{"id":38759,"date":"2023-02-06T02:41:14","date_gmt":"2023-02-06T07:41:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=38759"},"modified":"2023-02-06T07:57:36","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T12:57:36","slug":"knock-at-the-cabin-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2023\/02\/06\/knock-at-the-cabin-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Knock at the Cabin (2023)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>One of the hallmarks of M. Night Shyamalan\u2019s films is that he seems to be a big believer in destiny and fate. Much of \u201cSigns\u201d was a religious thriller based around fate and destiny. With \u201cKnock at the Cabin\u201d he approaches the same plot elements, all while instilling much of the ambiguity he\u2019s well known for. That works for and against \u201cKnock at the Cabin\u201d because while I was satisfied with his newest genre effort, I was ultimately left feeling like the finale left everything in the air, and not as neatly packed as he might have thought it was.<\/p>\n

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Based on Paul Tremblay’s award-winning novel \u201cThe Cabin at the End of the World,\u201d while vacationing at a remote cabin in the woods, young Wen and her parents Eric and Andrew are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand they make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. They must sacrifice one of their trio or else risk unleashing an unstoppable apocalypse on the planet. Confused, scared and with limited access to the outside world, the three bystanders must decide what they believe before all is lost.<\/p>\n

Much of \u201cKnock at the Cabin\u201d relies on what we the audience is willing to believe and what our characters believe. Are we witnessing Stockholm Syndrome? Is this all group hysteria? Is there really an apocalypse unfolding before our very eyes or is it one big coincidence? Are there such things as coincidences? \u201cKnock at the Cabin\u201d works within Shymalan\u2019s strengths never quite working with or against his audience; he delivers a lot of plot points that are ultimately weaponized against us and our protagonists. There\u2019s an inherent sense of terror that unfolds with every moment, as our trio of inadvertent victims are given the horrible task of having to sacrifice one of their own.<\/p>\n

With every hour Shyamalan turns the screws on us, heightening the terror. What\u2019s worse is that our villains of the piece are about as plain and unassuming as possible. That\u2019s thanks to the genuinely human performances by the foursome that act as the centerpiece for the narrative. Dave Bautista in particular is fantastic in the role, playing the gentle giant Leonard who is burdened with his knowledge of an imminent apocalypse. Much of what he and his group know is dealt in small increments to the audience, offering us room to debate among ourselves what we\u2019re witnessing. I imagine the conversation behind \u201cKnock at the Cabin\u201d will be very heated as even when everything seems matter of fact, there are still the lingering doubts.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge do a wonderful job of playing the married couple pulled in to this horrific situation. Shyamalan uses flash backs as exposition, allowing us to learn about their relationship, and how trauma has played a big part in their lives. This also involves an incident in a bar involving a hate crime, and Andrew\u2019s ultimate decision to buy a firearm. Kristen Cui is also very good in her first role as daughter Wen who is unsure what exactly is transpiring, even when it all seems so crystal clear in the end. She manages to garner great chemistry with everyone in the cast, and adds another plot point in the film\u2019s conflict that may or may not be crucial to the resolution.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnock at the Cabin\u201d is one of Shyamalan\u2019s stronger, more provocative genre entries, one that will likely be dissected for a long time.<\/p>\n