Cabin Girl (2023) Review – A Grounded Paranormal Influencer Mystery
Cabin Girl: Quick Verdict
The Verdict: A surprisingly polished and atmospheric paranormal thriller that manages to rise above the usual Tubi Original standard. Cabin Girl succeeds by taking a more grounded approach to the social media influencer theme, treating its protagonist as a human being rather than a caricature. While the narrative relies on several familiar haunting tropes, the mystery at the core of the story is engaging enough to maintain interest through the slower middle act. Rose Sanfilippo provides a strong lead performance, supported by sharp cinematography that makes the isolated woods feel both beautiful and oppressive. The film is hindered slightly by a divisive twist ending and a lack of genuine, visceral scares, but it remains a solid 3 star effort for those seeking a well-made mystery. It doesn’t reinvent the cabin-in-the-woods sub-genre, but it is a perfectly watchable and professionally produced supernatural thriller that respects the viewer’s time.
Details: Director: Jon D. Wagner | Cast: Rose Sanfilippo, Jess Weixler, Austin Scott | Runtime: 1h 31m | Release Date: 14 July 2023
Best for: Viewers looking for an easy-to-digest paranormal mystery and those who enjoy “van-life” aesthetics mixed with rural horror.
Worth noting: Fans of the cult classic Teeth will recognise Jess Weixler in a supporting role here, bringing a level of veteran presence to the small-town cast.
Where to Watch: Tubi (Free)
Rating: 3/5 Stars
(Grounded performances, high production value, but let down by a lack of scares and a divisive finale.)
Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we will be reviewing Tubi Original, social media influencer themed, paranormal mystery horror Cabin Girl from 2023.
Table of Contents
A different approach to social media horror
Cabin Girl focuses on the story of a popular social media van-life influencer switching her home on the road for a cabin in the woods. After being involved in an accident in her van, Ava Robbins decides to finally fulfil a lifelong dream of purchasing and renovating a solitary rural cabin. It isn’t long before she begins seeing strange things. Unsure of whether the visions are a result of her accident or something more sinister, she sets out on a journey to investigate the history of the house and its former residents, uncovering a truth that she could never possibly have imagined.
“Cabin Girl is a little different; it feels a little more grounded. Wagner presents Ava as a fairly normal person who just so happens to be an influencer.”
Most social media influencer themed horror movies don’t tend to take themselves tremendously seriously. Keen to focus on the presentation of the influencer as an exaggerated version of a normal person placed into an extraordinary situation while still attempting to entertain their online audience. Deadstream and Sissy are really good examples of this.
Cabin Girl is a little bit different; it feels a little more grounded with director Jon D. Wagner, instead, presenting Ava as a fairly normal person who just so happens to be an influencer. The actual social media element takes something of a back seat with the focus placed more on the prevailing mystery of the house and the questions surrounding Ava’s recent accident. Sure, we occasionally see Ava live stream and we see a few videos from fans spliced in every now and then. But, other than that, the whole social media stuff is fairly inconsequential.
Just a decently watchable horror
Whether this is a good thing or not is up to the viewer. Whereas I am more used to social media playing a pivotal role in these movies, it’s far more of a gimmick here than anything else. Referenced occasionally but, ultimately, inconsequential. This does raise a few questions, though. For one, why include it at all? Just to make the movie feel more current?
I am not sure but I can see people feeling a bit of fatigue when it comes to this theme. On the plus side, although the movie hints at it for a few minutes at the start, the vast majority of Cabin Girl is filmed traditionally, with only a few vlogs and limited use of a found footage style. Good news for people who are not fans of the format.
There is a strong paranormal element at the heart of Cabin Girl. With Ava repeatedly seeing the spirit of a deceased girl. For the most part, it plays out in a very familiar manner with a mix of red herrings and things seen out of the corner of eyes quickly transforming into full-on sightings, Ouija boards, and other super common paranormal horror tropes. There isn’t anything new here but there is, perhaps, more than meets the eye.
“Investigations into the history of the house begin to uncover something sinister. It’s slow-moving, but there are enough twists to keep things interesting.”
