Monday, July 29, 2024

Knock at the Cabin (2023)

 

 
Streaming Service: Peacock
Movie Name/Year: Knock at the Cabin (2023)
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 1h 40min
Rating: R
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writers: M. Night Shyamalan, Steve Desmond, Michael Sherman, Paul Tremblay
Actors: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn, Kristen Cui
 
IMDb Blurb: While vacationing, a girl and her parents are taken hostage by armed strangers who demand that the family make a choice to avert the apocalypse.
 
 
Cat’s Point of View:
When Knock at the Cabin was first set to hit theaters back in February of 2023, I had eagerly anticipated its release – as evident by the movie's #4 placement on my personal Top 20 list for that month. Selina had listed this film as her #11 pick. Needless to say, Knock at the Cabin was significantly on our radar. I watched as soon as it became available to stream On-Demand.
 
Looking back at that experience, in relation to now, I can tell you that the emotional ride of this movie was no less intense the 2nd time around. I knew what was coming this time, of course. The only thing that changed about the experience was the fact that I knew what was going to happen.
 
 
M. Night Shyamalan (Glass, Old, The Watchers) skillfully crafted this emotionally wrenching and dark tale of literal apocalyptic weight. The cabin setting enhanced the feeling of suspense, as well as the up-in-the-air and somewhat nebulous concept that the world could be ending. The remote location was perfect to underscore the inability of the small family to ascertain the validity of what was claimed by their home-invaders merely by looking outside.
 
 
Speaking of the four intruders; Dave Bautista (Army of Thieves, The Boy and the Heron, Dune: Part Two), Rupert Grint (CBGB, Moonwalkers, Servant), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Old, The Outfit, Avenue 5), and Abby Quinn (Radium Girls, Mad About You, Hell of a Summer) were great choices for this cast. It's always a little jarring to me to see Grint in a role so far removed from his days of on-screen magic and mischief, but he only reinforced here that trying to keep him in that little box is a mistake. I could viscerally feel his performance here and it made me uncomfortable. I also have to give major kudos to Dave Bautista. Every new movie I see him in, I discover some new facet of his talent. Here, he was this massively intimidating presence in a room, yet his character's quiet and seemingly reasonable approach to this horrible situation just gave me chills.
 
It's always interesting to see characters put into situations where they have to make what feels like an impossible choice in the face of daunting odds and a ticking clock. Shyamalan dials up the anxiety facing all of the above here with Knock at the Cabin.
 
 
While this film is an adaptation of the novel The Cabin at the End of the World, by Paul G. Tremblay, fans of the book should go into this experience with an open mind. I couldn't begin to explain the differences between what happens in that specific story and the movie, but I have read enough articles and the like regarding this film to know there is at least one significant change. Don't let that dissuade you from giving this movie a chance, however.
 
The emotional rollercoaster is a bit much for me to partake of on a regular basis, however, I wasn't disappointed with a second experience with Knock at the Cabin. Fans of apocalyptic suspense and Shyamalan should definitely check this out and see for yourselves how the movie measures up.
 
 
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 67%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 63%
Metascore – 63%
Metacritic User Score – 5.5/10
IMDB Score – 6.1/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5
 
Movie Trailer:

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