Cabin Fever. 2002. USA. Directed by Eli Roth. Written by Roth, Randy Pearlstein. With Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, James DeBello, Cerina Vincent, Joey Kern, Arie Verveen and Giuseppe Andrews. 35mm. 94 min.
“Pancakes!” Eli Roth’s debut feature takes a different approach to the traditional “cabin in the woods” horror story. The tropes are all there: four friends heads to a cabin for sex, drugs, and a good time; a creepy gas station attendant provides foreboding warnings; strange visitors; a creaking old house. But what makes this movie unique—and really, really gross—is that the horror doesn’t arrive in the form of a mad human killer, but rather as a very contagious flesh-eating virus. Inspired by a trip during which Roth got a skin infection, Cabin Fever taps into our fears of the unknown—and the unknown’s tendency to suddenly emerge in our lives. It’s also even more terrifyingly relevant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Make no mistake, this film is a fun ride made by folks who love a good horror film. It’s just that this one will get under your skin for quite a while.