Cabin Fever | Forgotten Horror 7
- Forgotten Cinema
- Oct 19
- 1 min read
When Paying Tribute Goes Wrong
This week on Forgotten Horror 7: The Nightmare is Reel, we pack our bags, head deep into the woods, and promptly regret it with Eli Roth’s debut feature Cabin Fever. Roth set out to revive the “cabin in the woods” sub-genre made iconic by films like The Evil Dead, Friday the 13th, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Unfortunately… this one misses the mark for us.
What Works in Cabin Fever
To be fair, there’s craftsmanship here. Some of the practical effects are gnarly and effective, the cinematography has its moments, and you can see flashes of inspired direction. There’s clearly a love of horror history running through the film, and Roth doesn’t shy away from gore.
Where It Collapses
But all the blood and energy can’t save it from its script. The characters are unlikable to the point of being grating, the story feels forced and disjointed, and the tone whiplashes so often between comedy, gross-out horror, and drama that genuine scares never land. What could have been a sharp love letter to horror ends up reading more like a bad parody.
Final Thoughts
Cabin Fever may have helped launch Roth’s career, but as a horror film, it’s more frustrating than frightening. The intentions are there, but the execution infected the genre in all the wrong ways.
Listen to our full breakdown on YouTube and also available on your favorite podcast platform. And take our advice: bring bottled water, and don’t drink from the creek.
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