperadamente criar uma aura cult ao estilo Evil Dead, mas consegue apenas ser patético em seu racismo, sua homofobia, sua misoginia e seu senso de humor adolescente.
-
Louis-Jérôme Cloutier, Panorama
Les références aux classiques de l'horreur, l'humour franchement drôle à certains moments et tout le gore réussiront peut-être à ne pas faire regretter l'achat du billet.
-
Jay Antani, Los Angeles Alternative
Fever packs its share of jolts and none-too-shabby black humor, both worthy of a place alongside Romero
-
Victoria Alexander, FilmsInReview.com
The DVD has 5 commentary tracks and is packed with extras!
-
Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)
Like 2000's Ravenous, it mixes up the gruesome and the funny so that your own reactions - laughter tinged with outrage - startle you.
-
Aaron Hillis, Premiere Magazine
Roth slyly invokes the humor of the Evil Dead series while teasingly sidestepping splatter-movie conventions to (de)compose an impressive, disgusting debut...
Read all 16 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
-
Eli Roth's debut feature echoes hints of old school Peter Jackson gross out horror. The only difference is, Jackson's films are classics and Cabin Fever will never attain that status. Though a good effort, and unlike Roth's following films Hostel, 1, 2 (the first was… More
Eli Roth's debut feature echoes hints of old school Peter Jackson gross out horror. The only difference is, Jackson's films are classics and Cabin Fever will never attain that status. Though a good effort, and unlike Roth's following films Hostel, 1, 2 (the first was better, the second was garbage), this film does have decent enough scares throughout. The tactics used by Eli Roth in Cabin Fever are nothing really new, and have already been done before in many films. Cabin Fever mostly plays out like an homage to the gross out flicks of the 80's. The film will definitely appeal to gore fans as Roth crafts a film that focuses more on the gore than on the plot. In many cases, especially with Peter Jackson's earlier efforts and the bulk of Lucio Fulci's finest films, it does work very well, and the finished product is very good despite the lack of a credible plot. In Cabin Fever, the film does have high points, but the scripts limitations are apparent. Eli Roth said that one of his inspirations for Cabin Fever was The Evil Dead. Combining elements from that film with an infection / rash type of disease is an interesting idea. However Cabin Fever is a film that just relies more on old school splatter elements than great story telling, and with that said, this should be a good time for gore hounds. In a way the material that Eli Roth presents the viewer with here is nothing new, but sometimes that's all you need for an effective horror yarn. Despite this, Cabin Fever is a decent enough horror film, but its lack of good acting and paper thin plot won't make it a classic any time soon.
-
Here is a film made so tongue in cheeck and over the top that you gotta admire it's bold craziness. Eli Roth has made confident if fragmented debut feature with his Cabin Fever.
While clearly not meant to be taken too seriously, Cabin Fever is still a quite scary at times and… More
Here is a film made so tongue in cheeck and over the top that you gotta admire it's bold craziness. Eli Roth has made confident if fragmented debut feature with his Cabin Fever.
While clearly not meant to be taken too seriously, Cabin Fever is still a quite scary at times and the atmosphere is extremely eerie and even surreal. In these days there are so many horror-films out there which forget to have fun and be playful. With this film Roth has gave us fresh take on extremely cliched cabin-horror theme.
There are even moments of odd comedy here that resembles the best parts of David Lynch's Twin Peaks. Especially Giuseppe Andrews who plays the deliciously bonkers deputy WInston with constant partying in his mind, is a laugh out loud character with his pimp-moustache who seems to be lifted from Beastie Boys video. There is even support from composer Angelo Badalamenti at the soundtrack department that makes things even more far out with jazzy touches.
While Cabin Fever marked an interesting and promising debut for director/writer Eli Roth, he failed to capture the same atmosphere and approach with his next two torture-porn entries Hostel and Hostel 2. He is a director with potential but what he needs is a good script to work from.
