Knock at the Cabin (2023) Review

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

When we make decisions, we know they affect us, but we always have to remember how it affects others.


PLOT


Based on Paul G Tremblay’s ‘The Cabin at the End of the World’, Knock at the Cabin follows the married couple Eric & Andrew and their adopted daughter Wenling. During a vacation at a remote cabin, they are invaded by four strangers with makeshift weapons: Leonard who claims to be a school teacher, Sabrina who claims to be a nurse, Adriane who claims to be cool and has a son, and Rory ‘Redmond’ O’Bannon who claims to work at a gas company. Despite the family’s attempt to defend themselves, Eric gets concussed in the process. As the parents get tied up, the invaders explain they are here to prevent the apocalypse and within the past week, they have seen visions that will lead to it becoming a reality. They believe the only way this can be prevented is if someone within the family makes a sacrifice. However, the invaders must not take part of the decision and the chosen sacrifice cannot take his/her own life. If they fail to make a decision soon, they will be the only survivors left when the apocalypse unfolds. Both husbands refuse to make a decision as they believe they’re making it up based on delusion and hatred. With the first act of refusal, Redmond is first to be sacrificed by the group with their weapons. As this happens, Eric would see a figure of light. After this sacrifice, the group's first vision would come true as news reports would reveal mega-tsunamis, before the first judgment of humanity. Despite seeing their truth, Andrew would back up his claim of them lying due to recognizing Redmond for assaulting him years prior, theorizing he tracked him down for revenge of his prison sentence. Although this does have the group grapple with possible guilt, they still choose to hold onto their visions. Wen would try to escape and find help, but Leonard would catch her before she could get far. As another day goes by, the family continue to refuse in making a decision, resulting in Adriane to be the next sacrifice. When she dies, the second vision comes true with reports of a deadly 'X-Nine' flu virus emerge. Even after this, Andrew would still deny the truth by claiming all the broadcast has been pre-scheduled and claimed to have read about the virus in advance. Wen would distract the remaining group to give both of her dads a chance to defend themselves. Eric would try fending off Leonard with the chair he was tied to, while Andrew goes to his van to retrieve his gun. He would use it to shoot at Sabrina to keep her away and make her flee. When he holds Leonard at gunpoint, she would return only to be shot by him. Leonard would then decapitate her to complete the sacrifice. After this, reports of spontaneous plane crashes around the world would be revealed on the news, confirming the third vision of the sky falling. Leonard would warn the family there will only be minutes left to make a decision before the final vision of darkness enveloping the Earth will come true once he is sacrificed. He does so by slicing his throat. Once he dies, lightning strikes the area and more planes nearby would crash. Eric would confess to Andrew he believes what the invaders have said are true and sees each of them represent the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Redmond=Malice, Adriane=Nurturing, Sabrina=Healing, and Leonard=Guidance). He even shares the vision he saw through the light: He saw Wen thriving as an adult with Andrew by her side. With everything said aloud, Andrew would finally accept the truth and reluctantly shoot the love of his life as the official sacrifice. With his van being sabotaged, he and Wen would find the truck the group used to track them down. Inside, they find evidence to corroborate their stories. When they drive to a nearby diner, they see the news reveal all disasters become subsided. The film would end with the remaining family driving off into the now saved world. 


