Cabin Fever gets the job done. It's appropriately gruesome and genuinely scary -- and, despite the body count and the way people die here, it has a wicked sense of humor.
Cabin Fever (2003)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:134
Fresh:84
Rotten:50
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: More gory than scary, Cabin Fever is satisfied with paying homage to genre conventions rather than reinventing them.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong violence and gore, sexuality, language and brief drug use
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Theatrical Release:Sep 12, 2003 Wide
Box Office: $21,113,424
Synopsis: As a last hurrah after college, friends Jeff, Karen, Paul, Marcy and Bert embark on a vacation deep into the mountains. With the top down and the music up, they drive to a remote cabin to enjoy... As a last hurrah after college, friends Jeff, Karen, Paul, Marcy and Bert embark on a vacation deep into the mountains. With the top down and the music up, they drive to a remote cabin to enjoy their last days of decadence before entering the working world. Then somebody gets sick. Karen's skin starts to bubble and burn as something grows inside her, tunneling beneath her flesh. The group is so repulsed, shocked and sickened watching their friend deteriorate before their eyes; they lock her in a shed to avoid infection. As they debate about how to save her, they look at one another and realize that any one of them could also have it. What soon began as a struggle against the disease turns into a battle against friends, as the fear of contagion drives them to turn on each other. The kids confront the terror of having to kill anyone who comes near them, even if it's their closest friend. The survivors have to find help before they're all killed by the virus, or by the local lynch mob out to destroy anyone who may have come in contact with it. Based on skin-curdling tales of the real life "flesh eating virus," CABIN FEVER blends the elements of classic horror films of the 70's and 80's with modern day medical terror. Necrotising Fasciitis, the flesh eating strep, devours over 1500 victims annually in the United States alone, releasing toxins in the body that can eat through a human in a matter of hours. CABIN FEVER is the directorial debut of Eli Roth, a protégé of master filmmaker David Lynch. Roth co-wrote the screenplay with Randy Pearlstein from a story by Roth. Produced by Lauren Moews, Sam Froelich, Evan Astrowsky, and Eli Roth, executive produced by Susan Jackson. Edited by Ryan Folsey, with music by Angelo Badalamenti. The film stars Jordan Ladd (Never Been Kissed, Club Dread), Rider Strong ("Boy Meets World"), James DeBello (Scary Movie 2), Cerina Vincent (Not Another Teen Movie), Joey Kern (Super Troopers, XXXY) and Arie Verveen (The Thin Red Line). -- © Lions Gate [More]
Starring: Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, Joey Kern, James DeBello
Starring: Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, Joey Kern, James DeBello, Cerina Vincent, Giuseppe Andrews, Arie Verveen
Director: Eli Roth
Director: Eli Roth
Screenwriter: Randy Pearlstein, Eli Roth
Producer: Eli Roth, Lauren Moews, Sam Froelich, Evan Astrowsky
Composer: Nathan Barr, Angelo Badalamenti
Studio: Lions Gate Films
Get This Movie
Reviews for Cabin Fever
Cabin Fever arrives to remind us of just how spooky, silly, and magnificent the genre can be.
A taste for horrendously graphic effects is a must: One scene of a personal-hygiene regimen gone bad reminded me that no, my stomach has not seen everything.
Movies about flesh-eating viruses don't come along every day. Cabin Fever, which opens today, demonstrates why.
It's so by-the-numbers and clumsy that it will only appeal to that little sect that's managed to wear out their Evil Dead, Friday the 13th, Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street DVDs.
Like much of Cabin Fever, the performances are competent and uninteresting.
Other than a few witty jokes and a game cast, there's nothing particularly special here. Still, the nods to masters like Wes Craven and George Romero -- along with buckets of blood -- ought to thrill horror fans.
A piece of derivative camp that is too busy paying homage to Tobe Hooper and Sam Raimi to bother coming up with much new on its own.
This over-heated gorefest never achieves the fever pitch it promises.
Cabin Fever is imitative, but it's honestly and even reverentially so -- what Roth borrows he at least has the grace to pay back.
This B-movie revels in its silliness, doing so with smarter humor than you'd expect.
Taken on its own repellently coarse and shocking B-movie terms, it's every bit as infectious in its way as the gross-out virus it depicts.
The movie adds up to a few good ideas and a lot of bad ones, wandering around in search of an organizing principle.
The movie is well shot and decently acted for its genre, but it lacks the distinctive vision to make it of value to anyone not already convinced of the inherent entertainment value in flying body parts.
A flesh-eating virus has polluted the local reservoir. Pointless and egregiously bloody violence ensues, and Cabin Fever benefits greatly from its go-for-broke aesthetic.
Because of its gruesome subject matter, it is difficult to describe such a vile movie as being good, or even well made, but this one really is.
Because of its gruesome subject matter, it is difficult to describe such a vile movie as being good, or even well made, but this one really is.
Latest News for Cabin Fever
March 30, 2007:
View Tonight's "Transformers" TV Spots, Eli Roth's "Grindhouse" Trailer Now!!
It's a Friday afternoon video bonanza, with early peeks at tonight's two new "Transformers" TV spots, rife with tons of good and bad robots in disguise -- plus the... More...
March 08, 2006:
Eli Roth Answers Stephen King's "Cell"
Horror nut Eli Roth ("Cabin Fever") will direct Dimension's movie version of Stephen King's "Cell," says Variety, as soon as he's finished helming... More...
October 28, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: Hostel
Fans of horror flicks in general and "Cabin Fever" specifically will want to scrawl a blood-red pencil around "Hostel," which is Eli Roth's sophomore effort... More...
October 26, 2005:
Lions Gate & Screen Gems Team Up to Release "Hostel"
The Hollywood Reporter brings news on when you might be able to see Eli ("Cabin Fever") Roth's sophomore effort, and it'll be through Lions Gate (theatrically) and... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Cabin Fever at Rotten Tomatoes
- Cabin Fever at IGN
- Cabin Fever at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

MSN Movies offers a little background on the success of Disney Animation.

TIME takes a look back at the history of vampires on film.

Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

AOL put together a list of 10 recent news items that would be perfect as TV Movies.

Hollywood.com's C. Robert Cargill explores how remakes and reboots have warped our thinking.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