Ava’s investigations into the history of the house begin to uncover something sinister. Something which quickly evolves into a much greater mystery seemingly involving the entire town. It’s slow moving but there are enough twists and turns to keep things interesting, with everything, ultimately, coming together in something of a hectic twist ending that is fairly enjoyable.
A potentially divisive end
It’s all pretty familiar stuff but Cabin Girl really does enough to stay interesting. The ending does manage to ramp up the thrills a fair bit but makes for a bit of a divisive conclusion to the story. Everyone enjoys a good twist, right? Well this one might split the audience down the middle. There is a slight feeling of the script being torn up with the ending dismissing much of the lead-up for the sake of a “Gotcha” moment that might not quite land with everyone.
It’s always a risk going for the big twist reveal. Some movies stand out for theirs while others, like The Village for example, become notorious for all the wrong reasons. I wouldn’t put Cabin Girl on the level of M. Night Shyamalan’s trademark bull shittery but it may piss a few people off.
Not particularly scary
There aren’t a great deal of moments here likely to shock or scare. Cabin Girl does go for a few jump scares but nothing too ridiculous. It mainly tries to unsettle which it does have some success with. One particularly graphic scene towards the end does deserve mention for how gnarly it is. But, overall, it’s all just quite familiar.
Cabin Girl deserves praise for its direction. Wagner has managed to put together a nice looking picture. Cabin Girl looks distinctly better than many of its Tubi Original siblings. Matt Irwin’s cinematography is razor sharp with some genuinely great shots and a crystal clear image throughout.
“It’s completely watchable, looks decent, and is well-acted, but it just doesn’t do anything particularly new. It is definitely worth a watch.”
Lighting is decent with few dimly lit nighttime scenes; daytime scenes positively glow. It’s a great looking movie. The only parts that deserve some criticism are the vlog-style scenes. A terrible audio filter has been used which makes characters sound like they have strong speech impediments. The camera quality is terrible in these scenes, as well, seemingly ignoring the fact that everyone and their dog is filming in 4K on YouTube nowadays.
Acting is pretty good
Rose Sanfilippo is pretty decent as Ava. She lacks some of that oh-so-important pep that so many influencers seem to have. It would have benefited her to research some of the more well-known social media personalities, perhaps taking something from each to create a character that we could believe would garner an online following. But she comes along nicely toward the end of the movie. Sanfilippo manages to adapt her acting to convey the change in Ava’s personality extremely organically. It feels natural and will force the viewer to react to her in much the same way as characters in the movie do. Great job!
I really enjoyed seeing Jess Weixler again. She played Dawn in the utterly whacky horror movie Teeth; she is great here as local bar manager Trina, feeling completely natural and believable. Austin Scott is fine as local mechanic Kellen. His performance is, perhaps, best described as generic with him never being asked to do much of anything. He does okay with what he is asked to do, though. Everyone else is okay. Nobody really stands out but there isn’t anyone that is particularly bad so that’s a good thing.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- Production Quality: The film looks fantastic, with professional lighting and sharp cinematography that puts many other streaming originals to shame.
- Grounded Characters: Ava Robbins is a refreshing take on the influencer trope, appearing as a believable person rather than an annoying stereotype.
- Atmospheric Mystery: The slow-burn investigation into the house’s history provides a solid hook that keeps the viewer guessing.
The Bad
- Lack of Innovation: The paranormal elements (Ouija boards, ghosts in mirrors) are all very “by-the-book” and won’t surprise seasoned horror fans.
- Vlog Audio: The digital filters used for the social media segments are jarring and make the dialogue difficult to understand.
- Low Scare Factor: Beyond one gnarly scene, the movie relies heavily on mild tension and predictable jumps rather than genuine terror.
The Ugly: The “Gotcha” Twist. A finale that attempts to flip the script so hard it risks alienating the audience by dismissing the narrative build-up for a shock reveal.
Should You Watch Cabin Girl?
Yes, if you have a Tubi subscription and ninety minutes to spare. It is a solid 3 star horror that is easy to watch and looks great on screen. While it doesn’t offer anything groundbreaking, the performances and the core mystery are more than enough to satisfy casual viewers. It’s a middle-of-the-road thriller that manages to be better than it has any right to be.
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