THOUGHTS


This film was not at the top of my watchlist due to not trusting the helm of Writer/Director M. Night Shyamalan, due to him contributing a decade of bad movies. However, a friend of mine agreed we’ll never know until we try it out. So after checking it out in theaters, I’m in relief to say this was worth the time in theaters. This is a hit in Shyamalan’s filmography due to making you feel afraid with doubt. This is a story that leaves you uncertain of the truth until the end and with compelling music by Herdis Stefánsdóttir, the dread of it is difficult to ignore. The whole point of feeling this way contributes the theme of belief. It is true to what the story's about because there are moments where we have to question if they're worth believing. In this case, our beliefs can test the morality we hope we're displaying and when it comes down to it, we hope they are one and the same. If they're not, then we again have to keep hoping the next set of choices we make are worth making in the long run. I think this debate was incredibly explored thanks to the weight carried by a stunning cast. Ben Aldridge has us have a lot of admiration towards Andrew because he's a guy who is resilient upon action. Considering that the world around him is full of hatred, he bases his knowledge off of facts and with that perspective of his being so strong willed, it makes it harder for him to be open minded. That is exactly what gets displayed when he's put up with a tough decision where he doesn't know everything. Once everything gets put together, it's still hard for him to be strong enough to decide. In what is left of a bright side, he has an other half willing to help him make a choice they deem to be right. Jonathan Groff has us respect Eric because he's the only one willing to listen despite the circumstances. He is as resistant as he deserves to be, but once he saw the vision, he knew he had to avoid being selfish. It was a tough call and while there is no guarantee he would still see it without getting concussed, it doesn't change how bold he was to decide being the sacrifice to save the world. As the flashbacks show, we understand how pure their love is and they use it to their advantage for doing the absolute necessary. To me, I don't think they would decide if they didn't love each other. The core of their love would not have become too strong had they not adopted the gentle soul that is Wen. Breakout Kristen Cui steals our own hearts for showing her to be a child smart enough to know her surroundings and put it to an advantage. The best thing about her was that even though she is heartbroken over her first loss, she doesn't let it define her. She proves such when she tries to lighten the mood by playing the radio. She would then insist to keep it on to prove Eric's death wasn't in vein. And to that, I call a beautiful tribute from a child to a parent. This family of course would not have not gone through this debacle had it not been for a group of strangers who are enforced to act for the greater good. We didn't have to like Redmond, but Rupert Grint makes it clear he is a guy who was living off of regret as his past actions proved. He's the only aggressive member of the group because he is the only one acting openly desperate, thriving to have a moment to redeem himself for his mistakes. Sadly for him, his sacrifice is the closest he could get to be satisfied. Abby Quinn shows Adriane as one who is helplessly unsure of what is happening, but is willing to do anything to save her son. Had she not shared she was a parent as well, I honestly doubt Andrew would cave. Nikki Amuka-Bird leaves a memorable impression in portraying Sabrina as one who acts sturdy, but still does her best in being compassionate towards the people who do not deserve to be in such a difficult position. Last but not least, the true highlight of this movie goes to Dave Bautista. A high amount of respect goes to him for playing Leonard as the enigmatic one in the group who is yearning to do good for humanity. He was already doing that being a leader to the kids he taught as a teacher and a coach, but he hates that he has to make the family come to terms with a decision that felt impossible. Although the violence for each death is cut away from the screen, you still feel the traumatic impact that weighs into the story because it can't be undone at that point. Leonard's death felt the toughest to unfold because you feel all the fear he's been keeping within and how much he wishes to have met everyone on different circumstances. Considering how gentle he was with Wen before the invasion, I do hope she finds a way to remember him fondly before hell came knocking. There is no doubt when saying this film was intriguing to get through, but it didn’t excuse some issues I had upon re-watching. For example, why didn’t Andrew bring the gun into the cabin? Him bringing it does imply him being pre-cautious but if he wasn’t able to bring it in the without Wen and Eric noticing, I wouldn’t mind a flashback proving that. And how come the rest of the group didn’t bring show their proof to better convince the family to make a decision? I feel like they should’ve felt inspired if they saw Leonard take his picture. And why does Redmond say duct tape implying the intent to hurt the family? If that implies he’s done more hate crimes, even a flashback of that would’ve been acceptable. And what is the point of the corpses being separated? If Leonard really wants to avoid Wen seeing the bodies, there shouldn’t be a problem for all to be outside. Continuity errors always piss me off, so it doesn’t excuse noticing Eric’s arms to be tied in the front for one shot, only to be behind him by the next one. I even get further bothered when consistency is ruined as Sabrina leaves a big crack on the window she swings, only for it to disappear by the next. Wen was smart enough to distract Leonard in order for her dads to briefly have a chance at defending themselves, but I can’t say the same when she hides from him behind a tree only to go in the same direction as him uncovered. I get that Leonard was bound to catch her, but I feel like there should’ve been a smarter way for that to happen. I don’t even blame Leonard having Eric & Andrew see each other horizontally as an act of compassion, but I don’t think it makes their decision any easier. I want to question Eric dropping the knife once he breaks free, but I’m even more surprised Adriane didn’t even notice Wen took it in the first place. I mean she should’ve noticed it was missing when she took the plate to the sink. Leonard was definitely smart to break a window and make the family think he escaped the bathroom, but let’s be honest, for a man Leonard’s size, there is no way he would fit through the window and it’s a little embarrassing for Eric & Andrew to believe it. Ignore this, then you’ll still enjoy the movie for what it is. In short, Knock at the Cabin is a positive standout from Shyamalan’s filmography for succeeding in being one of the most thought provoking of 2023. If those are the kind of movies you prefer, see this now.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.