-
[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img]
Definitely Eli Roth's most inspired, and most substantial film. But that's just damning it with very faint praise. Firstly, the acting is much better than I expected it would be, and the gore is… More
[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img]
Definitely Eli Roth's most inspired, and most substantial film. But that's just damning it with very faint praise. Firstly, the acting is much better than I expected it would be, and the gore is disgusting and boasts some pretty impressive bloody corpse special effects. Especially considering the tiny budget it was made on. All this adds up to the construction of a cheesy 80's horror movie, which was exactly what Roth was trying to mimic. However he shows almost no creativity in Cabin Fever and for me he never demonstrated the extent of his talent. There was also very few shocks, and once I adjusted to the carnage, consequently, it wasn't that scary. But in the end it's interesting twist to the typical cabin in the woods story doesn't fully make it work. I think its designed brilliantly and has an environmental message, and I admire Roth's aspirations to not skimp on gore or sex, but it was unnecessary to the plot. To me, it just felt to me like a bunch of stuff i'd seen from some of the classic horror movies mashed in with one interesting premise. I honestly wish it could have been better, but redemptively, it was an honourable failure.
-
An entertaining, consistently funny gory mess of a film concerning five brainless college students who head off into the woods in hopes of a relaxing few days after completing college. However, when a diseased man invades their premises and spreads an infection that appears to be… More
An entertaining, consistently funny gory mess of a film concerning five brainless college students who head off into the woods in hopes of a relaxing few days after completing college. However, when a diseased man invades their premises and spreads an infection that appears to be flesh-eating and fast-moving, their vacation takes a back seat to survival. Say what you will about Eli Roth (his acting is less than stellar, let's just leave it at that), but the man knows what he wants to do and does it well. Might sound like a bland generalization, but it's the truth. He knows what kinds of movies he wants to make and he has a fun time doing it. This film is a great throwback to cheesy 70's horror films, only this one is much funnier and has a strong lead character we can pull for throughout (in this case, Rider Strong's). It has its ridiculous scenes that have no place being in the film, but Roth's ability to keep this thing trucking along (at a tight 100 minute run-time) and us laughing about the ridiculousness of it makes this thing a winner. It's basically a slice of "Deliverance", only with much worse acting and it does not get ultra-serious, it stays light throughout, and it just flat-out works.
-
I've wanted to see this for a while, and upon finally viewing it, I have a very mixed opinion. Part of it is a pretty decent, bloody, creepily effective horror movie, the other part is a wonky, left-field spiral into absurdity. This could have been a worthy horror flick if it… More
I've wanted to see this for a while, and upon finally viewing it, I have a very mixed opinion. Part of it is a pretty decent, bloody, creepily effective horror movie, the other part is a wonky, left-field spiral into absurdity. This could have been a worthy horror flick if it would have stayed on it's initial path, but the silliness sucked the atmosphere out of it like a vacuum hose from hell. Overall, meh.
-
<i>"Terror... In the flesh."</i>
A group of five college graduates rent a cabin in the woods and begin to fall victim to a horrifying flesh-eating virus, which attracts the unwanted attention of the homicidal locals.
<center><font size=+2… More
<i>"Terror... In the flesh."</i>
A group of five college graduates rent a cabin in the woods and begin to fall victim to a horrifying flesh-eating virus, which attracts the unwanted attention of the homicidal locals.
<center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center>
The whole idea of this film is pretty basic: it's the usual five kids taking a trip to a cabin in the woods, and so on. However, the approach is a bit different. While the movie is extremely bloody, and some parts are pretty shocking, the fact is that it's just all really funny. The characters were believable enough, but they were also presented in an unfavorable light that made them easy to laugh at. It was as if Eli Roth did not take any of his characters all that seriously, so he had no trouble making fun of them. The humorous twist made watching this movie a highly enjoyable experience. Also, I found it intriguing how after the initial encounter with the diseased man, the only threat was the possibility of being infected. I think this helped the film to seem more realistic and more terrifying than if it had gone in the more typical direction of having the kids fight off the same already-dead people for the duration of the movie.
The film contains a number of tributes to classic horror films that are sure to please any fan, yet is still original and brilliant in its own right. It has everything: blood, suspense, humor, a great score, and an ending that is ironic and amusing.
-
I've always liked this movie. It's actually a pretty effective horror movie. It interjects a very disturbing use of gore into very tense situation. I always liked that the there was no supernatural antagonist hunting the victims, but an unlikely source of terror.… More
I've always liked this movie. It's actually a pretty effective horror movie. It interjects a very disturbing use of gore into very tense situation. I always liked that the there was no supernatural antagonist hunting the victims, but an unlikely source of terror. Sometimes the inappropriate sense of humor works for me, and sometimes it doesn't. I wonder how intense the film would have been without any humor? In any event, this is a demented and enjoyable way to spend an hour-and-a half.
