The latest thriller from director M. Night Shyamalan, Knock at the Cabin, is an absolutely flawless thrill ride that makes great use of its performances and central concept.
The film, based on Paul G. Tremblay’s 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World, follows a family of three whose vacation at a secluded cabin is interrupted by the arrival of four strangers wielding strange weapons. After tying up Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Eric (Jonathan Groff) and their child, Wen (Kristen Cui), the strangers give the family a cryptic and harrowing choice. They’re told they must choose one of their own to be sacrificed to prevent an impending apocalypse and every time they refuse to choose, a plague is supposedly unleashed on humanity. Now with this looming fear that the strangers are possibly right about their prophecy, the family must figure out what they really believe and come to some shocking realizations.
Right from the first sequence, Jarin Blaschke’s cinematography bathes the seemingly endless forest setting in beautiful sunlight. It gives the environment this warmth that’s fitting even as the gentle giant, Leonard (Dave Bautista), approaches Wen and then is rightfully sucked out of the film when things get darker. Although the first scene between Leonard and Wen isn’t combative, there’s still an underlying tension that’s hard not to feel. It’s what makes you hang off every word of their conversation and when Leonard’s other associates slowly come through the woods towards the cabin, it feels like this foreboding force is arriving.
Once things kick off, the tension rarely dissipates, and viewers are engrossed in this thrilling battle of wills and belief. Each time that Leonard and his cohorts pose the question to Andrew and Eric, it’s easy to feel the stakes raising and the catastrophes shown definitely leave a pit in your stomach. Yet, like Andrew, there’s a part of you that wonders if Leonard and his fellow seers are actually telling the truth. This guessing game of debating what’s real and what’s not is core to making Knock at the Cabin deeply engaging. It essentially sets up the trolley problem, a thought experiment that tests someone’s morality and thinking, on the biggest scale possible and ignites a mystery of truths.
The performances from really the entire cast are phenomenal—possibly the best in any Shyamalan film. Groff and Aldridge are fantastic with the level of genuine love they’re able to display on-screen and they thrive just as much on their own. Andrew’s way of trying to find logic in this situation is very fascinating. It’s a key part to Knock at the Cabin’s maintaining the intrigue of its big mystery and Aldridge does such a great job making viewers believe in what he’s saying. He basically keeps the mystery afloat throughout solely on his own and excellently showcases some strong conviction in his beliefs. Groff is mostly quiet compared to Aldridge, but brings some subtle emotion that doesn’t go unnoticed and builds towards an immensely powerful performance in the finale.
Bautista is one of the biggest standouts of Knock at the Cabin, though, for his calming yet eerie performance. There are certainly some hints of his usual comedic charm, but Bautista really keeps things sullen. The first impression we get of Leonard shows that he can be easy to talk to and genuinely nice, but there’s still a part of him that feels broken about what he knows he has to do. That feeling is present during his entire time at the cabin and Bautista shows a different side to his acting ability as Leonard. His line delivery is perfect, with one moment that’ll especially leave audiences stunned and his big moment in the film’s final act really makes your heart sink. Outside of maybe his performance as Drax in the MCU, it’s probably one of his best performances to date.
As a Shyamalan fan, what’s most satisfying about Knock at the Cabin is that it feels like a classic Shyamalan thriller in every sense. The film touches on these big, thought-provoking themes and concepts in grounded and relatable ways that make the experience instantly connective. The storytelling is top-notch, with some well-executed flashbacks giving us a perspective on why Andrew and Eric resist the choice and adding depth to their love. The central mystery of what’s real or not is incredibly enthralling and feels like a story so perfect for Shyamalan to tackle. His execution of it is really some of his best work, as he lets the performances carry the experience and finds ways for the gutting moments of the four strangers enacting their mission to have a chilling impact.
In true Shyamalan fashion, Knock at the Cabin does feature a big twist, but it’s not like his other films. There have been times where Shyamalan’s twists have been too ambitious or so out there that they kind of tarnish the overall experience. That doesn’t happen at all with Knock at the Cabin, as the big reveal feels fitting to the mystery viewers have been a part of leading up to the moment and it comes at the perfect time to kick off a legitimately flawless finale.
Because of how the film builds real emotion for Eric and Andrew’s relationship and the small family they’ve built together, the final act is bursting with raw feelings. Eric delivers a beautiful monologue that feels like a grand revelation and is easy to understand and feel. The realizations they have about everything they’ve just been through make all the pieces to the mystery click perfectly. It also takes things in a much different direction than Tremblay’s novel, making it a surprise for everyone. While the ending of the original novel is much more dour and depressing, Shyamalan’s approach is much more hopeful while still delivering a solid gut-punch or two. It’s probably one of the best endings to a Shyamalan film yet and it feels fully complete and satisfying.
Knock at the Cabin shows that Shyamalan’s baffling era of bad films is far behind him, as he delivers one of the best films of his career. It’s a tantalizing mystery led by fantastic performances that elevate the thrills and emotion behind this simple, but powerfully cathartic tale of beliefs and morality.
