Knock at the Cabin Movie Review

M. Night Shyamalan is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, after a string of hits, following what can only be described as one of the worst form slumps in recent years… Ever since Shyamalan’s ‘The Visit’ in 2015, he has directed some of the better thrillers in recent years with the likes of ‘Split’, ‘Glass’, ‘Old’ and now ‘Knock at The Cabin’. His latest film ‘Knock at The Cabin’ is a fantastic, contained thriller with fantastic performances, that makes the film feel like a thriller of old. The film follows a couple and their child, as they head to a cabin in the woods for a family getaway. Four strangers arrive at the cabin, telling the family they must make the hard decision that they will need to kill one member of their own family to prevent the end of the world. Are they crazy or are they telling the truth?

The intrigue and set-up of the film is a huge part of why it works. The whole time you are questioning, is this real? Is what they’re saying true? As events continue to unfold during the course of the film, the audience along with our trio of main characters start to believe that the villainous characters who have shown up at their door, may in fact be telling the truth, and the world in fact is coming to an end. The intrigue and set-up are intriguing, but what really sells it is the core performances by our horsemen of the apocalypse.

The supporting cast are all fantastic, with standout performances from the other horsemen Rupert Grint, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Abby Quinn, but the real standout is Dave Bautista. Dave Bautista gives a career best turn as the films main antagonist (of sorts) Leonard. He is so unsure of what he is doing is the right thing to do, and every action he takes in the film, you can really feel the pain and anguish behind them. It’s a testament to Bautista’s range as an actor, going from the funny Drax, to the stoic hero in Army of The Dead to a deeply flawed character like Leonard, that is acting out of despair and desperation. He is truly remarkable in this film. The two lead performances from Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter, Frozen) and Ben Aldridge (Fleabag, Spoiler Alert) are remarkable as well. They really sell their fear as the situation escalates during the film. They are both fantastic and easily go toe-to-toe with Bautista’s powerhouse performance.

The isolated setting also adds to the eeriness of the plot. The idea of this family going to a secluded, cabin in the woods is creepy enough, but add the end of the world and a home invasion to this setting and you have a truly frightening set-up. The cabin feels lived in and real, which adds to the growing dread and terror of the film. You really do feel the presence of Leonard as the film goes on and the fact that each of the home invaders feel unhinged, like they have seen things. Shyamalan has worked with isolated settings before in ‘The Village’ and ‘Signs’, so he knows exactly where to place the camera and how to make the tension feel palpable and real.

‘Knock at the Cabin’ is the definition of a rainy-day thriller. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it gets under your skin and gives you enough tension and enough thrills to cement it as a worthy entry in the genre. Shyamalan’s direction is superb here, with the director showing why he was admired and sought after for so long. Dave Bautista continues to impress as a leading man giving yet another memorable performance here as the film’s main antagonist Leonard. If you’re after a good thriller, then look no further then ‘Knock at the Cabin’. Secure your copy today from Sanity on either DVD or Blu-Ray you won’t want to miss out. Link below.

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Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here