Knock at the Cabin (2023) - Should you answer the door?

Knock at the Cabin

M. Night Shyamalan is back with another thought-provoking thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Knock at the Cabin is a new entry in his filmography that leans towards the good side, much like his classic movie "Signs". This latest feature film is based on the book “The Cabin at the End of the World” by Paul G Tremblay, and it showcases the master storyteller's skill of subverting audience expectations and bringing a fresh twist to the tired cabin in the woods trope.

The movie revolves around two fathers and their adopted daughter, who are taken hostage by four strangers during their vacation in an isolated cabin. The family is forced to make an impossible choice to stop the apocalypse: save their family or save humanity. This plot had me engaged the whole time, as I questioned what to believe and was curious to see how it would all play out.

Dave Bautista as Leonard in Knock at the Cabin
Dave Bautista as Leonard

The performances from the talented ensemble cast, including Ben Aldridge (Pennyworth), Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter, Matrix Resurrection), Kristen Cui, Dave Bautista, Rupert Grint (Harry Potter series), Abby Quinn (Radium Girls), and Nikki Amuka-Bird (Old), help establish the manic atmosphere and keep you wondering whether these strangers are having a psychological breakdown or if their extreme beliefs are real. Dave Bautista's unsettling performance as the lead stranger is extremely convincing, making this another example of why he's in the lead for best wrestler-turned-actor. If you haven't seen Bautista in Blade Runner 2049, you're doing yourself a great disservice. 

Knock at the Cabin is Shyamalan's darkest movie yet, as he explores the terror of choice with the classic moral debate of would you kill one person to save many. The uncertainty of life from all perspectives of the characters set within the cabin crafts an emotional and claustrophobic experience. The movie is a metaphor for apathy, as Shyamalan judges humanity for being malicious and encourages the significance of human rights through an inclusive lens with the foundation being family. It's a distinctive way of tapping into people's real fears and traumas.

However, the movie does fall behind Signs in terms of its inconsistent tension due to the robotic dialogue and the placement of flashbacks sprinkled throughout. Also, the obligatory M. Night cameo doesn't help maintain the severity of the situation, and the twists felt underwhelming in the end.

Should you watch it? Shyamalan's religious undertones appear thematically, narratively, and visually in Knock at the Cabin. Despite its flaws, the movie is worth watching for its unique uneasy horror, intriguing way of gripping the viewer with tension, and its thought-provoking storytelling with twists and turns. If you're a fan of horror movies, this is one film you don't want to miss.

Knock at the Cabin Trailer

Location: Chicago, IL, USA

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