Knock at the Cabin was my most anticipated film this month, and it mostly lived up to my expectations, being, in my opinion, M. Night’s best overall film since Unbreakable. I still love Split, but outside of James McAvoy’s performance, I’ve grown to have significant issues with that film. Like all his films since his breakout, it won’t be for everybody, and I’ve seen many having problems with certain things I enjoyed myself, especially in the third act.
While vacationing at a remote cabin, a young girl and her two dads are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. With limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost.
I’ve criticized M. Night’s writing, especially his dialogue, but I feel Knock at the Cabin is his tightest script since Signs despite having more exposition than needed. His direction was superb. This is a much slower-paced film than he usually delivers, but it worked perfectly for this contained thriller. He took his time crafting some good chills that had me on edge, thanks to an affecting score and sound design. When characters walk, you hear the creaks in the wood, which is so effective. I was also amazed to learn that the cabin was built from scratch for the film.
The trailer showed A LOT, which is why I usually only watch 40 seconds to get a sense of the film. But, thankfully, the film still has some excellent surprises. I loved that across the 95 minutes, I kept asking myself whether they were telling the truth and if the twist was going to be that the world wasn’t ending. As a cinephile, having a film like this makes me feel so much pleasure.
Dave Bautista continues to show that in terms of acting ability, he is miles away from the best wrestler turned actor, giving what I believe to be a career-best performance. This was a complex character that, despite his build, was soft-spoken and vulnerable. He was finally given a giant canvas to display his impressive dramatic range that was first hinted at in his one excellent scene in Blade Runner 2049. In an era where Dwayne Johnson plays the same character in every film, I love that Bautista continues to challenge himself in every new movie he tackles.
Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge are excellent as the queer couple held hostage. Ben performs very intensely, not believing what is being fed to him. At the same time, Jonathan is more tender with a more significant belief in faith, so he is constantly second-guessing what’s being provided to him. Kristen Cui, as their daughter, is so adorable and funny but also excels at displaying fear at what she’s seeing and hearing. Her dynamic with Jonathan and Ben is excellent, making us care about what happens to them as a family.
Returning from Old, Nikki Amuka-Bird is given much more to do this time. Her character was well developed and was the most useful among the strangers. Rupert Grint and Abby Quinn are decent, but they get the least to do from the foursome.
The two main issues I had with Knock at the Cabin were M. Night’s weird choice to have flashbacks to Ben and Jonathan’s relationship. I feel its use took away from the momentum of the present and more chilling scenes while also getting repetitive a specific points. It added nothing to the story, as they were an average couple. If the flashbacks had shown that they had issues, I’d be more open to them.
My other big issue was that while the film was rated R, he would cut away from the violence majority of the time. I get he probably felt the implication was more effective than showing it, but if you’re going R for a film like this, then fully commit to it.
Overall, Knock at the Cabin is a return to form for M. Night and one of the better home invasion films of the last few years.
