Film review: ‘KNOCK AT THE CABIN’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’

A religious parable, a critique of a society poisoned by chatroom conspiracy theories, an endorsement of conspiracy theories or simply a loopy shaggy dog story, the meaning of M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film A Knock at the Cabin is a little too fuzzy and while some of the journey is worth it, its half-baked story makes for an often-irritating experience.

The film is set in that icon of American horror, the isolated cabin in the woods.  Here, two gay men Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Eric (Johnathon Groff) are enjoying a weekend getaway with adopted eight-year-old daughter Wen (Kristen Cui).  While catching grasshoppers, the youngster is approached by a strange and enormous man, Leonard (Dave Bautista) who engages her in an odd and unsettling conversation.  Despite his polite and calm demeanour, he exudes a sense of threat.  It’s an impressive opening scene that has echoes of 1931 film version of Frankenstein.  Things take a weirder turn when Leonard begins uttering strange and threatening prophecies of doom and is joined by four accomplices Redmond (Rupert Grint), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird) and Adriane (Abby Quinn) all of whom are carrying what look like medieval weapons.  After bursting into the cabin, Leonard and his strange coterie tell Andrew and Eric that one of them must kill a member of their family or apocalyptic events will destroy humanity.  Not quite what you want to hear on a relaxing weekend away. Thinking the home invaders are little more than deluded conspiracy theorists, Andrew and Eric refuse to participate but Leonard is determined to prove that his and the others’ visions of Armageddon are real.

M. Night Shyamalan exploded onto the movie scene in 1999 with the clever and moving supernatural drama The Sixth Sense and that iconic twist. His films since have been somewhat erratic and he seemed to have reached a low point with The Visit and Split which contained unfortunate depictions of dementia and mental illness. Some viewers suggested Old (which I haven’t seen) was a return to form.  Has this apparent resurgence continued with Knock at the Cabin?  Well, almost! There are some intriguing moments but it’s also repetitive, padded, a bit silly and ultimately short on ideas.  The first half hour is as good as anything Shyamalan has done but it becomes increasingly ridiculous from there.

If only the director had more assiduously followed the lessons of the filmmakers, movies and TV shows that appear to have inspired him here.  He attempts Hitchcockian tension and humour, Twilight Zone-esque mystery and Lost-style flashbacks but he never quite translates these influences into a singular powerful voice.  The film is occasionally tense, gripping and mysterious but its hold on the audience slips a little too often.  Whether or not the ending proves satisfactory for viewers may depend on their interpretation of what happens in the lead-up.  For this reviewer, the ending didn’t work.

With cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, M. Night has, however, fashioned an intriguing looking film with slightly odd, bleached colour, unusual panning and focus shifts and effective use of extreme close-ups to draw us into the characters.  They’ve succeeded in creating a slightly queasy and otherworldly look here.

The film also benefits from a few strong performances with Ben Aldridge convincingly intense as the rational, educated, if hot-headed man trying to battle with frightening illogical events.  Dave Bautista demonstrates that he’s not just hired muscle or comedy relief as he gives the hulking, tattooed Leonard sensitivity and emotional nuance.  The film suffers, though, from some weirdly underwritten roles, especially Rupert Grint as scruffy redneck Redmond.

Ultimately, there’s just not enough meat on the bones of this film.  There’s maybe enough plot for a one-hour TV series episode and even at a reasonably concise 100 minutes, Knock at the Cabin feels like it’s stretched pretty thin.

Nick’s rating: **1/2

Genre: Drama/ Action/ Adventure/ Animation.

Classification: M.

Director(s): M. Night Shyamalan.

Release date: 2nd Feb 2023..

Running time: 100 mins.

Reviewer: Nick Gardener can be heard on “Built For Speed” every Friday night from 8-10pm on 88.3 Southern FM.

 

 

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