M. Night Shyamalan is a known master of thrillers whose strength lies in employing simple camera techniques to draw in viewers while sustaining the suspense throughout the film. With Knock at the Cabin, he continues to work with his strengths and crafts an intense apocalyptic thriller that's worth a watch.
The film, based on Paul Tremblay's 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World, follows Wen (Kristen Cui) and her two dads, whom she calls Daddy Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Daddy Eric (Jonathan Groff), as they vacation at a cabin in the woods. Trouble comes knocking with the arrival of Leonard (Dave Bautista) and three other strangers (Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn and Rupert Grint), who are armed with weapons.
They forcefully enter the cabin and inform the trio that they are faced with an impossible choice that needs to be made for the greater good: the family of three has to willingly offer one of their own as a sacrifice, or a series of plagues will consume the world. Each time Eric and Andrew deny making a sacrifice, television reports depict severe destruction and chaos happening around the world.
Shyamalan is known for his epic endings that are often served with a pretty smart twist — exactly what this entry doesn't give us. It's certainly a departure from what we've come to expect from the filmmaker, but perhaps this film serves as a reminder that the director has more ammunition than twist endings. The film is restrained, keeping the suspense going as the camera zooms in on the actors' faces and lingers for a moment longer.
What I've come to appreciate in Shyamalan's work — even as a horror fan — is the stories that stir up emotions with a kick. His characters have often displayed immense vulnerability (like in Split and Glass), and with this film, he brings that out beautifully with both the family and the captors.
Of the cast, Bautista truly is the heart and highlight of the film in a role we've never seen him do before. He brings incredible empathy and leads the story from one act to the next. Even in the quiet moments, Bautista excels.
The film is restrained and isn't a classic home invasion thriller. But nonetheless, it'll keep audiences anticipating the big reveal — whether they're worried about the fate of the family or the fate of humanity.
However, therein lies the fault of the film: the ending is not entirely satisfying and it loses a bit of steam in the second half. The writers (Shyamalan, Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman) change up the ending from the book and, suffice to say, it's not one that's expected from a Shyamalan film. Unfortunately, the tense buildup did not match the outcome of the film.
This might not be Shyamalan's best work, but it's certainly not his worst one either, so book this apocalyptic cabin thriller and wonder what you'd do were you facing the same fate.
(Universal)The film, based on Paul Tremblay's 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World, follows Wen (Kristen Cui) and her two dads, whom she calls Daddy Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Daddy Eric (Jonathan Groff), as they vacation at a cabin in the woods. Trouble comes knocking with the arrival of Leonard (Dave Bautista) and three other strangers (Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn and Rupert Grint), who are armed with weapons.
They forcefully enter the cabin and inform the trio that they are faced with an impossible choice that needs to be made for the greater good: the family of three has to willingly offer one of their own as a sacrifice, or a series of plagues will consume the world. Each time Eric and Andrew deny making a sacrifice, television reports depict severe destruction and chaos happening around the world.
Shyamalan is known for his epic endings that are often served with a pretty smart twist — exactly what this entry doesn't give us. It's certainly a departure from what we've come to expect from the filmmaker, but perhaps this film serves as a reminder that the director has more ammunition than twist endings. The film is restrained, keeping the suspense going as the camera zooms in on the actors' faces and lingers for a moment longer.
What I've come to appreciate in Shyamalan's work — even as a horror fan — is the stories that stir up emotions with a kick. His characters have often displayed immense vulnerability (like in Split and Glass), and with this film, he brings that out beautifully with both the family and the captors.
Of the cast, Bautista truly is the heart and highlight of the film in a role we've never seen him do before. He brings incredible empathy and leads the story from one act to the next. Even in the quiet moments, Bautista excels.
The film is restrained and isn't a classic home invasion thriller. But nonetheless, it'll keep audiences anticipating the big reveal — whether they're worried about the fate of the family or the fate of humanity.
However, therein lies the fault of the film: the ending is not entirely satisfying and it loses a bit of steam in the second half. The writers (Shyamalan, Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman) change up the ending from the book and, suffice to say, it's not one that's expected from a Shyamalan film. Unfortunately, the tense buildup did not match the outcome of the film.
This might not be Shyamalan's best work, but it's certainly not his worst one either, so book this apocalyptic cabin thriller and wonder what you'd do were you facing the same fate.
