Knock at the Cabin

Director - M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Split)

Starring - Dave Bautista (Glass Onion, Guardians of the Galaxy), Jonathan Groff (The Matrix Resurrections, Mindhunter), and Ben Aldridge (Pennyworth, Thrive)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Save your family or save humanity.  Make the choice"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Genre fans are quick to hate specific filmmakers and they are extremely vocal about it on social media. I’ve had an online presence since my first year in high school in the earl 2000s and every day since then I’ve see hate for filmmakers like Eli Roth, Rob Zombie, and M. Night Shyamalan. I was in middle school, I believe, when The Sixth Sense was released. I remember renting it and really like it. Since then Shyamalan has released countless genre classics like Unbreakable, Split, Old, and Glass among several more. Personally, I think his films are a lot of fun but I do find humor and basis for a lot of the complaints that many have with his work. A few weeks back I received a copy of Knock at the Cabin on UHD for review. I completely forgot he had released a new film and I couldn’t wait to finally check it out! 

      The film follows a gay couple and their daughter as they stay in a cabin deep in the woods as a getaway. Things take an unusual turn when four people arrive armed and requesting they let them in. They are reluctant and suspect that it’s locals who oppose their lifestyle. However, the four find their way in brandishing weapons and telling them that they have to make a serious decision and if they chose not to then the world as they know it would end. The couple does not believe them but as time moves on they start killing their own one by one as natural disasters are being reported on the news. 

      When it gets down to one person left the couple starts to question if they are indeed telling the truth or this is a sick game where everyone loses. I know it’s cool to hate on Shyamalan in certain circles and, while his plot twists are legendary and easily mocked, I still thoroughly enjoy his films. I wouldn’t say they are among my favorite but I do enjoy watching them. With that being said, there is two or three of his more recent films that I’ve missed but I will circle around to them eventually. While Knock at the Cabin is not on the same level as Split to me it was a great film and among one of his best. It satisfies from the cast through the story and practical effects. The acting in this one is great. I knew Dave Batista was in this one from the original promo material but I had no idea that Rupert Grint was in the film. Both are fantastic but the entire cast deserves praise from the very young Kristen Cui, who shows experience beyond her age, to the rest of the cast. The cast is surprisingly small but everyone delivers an amazing performance. I’m still impressed by how intense Batista was at times. I had already outgrown wrestling by the time Batista made his debut so my only knowledge of him was from Guardians of the Galaxy. However, he absolutely shattered all my expectations I had for him. He has some serious acting chops. The story for this one takes the horror stereotype of cabins in the woods and adds the religious horror aspect to it. I really appreciate the addition of religious horror, especially when it’s around Christianity and how far it drives certain people, when it is done right. Knock at the Cabin blends that with a home invasion story in a sense while a family is secluded in a cabin. Honestly, it works but it could be set anywhere and it’s because of this that we can easily have a sequel following the same premise. I loved it and I seriously hope we get a follow up. Finally, the film was surprisingly violent. It has a great built up to the deaths and once it hits it doesn’t let up. A good bit is done off screen but it makes good use of practical and visual effects. The deaths fit the film perfectly but they don’t necessarily stand out. Overall, Knock at the Cabin may not be the type of horror film most genre fans are looking for but I personally enjoyed it. It has a great cast, a solid story, and some violent deaths. Fans of Shyamalan should really check it out.