Cabin Fever(2016) | Gory. Campy. Fun.

"It's like being on a plane when you know it's going to crash. Everybody around you is screaming and yelling, "We're going down! We're going down!" And all you really want to do is grab the person next to you and fuck the shit out of them, because you know you're going to be dead soon, anyway." - Marcy 108:33

Cabin Fever is a remake of the 2002 Eli Roth Film directed by Travis Zariwny. It was produced by IFC Midnight and is available on Netflix. It stars the acting talents of Samuel Davis(Paul), Gage Golightly(Karen), Matthew Daddario(Jeff), Nadine Crocker(Marcy), and Dustin Ingram(Burt). For a full list of Cast and Crew. 

From the synopsis on Netflix and its IMBD page I expected Cabin Fever to a be a campy Zombie flick in the vein of Zombeavers(2014) or Strippers vs Zombies(2008). What I got was a surprisingly good viral outbreak movie that was self aware enough to enjoy itself while still provided a steller horror experience. 

You've heard the story before a group of college kids go up to a cabin in the woods. The shopkeeper's kid bites, the deputy is an idiot, and nobody has reception. That and our lovely coeds have been getting a hideously little rash. Unlike other horror movies involving infections CF is very intimate dealing with how the disease affects the relationships of five college students 

We meet our cast of characters as they get settled in; Jeff, your standard rich guy asshole;  Marcy, His well-meaning girlfriend; Paul and Karen; the kids-next-door types who are best friends but maybe they want to be something more and Burt, a petty thief, jokester, and someone who under no circumstance should be trusted with a firearm. To be honest, Cabin Fever plays their characters as archetypes, (or for the jaded, cliches) but this is par for the course for many slasher style films with a high body count. CF exaggerates many of the humorous characteristics of the original film which includes the somewhat wacky cast of townsfolk from the "party dude" Dt. Winston to the belligerent hogs-woman neighbor. I found the acting to be in turns Hammy and Sincere depending on the scene but it fit well with the overall feel of the movie. 

While I hate to perpetuate the Auteur Myth it is true that every director provides a different vision to the work. Travis Zariwny (Witch Den(2020)) utilizes the technological advancements that have been made in the field with crisp visuals, aerial footage, and some truly beautiful transitions. While I feel that the remake loses some of the character of the original cinematography it provides a vibrant and masterful interpretation of the source material. On a side note a lot of effort is put into bringing to life Roth's original gory vision. A decades worth of prosthetic innovation has definitely increased the quality and visuals of the gore. Some scenes such as Marcy's Death are toned down while others such as the razor scene still provide the squick factor of the original. 

Kevin Riepl, (who also worked on Cabin Fever: Patient Zero(2014)), did a fantastic job with the scoring of the film. Traditional orchestral scoring is not as often heard nowadays in modern horror, (Screechy Violins are top fiddle at the moment), so it was refreshing when I heard the first chords of Riepl's work. While some films insist on a constant dark and gloomy atmosphere CF has a range to its musical tone. It also made some of the horror scenes so much more fantastic. The scene where Karen is discovered to have the virus is scored with a hectic track marked with heavy percussive knocks which underlined the high emotions of the character. Riepl is a fantastic composer who adds his all to the film. 

Having seen the original and the remake I find it hard to ultimately decide which one is the superior version. One of my few issues with this remake in forms of adaptation is Zariwny's condensing of the original script. While it cut out some unnecessary dialogue in a few scenes, (Did not want to hear about your dog tongue-punching your fart box, Burt), it also took out a few lines and scenes that helped with narrative cohesion, (such as Grim's fate). One thing I did enjoy about the revision of the script was the removal of some of the more offensive parts of the original 90's script such as this lovely chestnut. 

"Karen: Bert, what the hell is that?
Bert: I'm going to go shoot some squirrels.
Paul: Why would you want to kill squirrels?
Bert: Because they're gay.
Karen: Bert, don't be a fucking retard.
Bert: I'm kidding. I don't care if they're gay or straight, I'll kill them either way."

Zariwny also removed more of the unique aspects of the original film, such as the famous "Pancakes Scene" and the Bunny Doctor as well as the ending cliffhanger. I did not personally mind the removal of these scenes as the surrealist aspects in the original film came across as jarring in an otherwise grounded horror film. (That is not to saw surrealism does not have its place in horror (I.E The Ritual(2017)). Purists criticize this film as not understanding Roth's "Charcoal Wit" , (The ending gag was fantastic and completely forgives the N-word controversy), but I feel that CF was self aware enough to provide a horror tone while also giving way to the levity of Roth's original script. The original cast was more grounded in their role but I enjoyed both interpretations of the dialogue.

Cabin Fever works hard as a faithful adaptation of Eli Roth's Original film. Crisp Visuals, Fantastic Scoring, Visceral Gore and a cast of bizarre characters provide a new-age update that can gel with a younger audience. That being said Zariwny's condensation of the original story does lose something in the translation. I see Cabin Fever as a love letter to what made the original so good but I feel you should see both to get the full story.