-
Scary yet some of the scenes were definite 'What the fuck' moments.
-
This is a horror movie? Seriously? That police (Deputy Winston) made it look like a spoof movie. And it didn't explained the main thing (like where did that disease came from and blah blah). I thought I'd have a nightmare after watching this but this movie, itself, is a… More
This is a horror movie? Seriously? That police (Deputy Winston) made it look like a spoof movie. And it didn't explained the main thing (like where did that disease came from and blah blah). I thought I'd have a nightmare after watching this but this movie, itself, is a nightmare. Waste of time. Don't recommend it to watch.
-
-
A gruesome horror by Eli Roth that pays homage to the classic Evil Dead (particularly Evil Dead II).
Five college kids rent a cabin in the woods for a getaway vacation only to discover that theres something not quite right out there in the woods. All the classic horror ingredients… More
A gruesome horror by Eli Roth that pays homage to the classic Evil Dead (particularly Evil Dead II).
Five college kids rent a cabin in the woods for a getaway vacation only to discover that theres something not quite right out there in the woods. All the classic horror ingredients are there, stupid kids, gratuitous nudity, gun toting hicks and enough gore to fill a bath.
This film combines horror with comedy and does a good job in doing so. The horror is particularly disturbing by adding elements of the with large injections of the bizarre (PANCAKES, PANCAKES!) that will leave you feel adequately violated.
"Yeah, he's a professor... OF BEING A DOG! OOOH, FACED!... Scratch moded! "
-
There's something to be said about the innovative horror genre that Eli Roth has seemingly invented out of thin air. We all are scared of torture and violence, which is exemplified in Roth's later film Hostel. This is more like a dumbed down version along with the… More
There's something to be said about the innovative horror genre that Eli Roth has seemingly invented out of thin air. We all are scared of torture and violence, which is exemplified in Roth's later film Hostel. This is more like a dumbed down version along with the precondition of a biological disease, and mass panic. It's Dawn of the Dead with chainsaws. Basically just annoying, it's still something new to a medium that'll never die out.
-
I'm still trying to figure out Cabin Fever. Was it a horror film or a comedy? Someone explain this to me. The film has some great horror visuals, yet doesn't take itself seriously at all to the point that it seems like a parody film within itself leading to a dreadful… More
I'm still trying to figure out Cabin Fever. Was it a horror film or a comedy? Someone explain this to me. The film has some great horror visuals, yet doesn't take itself seriously at all to the point that it seems like a parody film within itself leading to a dreadful experience that is more camp than horror.
Going through the movie you get a ton of homages to previous horror films. By a ton I mean a shitload. These winks into the past are OK occasionally, but when you stockpile them one like sale toilet paper it also gives the feel of a parody film. The plot is that five friends go into the woods to a cabin (Evil Dead). They stop by a rustic convenience store with odd owners (Texas Chainsaw Massacre). They encounter an odd child sitting in a swing (Deliverance) and eventually wind up fighting off a flesh easting something that slowly eats their skin away (insert any Romero film title here).
Of course this is done very tongue in cheek. Or is it. It's hard to tell because some scenes are very good from a horror genre standpoint, but others are so campy it's like something from an Ed Wood film. If Ed Wood was alive today he would have made Cabin Fever. The characters are all stereotypical horror film stock, even the local yokels who are low rent Deliverance rejects. There are a few interesting plot twists that you don't see coming, but those are drowned out by scenes like the "Pancakes!" scene that is probably the stupidest scene I have seen in a film in a very long time. It's so out of place it looks like an out take. The main problem with the film is that it's full of these scenes. Just when you're getting into the movie for what it should be you get hit from some insanely idiotic scene that ruins it. Pancakes is the epitome of those scenes.
There are parts of Cabin Fever that I really enjoyed. I really did. The thing is that the stupid portions of the film overshadow what was actually good about it. I don't know if the filmmakers were afraid they would be called an Evil Dead rip off if they didn't do something different. I hate to sound like a fuddy duddy but different isn't always better. I was contemplating give this zero stars, but it still had those glimmers during the film and I feel generous. If you enjoy a nice C-grade horror film that will give you the WTF face then enjoy Cabin Fever. It may still have a bit of a pulse because of it.
