So now that folks who are so inclined have had a chance to see ‘The Cabin in the Woods’, I’m gonna spoil it a little. I still contend that it’s better to go into it with as little foreknowledge as possible, so if you want to keep yourself pristine, you should stop reading this.

‘Cabin’ is much too ambitious to be just a horror movie. It’s got all the ingredients, sure. There are pretty, reckless teenagers in a scenic lakeside retreat. There are plenty of ghoulies. There is a creepy score and murky lighting. But ‘Cabin’ wants to do a lot more than prod you with easy scares. ‘Cabin’ doesn’t want to be a horror flick, even a po-mo, self-referential one. ‘Cabin’ wants to be an UrHorror movie – the Rosetta stone that unlocks all the other scary movies for you.

Have you ever wondered why the doomed kids in slasher flicks make such ridiculous decisions? ‘Cabin’ offers an answer. Curious why there’s always a couple who can’t wait to get it on in a vulnerable outdoor location, or why the sexually confident die first? ‘Cabin’ has a way to make sense of that. Those rules that animate the ‘Scream’ franchise? They’re more than just movie tradition. They’re ordained by a much higher authority.

This very meta approach takes a certain elan to pull off, but fear not. Off it is most assuredly pulled. The director manages the neat trick of balancing the flavors of scary, funny and clever on your tongue to create a very satisfying movie umami.

For me, the best part is that the uber-theory isn’t a throwaway gimmick. Someone devoted some real care and attention to crafting the backstory. Someone fed it, and doted on it, and got drunk arguing about it. Someone loved it.

As a direct result, I love it. I recommend it unreservedly. If you haven’t seen it, go. Then, when you’re heading home, think about all of the odd movie moments that could be explained by the revisionist film history. It’s a rewarding after-movie exercise, and how many movies these days offer something to think about the next day?