Directed by M. Night Shyamalan and based on the novel by Paul G. Tremblay, Knock at the Cabin follows a family vacationing at a remote cabin in the woods and are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand they make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. Confused, scared, and with limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost.
As some of you may know, I have always been a big supporter of M. Night Shyamalan despite some of his past failures and I always give any new project of his a fair chance, whether it be something original or in this case an adaptation. Shyamalan to me has always been a very talented and passionate filmmaker who aims to make something that will stand out compared to what everyone else does and puts forth a huge amount of effort, especially from a technical standpoint. But I do understand that lots of people have been wanting to see Shyamalan bring forth something with more effort, something focused on narrative and acting, especially since his previous film, Old, didn’t fully live up to what was promised due to issues with both those elements.
Knock at the Cabin is way better than Old in many ways and I can happily say as a fan of his that I was very satisfied with this film. It has a unique premise that mixes up home invasion with thrilling drama and delivers surprises that are definitely going to leave an impact on those who see it, making this film largely stand out compared to his previous work. Some choices show that M. Night really did want to make something different and at the same time avoid the mistakes of his previous films.
He wasn’t aiming to make anything crazy or something so out of the box that it ruins the potential it could have had. He was aiming to make a great simple story packed with tension and emotion that audiences would engage in without having to resort to narrative extremes. I have the feeling some critics and people I know went in expecting something bat shit crazy or game-changing and will likely be disappointed. I just wanted a good film, crazy or not, and I feel I got that.
Now just to be clear I never read the novel this film was based on nor did I research it fully to avoid spoilers, so I was going into this film blind with the only information I had coming from the trailers. Right out the gate, the film gets straight to the point with intense tension that carries on through most of the film and is done so masterfully that I was so absorbed into all of it. Usually, characters would be explored first before throwing them into the grinder but instead they are explored while in the grinder, which was an interesting choice but one that does work.
Small flashbacks are given for some characters to give us information on them and their motives while others do explain their lives and their reasons for being there through either subtle or emotionally charged ways. Whichever way they are explored you do feel connected to every character through tension, suspense, and emotion, making the film feel very engaging. Paired with the brilliant visual storytelling that M. Night has always been so good at you get one hell of a story in a small setting driven by the characters and the cast that plays them.
Dave Bautista as Leonard is absolutely incredible, delivering his best performance to date and proving he has the best acting range compared to other wrestler-turned-actors. He absolutely nails the role of an intimidating-looking but soft-spoken man who displays a balance of emotional desperation and patience in his goal to make this family make a terrible choice. He’s not doing this out of any sort of malice but he’s doing it because he feels he has to and is willing to do what is necessary to complete the mission he’s been given.
That same strong conviction is shared by the others he’s with, all who have their own reasons for being there but seeking the same goal of saving the world. The cast does an excellent job giving each member of the group distinct personalities and oddities, making them just as human as their hostages rather than some random cult that shares the same molded personality.
Nikki Amuka-Bird and Abby Quinn were great but the biggest surprise was Rupert Grint’s brief but memorable performance as the unnerving Redmond. It has been years since I’ve seen Rupert Grint on the big screen and he really ate everything up any time he appeared. He doesn’t rival Bautista but he was still impressive enough to be given recognition.
As for the family being held hostage, this is where things get really interesting. Kristen Cui does a wonderful job as the daughter Wen but it is Jonathan Groff as Eric and Ben Aldridge as Andrew who really stood out. They have a very interesting dynamic together and individual depth that surfaces throughout the film, showing what kind of people they are and how they approach this terrifying situation they are trapped in.
Andrew’s behavior and his choice to protect his family is largely driven by the constant need to rationalize everything, as well as a very clear hatred for people due to past experiences. He’s not willing to take anything he hears or sees as truth because he is terrified of the very thought of losing his husband and daughter to what he believes is some insane hoax. And to be fair there are times when viewers will side with him because he does make good points of his own. Ben Aldridge does a fantastic job playing this kind of character adding to the tension of the film.
On the opposite end of the spectrum you have Eric who sees beauty in the darkest places and isn’t as full of skepticism as Andrew. He listens and observes what is happening, giving the benefit of the doubt even in such a horrific situation. While he also wishes to protect his family he can’t help but feel more scared at the idea of letting billions die in a potential apocalypse that could only end if they make a terrible choice.
Jonathan Groff brings so much emotional weight to this role and deserves massive recognition. Both characters serve as the emotional core of the story and I think it was done beautifully.
The film as I mentioned has great visual storytelling that adds to the tension and horror of the story and part of that comes from the isolated setting as well as technical aspects such as cinematography and editing. M. Night uses excellent filmmaking techniques and shots to put subtle focus on things and hook viewers into everything that is happening on screen, keeping them at the edge of their seats at all times.
And with a spine-chilling score from composer Herdís Stefánsdóttir, this film successfully has you in a tight chokehold throughout most of the film, never letting go until things begin to ease up near the end.
The only thing I’ll say I found strange from a technical perspective was that this film was given an R-rating, yet feels filmed like a PG-13 film instead. Scenes that seemed to be very graphic were cut away or partly censored. Now, this didn’t take away from the tension for me personally but it felt strange that we didn’t get to see any of the more graphic material when M. Night had the ability to do so with the rating. Might be a nitpick but I couldn’t help but point it out.
Now the last thing I want to briefly mention without diving into any spoilers is the ending, which I feel is going to be the most divisive aspect of the film for many. M. Night has always been known for his major twists in all of his films that either made the film, broke the film, or added so much unnecessary information that it made the impact fall flat. This film does not feature any major twist of any kind in the whole third act. There are significant revelations given based on clues built up over the course of the film, but there’s nothing crazy that pops in that turns everyone’s world upside down or takes away from the core aspects and themes of the film. Some people I know may find the ending disappointing because it’s not as insane compared to the endings of M. Night’s previous work, they may have wanted more given the premise, or they may feel they need an explanation on certain things that are left unanswered.
For me personally, I thought the ending was good for what it was; it didn’t require a major twist or massive explanation for things like in M. Night’s other films. Some things don’t always need an explanation, and with how grounded this film is in terms of setting and perspective I feel a crazy blockbuster ending is completely unnecessary. It’s obvious that M. Night is learning from his past mistakes and is trying to do something different so he can be seen as more than a gimmick to people. He wanted to tell a simple but moving story without adding the usual things he’s known for and I can honestly respect that.
Now granted, there are things I wish had been done a little bit better with the ending as a whole but still, I felt satisfied and emotional about it. It didn’t need to jump the shark to satisfy me. This film is definitely worth viewing, especially for people that wanted to see something different from M. Night’s previous work, something that is vastly superior compared to Old, which I know really rubbed people the wrong way. This film has a lot of things that are worth seeing, which is a nice break from the overly predictable products we get these days. I’m going to give Knock at the Cabin an A- = 92.
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