Knock at the Cabin may not be M. Night Shyamalan’s scariest movie, but it is one of his most powerful. Shyamalan has an extraordinary gift of deception – and he uses it to his advantage in this film.
The story follows a family of three: Daddy Eric (Jonathan Groff), Daddy Andrew (Ben Aldridge), and their adorable 7-year-old daughter Wen (Kristen Cui). Four strangers interrupt their perfect and wholesome family vacation in an isolated cabin in the woods: Leonard (Dave Bautista), Redmond (Rupert Grint), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), and Adriane (Abby Quinn), and inform the family of a grave decision they must make.
Eric, Andrew, and Wen learn they’re the only ones who can stop the world from ending. However, the only way to thwart the apocalypse is to choose one of the three of them to sacrifice. As you can imagine, that’s not an easy decision. On top of that, the family questions whether there’s any truth to this story. Viewers are thrown for a ride watching the lovable family navigate this unusual and eerie predicament.
The beauty of this movie is that there’s no tangible villain, and while watching, you’ll feel unsure if there’s actually any real danger. This suspense categorizes this film into the horror genre, but that’s about all the fright you’ll get from it. Most of the gruesome moments happen off-screen, making it easier for horror novices to digest.
Knock at the Cabin makes up for its lack of horror with plenty of heart and emotion. You’ll connect with, and feel sorry for, even the most despicable characters.
That’s not an easy thing to accomplish.
By far, Bautista gives the film’s most impressive performance as Leonard, the gentle giant. The 6’4” former wrestler is intimidating, but manages to disarm viewers and earn their trust within the first few minutes of the film. It’s a stark contrast to Bautista’s previous roles, proving he’s a capable and dynamic actor.
Knock at the Cabin was Cui’s debut movie, and her beautiful portrayal of Wen will earn her plenty of other roles. Cui perfectly captures the innocence of a child forced into the worst situation imaginable. She also gives off an air of wisdom beyond her years. The plot’s morbidity makes this role a challenging one, but not only did Cui rise to the occasion, she excelled.
The movie’s pacing was fine, overall, but the ending was rushed, and it although it was predictable, it wasn’t believable. Shyamalan could’ve gone in so many other captivating directions. Despite these weaknesses, Knock at the Cabin is a movie you should watch.
The film is chock full of commentary on current issues society is facing.
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It seamlessly weaves themes of bigotry and conspiracy into the storyline. We live in an age where people are glued to social media, blindly believing every piece of information fed to them, no matter how false it may be. The real horror here is that it wouldn’t be too farfetched for this situation to happen in reality.
Knock at the Cabin is currently in theaters everywhere.
