Knock at the Cabin

I am a long-time admirerer and defender of M. Night Shyamalan, so take the following with a grain of salt. Ever since he became a household name with The Sixth Sense back in 1999, everything he's ever done since has been met with the same few comments by many moviegoers and critics: Oh, he's the twist guy. He's the guy that made a few good movies but sucks now. He's the guy who can't get out of his own way, that has to appear in all of his own movies, etc. etc. etc. One day I'm going to probably write a very, very long article about the many things I like about just about all of his movies (yes, including After Earth and The Happening). I can't help but love a director that takes big swings with original concepts, and I'd rather have a million Shyamalans than most of the directors working in mainstream Hollywood these days.

Shyamalan's recent output has entered a kind of groove, as he annually puts out a relatively low-budget, high-concept movie featuring central performances by very talented actors. It's worked out very well financially, as each of his last four movies have made a large profit several times over, giving him the freedom to continue doing whatever he wants. The people may sneer at Shyamalan on the internet and in conversation, but they can't stop showing up to see what he does next. Funny how that works, isn't it?

Knock at the Cabin is his latest, and if you've seen the trailer (Shyamalan always has excellent trailers), you know the basics. A family of three (including dads Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge, and the adorable Kristen Cui) are vacationing at a remote cabin, but they are suddenly held hostage by four strangers (led by the hulking Dave Bautista) who very strongly suggest that the family needs to sacrifice one of their own to avert the apocalypse.

For the most part, that's all there really is to the movie. Shyamalan is one of the best there is at building suspense, and as Bautista's crew slowly reveal their true aims, the tension just keeps building and building to almost unbearable levels. It's a true home invasion thriller shot in style by Robet Eggers' usual cinematographer Jarin Blaschke (The Northman, The Lighthouse)at a lovely single cabin location that was built specifically for this movie. Blaschke utilizes a lot of close-ups (particularly of Batista) to startling effectiveness; the viewer's eyes can't help but search the invaders' faces for any sign or clue that they are telling the truth. Bautista is truly impressive, as his character's calm and gentle demeanor is offset by his physically intimidating stature, creating a truly unpredictable antagonist.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the reveals in the final 20 minutes. The movie is based on a popular book called "The Cabin at the End of the World" by Paul G. Tremblay, and while I haven't read it, I gather that people who have seem to have trouble with the changes that Shyamalan made to the ending, which alters the thematic elements of the story. Reading interviews, it's clear that Shyamalan wasn't even interested in adaptating the book into a movie due to the ending, but eventually was given the chance to mold the story to fit his own interests. I thought the ending worked well, and after reading how the book ends, I'm not sure if it would've been a good idea to end the movie that way. But as always, it's another ending that has people talking.

I think this is a higher-tier work for Shyamalan, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is on my list of the best movies of 2023. Sure, I'm a Shyamalan fanboy. But at one point, a character goes to slowly peek behind a shower curtain, and I found my body craning in the direction of the camera movement to try and see what was around the curtain. That's how you know they got you. Well done, M. Night.