Episode 78: Thor: Love and Thunder & Cabin in the Woods

Cinema in Context

Jam-packed genre films with Chris Hemsworth. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and Cabin in the Woods (2011). We begin by sharing our honest reactions to Thor: Love and Thunder, especially how ridiculous film is - comparing to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Free Guy (2021), Black Panther (2018) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). We praise the performances of Russell Crowe, Christian Bale and Chris Hemsworth. We criticise the characters played by Natalie Portman and Tessa Thompson, considering their representation in regards to sexism and queer-baiting. We then pivot conversation to talk about Cabin in the Woods, both our first reactions a decade ago and our rewatching reactions. We praise the cast of Bradley Whitford, Richard Jenkins, Amy Acker, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchinson, Kristen Connolly and Fran Kranz. We consider the film in connection to other Joss Whedon work, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), Dollhouse (2009-2010), and Much Ado About Nothing (2012). We return back to Thor and consider how the two films successfully achieve their intentions. We compare the films to Get Out (2017), Scream (2022), Batman Returns (1992), Hunt For the Wilderpeople (2016), and Boy (2010).