Knock at the Cabin - A Movie Review

We have company.

Based on the novel written by Paul Tremblay, Knock at the Cabin welcomed its way into theaters in 2023. While vacationing in a remote cabin, a girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers. They demand the family make a risky choice to avert the apocalypse.

When you have the concept, you need to make sure that you understand it. Knock at the Cabin expresses evasive filmmaking and outstanding acting. The downside is that it’s not a concise film. Not melding much excitement from the story, more creative twists were needed.

Knock at the Cabin has a great cast. The cast is what saves the film. The cast evokes their characters' stories, expressing believable personalities.

Dave Bautista was the standout. His deliveries of all his monologues were extraordinary. Leonard was my favorite character (Aside from Wen). I cannot wait to see what else he does following his performance in this film.

Knock at the Cabin dwelled on situating character dynamics than concentrating on a story. That’s not a bad thing. We need to know these characters. Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, and Kristen Cul were so adorable in all of their scenes. Knock at the Cabin presented a healthy gay couple relationship.

I was surprised to learn that this was Cul’s first film. Wen is an intelligent child. Aside from a couple of scenes, Cul didn’t get much to do aside from seeking protection from her parents or hiding during the film’s most pivotal scene.

Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn, and Rupert Grint play the other members of the group. The whole cast defined impressive acting work. This was the first time I saw Grint out of his popular role of Ron Weasley. He has grown so much as an actor. I have also seen Amuka-Bird in two other films and she is a talented actress.

If only the acting accommodated the story. The story is predictable. Everything is so straightforward. The movie is set up in the first five minutes and takes advantage of the noticeable filler.

M. Night Shyamalan didn’t include his trademark twist which was weird. He always has a twist under his sleeve! Characters utter the same dialogue and repeat actions. Adding a twist would have been exciting.

The film spent more time exploring the family dynamic than the apocalypse scenario which is the main plot of the whole film. There was so much potential in this storyline and it’s wasted. Starting right into the story, the film cut to flashbacks explaining the history of the family.

Should we know more about the four strangers and where they came from? Or should it have been left ambiguous like it is in the film? I have gone back and forth on this several times. I think we deserved some explanation as to why these four people got together. I wanted to care about these characters, especially with what happens to them.

Shyamalan has achieved new dynamics as a filmmaker. He has come a long way as a director. The cinematography is excellent. I had more fun studying camera angles and the way characters were focused on a scene.

The close-ups of the character's faces were a bit much. They were so up close to the point that I thought they were breathing on me.

I was hooked to see how the film would end. Take caution as there is bloody violence. Knock at the Cabin ends on a downer. I recommend the film for the acting. I was disappointed in the lack of a story.