-
This movie was very disturbing and gross. The gore parts were great and it was really nasty, however I didn't feel it was the best movie, despite it's gruesome scenes.
This movie is incredibly unrealistic and it seemed really stupid. The child that bites people, just… More
This movie was very disturbing and gross. The gore parts were great and it was really nasty, however I didn't feel it was the best movie, despite it's gruesome scenes.
This movie is incredibly unrealistic and it seemed really stupid. The child that bites people, just seemed really unnecessary and out of place. It was a stupid part that didn't make any sense. There wasn't a need for it in the movie. Then of course the group of rednecks running around trying to kill the teens. Like that would ever happen- people are asking for help and they pull out a rifle and start shooting? If they knew about the disease, why wouldn't they tell people? Why are they just trying to control the disease themselves? It was really stupid and I didn't find it interesting. The stupidity of the teenagers camping just astonished me. Who goes camping in the middle of nowhere anyway? Don't they watch horror movies???
Also the part with the bunny costume at the end (I think it's a rabbit), had absolutely NO place in that scene. It was incredibly random and it made me confused.
The entire movie was not very scary. It was more Saw gross than scary. I wouldn't watch this movie again. It really wasn't that great.
-
you know they are running out of ideas when the villian in a movie is killer tap water.
-
So much fun and a classically laid out horror movie. Eli Roth is a huge horror buff and knew exactly what to do here. He used all those classic shots as well as the feel of an 70's-early 80's horror. It has the cliches like: the campfire story, nudity, gross out gore, weird… More
So much fun and a classically laid out horror movie. Eli Roth is a huge horror buff and knew exactly what to do here. He used all those classic shots as well as the feel of an 70's-early 80's horror. It has the cliches like: the campfire story, nudity, gross out gore, weird side characters, etc. It's just such a fun movie, especially if you're a big fan of the genre. If you can't enjoy this movie, you either don't get it or you have no idea what a good movie is. There need to be more horrors out there like this which pay respect and also create something new. I honestly couldn't ask for a better piece of modern horror.
-
This is a good modern day horror without a man in a mask!
-
This low budget horror thriller opened a lot of doors for director Eli Roth, who later worked with Quentin Tarantino and very clearly is a big fan of "Deliverance" (think violent rednecks and odd kids on porches). The characters in this gory blood feast actually start out… More
This low budget horror thriller opened a lot of doors for director Eli Roth, who later worked with Quentin Tarantino and very clearly is a big fan of "Deliverance" (think violent rednecks and odd kids on porches). The characters in this gory blood feast actually start out somewhat believable but, like so often in such movies, lose credibility once things go down the drain. The film is rather nicely shot, its low budget is not visible at all, and definitely has its exciting moments, as well as a few pretty Ewww! scenes. Later on it gets a tad too predictable, fans of the genre probably figure out easily where all that is leading. They should still be the ones who might have the most fun with this, people who can't see blood should most definitely stay away. So, personal preferences are most likely gonna decide how you like this film, there isn't anything bad to say about the cinematography, direction or acting. The final joke is beyond awesome, though.
-
"Yeah, he's a professor... of being a dog! Ooh, faced! Scratch moded!"
A bunch of college graduates turn against each other after one of them gets a terrible flesh eating virus...
You could think that this synopsis could prove that "Cabin Fever" could be a… More
"Yeah, he's a professor... of being a dog! Ooh, faced! Scratch moded!"
A bunch of college graduates turn against each other after one of them gets a terrible flesh eating virus...
You could think that this synopsis could prove that "Cabin Fever" could be a cool gore fest. Well, it ain't.
The film is just another cliché filled teen horror film. The acting is stupid at best. You really can't give a damn about these irritating vacationers. Deputy Winston is the only remotely funny character.
You'd expect from a film like this gore beyond your greatest expectations, but everytime something cool happens, the camera goes "blind". The film just gets more stupid during its last half hour. And of course, the film leaves a door open for a sequel...
-
This was an okay film, its supposed to be a horror? More like a comedy, not to be taken seriously perhaps, I wouldn't watch this again.
Read all 20 featured audience ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Subscription Services