Cabin Girl

I was pleasantly surprised by this film.

Being a TubiTV Original, and all...I expected it to be far worse than it is.

It's actually quite an engaging little film.

One that's simple, yet effective.

In it, we find ourselves following a young social media influencer, who has taken up the van life.

Only to leave it behind, when she finds an affordable cabin, in a remote, rural town.

However, it turns out that the cabin has a dark past.

Which she's driven to uncover...you know...for the views.

Only to find out she's asking questions, she might not be ready to face the answers to.

To keep things interesting, they add in a bit of a twist, and some misdirection.

Which gives the film an air of mystery.

Although it's more of a supernatural thriller than it is a horror.

It's definitely worth watching.

Especially compared to a lot of the other original films that TubiTV has to offer.

Even if it is a bit basic.

3.5 out of 10.

After reading reviews, the film sounded pretty decent.

When I saw the star rating, I thought, well, most horror movies don't always get a good rating, so I never really trust the ratings.

This film was definitely not what I expected.

Did have a good twist, but it was very average.

I wouldn't say this was scare whatsoever.

The storyline is average too.

Would I recommend this?

Probably not. It's the kind of film where you watch it, think.. "er, well, it's ok" but it's not something I'd watch again, nor will I probably remember.

The sad thing is, is that this film could have been so much better if it was written a bit better.

I just feel like the whole thing "could have been better".

After a highway accident during a road trip to get over the death of her parents, a travel-vlogger restarts her channel from a cabin she's decided to settle down in. But is the previous resident really gone?

Lively start, ends up a mess. The motivations of the characters are inept, not only at the highest level involving the trauma of the protagonist, but at the mid-level in the way others become involved with her, down to the most basic level of why characters move around in a scene.

What on earth has the death of her parents got to do with the story? Or the death of the previous occupant? Why on earth is there a romance with the mechanic? How on earth does she plot-point-alert bump into the doctor and the bar owner when she's going away from the van that she was just walking toward? It's like things just happen 'for reasons'. To put it another way, the action does not flow from specific motivation; rather, motivation is tacked on to the action so that you feel the director's hand.

The production values are mostly not bad, and I admit that I had a sense that the endless Nancy Drew cliches were a trail of symbols that would lead to a bizarre reveal of the character's psychology. But in the end it feels like a child showing you a colour-by-numbers picture plastered with crazy crayon.

The editing declines in quality, with too much footage of how a character gets from point A to point B, and repetition of shots that don't tell us anything new - particularly of the stalker, and that damn floorboard. The spooky bits ain't all that, with no feel for shadow and the music too obvious. Add in some flabby dialogue, and it's no wonder some of the performances are less than convincing.

I kinda liked the song over the end credits, but ... no - somebody is to blame.

Basically that. I really don't care for films based upon the conceit of vlogs or online influencers and all the 'hip' comments and likes, etc. Just not my thing. BUT... once you get past all that, and I can see how it was somewhat integral to the story, the way the plot proceeds is actually done quite well.

The acting is excellent and the writing I feel was sharp. The reactions of the people helping here I thought were quite genuine. Usually in a film like this it is the poor acting that really kills it, but not in this case. At the beginning I admit I was FF it through all the YouTuber stuff, but when I got a ways into the story I slowed down and as I watched I did get more and more drawn into a rather strong Mystery of what the hell was happening.

It actually turned out to be a very good Psychological Thriller with good Horror elements. Like I say, MOST times with movies that try to do something like this, usually the acting/writing just isn't that good. But, in this case as the mystery drew you in deeper and deeper, I really found it quite gripping and very much intrigued to know what was going on.

So yeah, if you are like me and all the 'Hipster' online stuff makes your eyes roll back to the back of your head, stay with the story and you'll find that the original online conceit fades a bit more into the background as the actual story of what is truly happening becomes more apparent.

I'm glad I stayed with it, even after rolling my eyes and FF the movie a few times at the beginning, because at the end I felt it was actually a very clever idea and that the filmmakers did a very good job in putting it together, along with quality acting throughout. If you like a good mystery and if you can get through the first 15-20 minutes or so, once the 'accident' happens, from that point on I think you may very well find this quite an engaging and mysterious Thriller.

Cabin Girl is the kind of psychological thriller that keeps you guessing, even when it stumbles. Packed with a rich story, layered characters, and just a hint of supernatural intrigue, it feels like a lovechild of Gone Girl and The Sixth Sense, with an added sprinkle of The Others for good measure. The film excels in crafting a captivating mystery-within-a-mystery, delivering red herrings like a magician pulling rabbits out of a very stylish hat.

The direction is generally strong, deftly juggling shifting tones and atmospheres, but it's not without hiccups. A few scenes drag on longer than a politician's speech, and some moments feel as heavy-handed as a hammer in a glass shop-padding out the runtime rather than enhancing the narrative.

That said, the performances are refreshingly above average. The cast injects enough gravitas to keep the tension taut, even when the pacing falters. The supernatural elements, meanwhile, are woven in with a light touch, adding an eerie charm without veering into camp.

For fans of brain-teasing mysteries with a side of atmospheric chills, Cabin Girl is well worth a watch. Just don't expect perfection-this girl stumbles occasionally, but she's got plenty of intriguing secrets to share.