Some movies don’t care about rules. Some, in fact, throw them out entirely. Yet to say that “The Cabin in the Woods” has done this is a complete understatement, and does not give co-writers Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon enough credit for what they’ve truly done. “The Cabin in the Woods” has rewritten the rules.

Spoiling anything about the film would be a sin, but in its barest form, it is about five friends who take a holiday to the titular location. Their secluded vacation soon turns into what can only be described as a brutal skewering of horror conventions, with no trope left unharmed. But in addition to Goddard and Whedon’s hilarious, unpredictable genre rewriting, they also manage to create a captivating and touching horror film — an absolute rarity by today’s standards.

Considering the players involved, it is no surprise that the film works as well as it does. Whedon, the creator of the genre-defying and generation-defining television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” adds his signature touches to the script, including his highly lauded witty quips. Goddard, in his directorial debut, proves himself a strong storyteller with an inventive visual mind. And Fran Kranz, as the lovable stoner Marty, is a revelation of comedic timing, easily standing out among a cast that includes a pair of Oscar nominees and a Marvel superhero.

If you’re tired of the uninventive, boring horror movies coming out nowadays, good. Instead of laughing at the torture-porn perils abundant in the recent trend of horror films, go see “The Cabin in the Woods” — it’s among the most honest and inventive films you’ll see this year.

FOR FANS OF: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, SCREAM, THE EVIL DEAD