Knock at the Cabin is a thriller that sure can get my heart pounding as it presents morally complex themes and an ensemble full of strong performances, but it’s hampered by how blatantly it spoon-feeds the story to me. I’d heard the criticisms of this flaw beforehand, so I knew to prepare myself for it, but it was still frustrating to encounter. Having read and loved The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay a couple years ago, I was extra disappointed by the film adaptation diverging away from the choices that the book made to leave parts of its narrative open for the reader’s interpretation. The flashbacks, the news broadcasts, the conclusion—they all prioritize telling over showing and prevent the movie from reaching the book’s devastating and thought-provoking mastery.
As much as I’ve been criticizing Knock at the Cabin so far, I do have quite a bit of admiration for what M. Night Shyamalan was able to achieve here. He creates such an atmospherically and visually rich environment that managed to keep me tense, even when the aforementioned spoon-feeding broke up the momentum. The carefully executed cinematography by Jarin Blaschke and Lowell A. Meyer and the unsettling score by Herdis Stefánsdóttir further reinforce the mood for an apocalyptic tale that deals with some weighty questions. What violence and terror would you be willing to commit if you believed it was necessary to save the world? What would you be willing to do to save your family? How far would you go to maintain your faith in a higher power? Would you give a crap about rescuing humanity when you’re being targeted by the bigots who comprise a significant portion of it? This also tackles online echo chambers and the heavily biased beliefs and conspiracy theories they can suck ordinary people into, although I do think the book handles that part of the thematic material more effectively.
The cast brings this to another level with superb performances that immerse me in the terrifying situation and help me forgive the dialogue whenever it gets clunky. I know I’m not being original when I say Dave Bautista is the standout here, infusing Leonard with a sense of genuine tragedy that conveys how heartbroken he is that he’s taking this family hostage. At the same time, you can feel the burden that he’s got bearing down on his shoulders and leading him to believe he has no other choice but to carry out these horrific actions. It’s a nuanced air that meshes interestingly with Bautista’s imposing physical stature and reminds me of his equally memorable performance in Blade Runner 2049. I’m telling you, he’ll be up for an Oscar someday.
Overall, Knock at the Cabin isn’t perfect, but I’ve got love for what it was able to accomplish.
Windup score: 70/100
2 Cents Critic 