by Josh Sewell
To say M. Night Shyamalan has a spotty track record is putting it mildly. The filmmaker who gave us the classic thriller The Sixth Sense and the superhero masterpiece Unbreakable (which had the misfortune of coming out a few years before the comic book movie boom) is also the guy responsible for The Happening and The Visit. And that’s not even getting into his disastrous attempts at making blockbusters with The Last Airbender and After Earth.
As a result, I wince a little any time I see a trailer for one of his new flicks. Is this going to be the Shyamalan who gave us Signs (yay!) or Glass (boo!)? Heck, I’d even settle for what we got with Old – a horror movie so campy it plays more like a dark comedy.
Turns out his latest Knock at the Cabin is none of the above; it feels different than anything he’s ever done, which is a plus in my book. A big reason is because it’s one of the rare times Shyamalan is working from someone else’s source material (Paul Tremblay’s critically acclaimed novel The Cabin at the End of the World) and gets an assist on the screenplay, sharing credit with Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman.
The finished product, despite sharing some uncanny plot similarities with 2011’s underrated The Cabin in the Woods, counteracts many of the filmmaker’s narrative weaknesses while benefitting from his ultimately optimistic view of humanity. It’s one of his best movies in years.
The story revolves around Eric (Jonathan Groff), Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and their young daughter Wen (Kristen Cui), who are vacationing at a remote cabin in Pennsylvania. Out of nowhere, they’re confronted by four weapon-wielding strangers (Dave Bautista, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn and Rupert Grint) who shock them with an outrageous demand: they must willingly sacrifice someone in their family to prevent the end of the world.
Initially, the proposal sounds like the ravings of a lunatic. However, strange coincidences and tragedies begin to pile up, leading the family to wonder if the strangers might not be so crazy after all.
To its credit, Knock at the Cabin initially treats the central conflict as ridiculous, putting us in the shoes of Eric, Andrew and Wen. However, Shyamalan and his cowriters also understand that cartoonish, over-the-top villains aren’t very scary after a while. As such, the film’s “antagonists” (the truth is a little more complicated) become more interesting over time as the audience learns more about who they are and what brought them to the cabin.
The entire cast delivers compelling work – particularly Cui, making her big screen debut with a performance that avoids the usual annoying child actor tics. Say what you want about Shyamalan’s uneven history as a director, he’s always had a knack for getting realistic work from kids going all the way back to Haley Joel Osment in the aforementioned The Sixth Sense.
Nevertheless, the clear standout is Bautista, proving once again he’s got the strongest chops out of all the pro wrestlers who’ve made the jump to movies. Dwayne Johnson and John Cena might have the charisma necessary for standard Hollywood blockbusters, but Bautista – as evidenced by his overall filmography and the directors he’s chosen to work with – is the best actor of the bunch. A colleague of mine predicted he’ll have an Oscar nomination within the next decade, and I think that’s a pretty safe bet.
Knock at the Cabin also features effective cinematography, courtesy of Jarin Blaschke and Lowell A. Meyer, as well as a harrowing score from Herdis Stefansdottir that builds as the film’s stakes escalate. The narrative is refreshingly streamlined, with no wasted scenes devoted to wheel-spinning or padding the running time. At a brisk 100 minutes, it gets the job done.
A big reason for the unsettling tone is the claustrophobic atmosphere of the titular cabin. Most of the film takes place within the cabin’s few rooms, although Shyamalan does provide brief moments of tension-breaking humor. He also delivers crucial information about the central family via well-timed flashbacks, adding further dramatic weight to the characters’ present crisis.
Although the final act suffers from too much exposition (one character explicitly spells out the already obvious metaphor at the story’s core) and there are a few too many plot contrivances, the unrelenting tension and strong performances make up for those weaknesses. I’m happy to report the good version of Shyamalan is back – for now, at least.
Knock at the Cabin is rated R for violence and language. Opens in theaters on February 3.
Grade: B
As a result, I wince a little any time I see a trailer for one of his new flicks. Is this going to be the Shyamalan who gave us Signs (yay!) or Glass (boo!)? Heck, I’d even settle for what we got with Old – a horror movie so campy it plays more like a dark comedy.
Turns out his latest Knock at the Cabin is none of the above; it feels different than anything he’s ever done, which is a plus in my book. A big reason is because it’s one of the rare times Shyamalan is working from someone else’s source material (Paul Tremblay’s critically acclaimed novel The Cabin at the End of the World) and gets an assist on the screenplay, sharing credit with Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman.
The finished product, despite sharing some uncanny plot similarities with 2011’s underrated The Cabin in the Woods, counteracts many of the filmmaker’s narrative weaknesses while benefitting from his ultimately optimistic view of humanity. It’s one of his best movies in years.
The story revolves around Eric (Jonathan Groff), Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and their young daughter Wen (Kristen Cui), who are vacationing at a remote cabin in Pennsylvania. Out of nowhere, they’re confronted by four weapon-wielding strangers (Dave Bautista, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn and Rupert Grint) who shock them with an outrageous demand: they must willingly sacrifice someone in their family to prevent the end of the world.
Initially, the proposal sounds like the ravings of a lunatic. However, strange coincidences and tragedies begin to pile up, leading the family to wonder if the strangers might not be so crazy after all.
To its credit, Knock at the Cabin initially treats the central conflict as ridiculous, putting us in the shoes of Eric, Andrew and Wen. However, Shyamalan and his cowriters also understand that cartoonish, over-the-top villains aren’t very scary after a while. As such, the film’s “antagonists” (the truth is a little more complicated) become more interesting over time as the audience learns more about who they are and what brought them to the cabin.
The entire cast delivers compelling work – particularly Cui, making her big screen debut with a performance that avoids the usual annoying child actor tics. Say what you want about Shyamalan’s uneven history as a director, he’s always had a knack for getting realistic work from kids going all the way back to Haley Joel Osment in the aforementioned The Sixth Sense.
Nevertheless, the clear standout is Bautista, proving once again he’s got the strongest chops out of all the pro wrestlers who’ve made the jump to movies. Dwayne Johnson and John Cena might have the charisma necessary for standard Hollywood blockbusters, but Bautista – as evidenced by his overall filmography and the directors he’s chosen to work with – is the best actor of the bunch. A colleague of mine predicted he’ll have an Oscar nomination within the next decade, and I think that’s a pretty safe bet.
Knock at the Cabin also features effective cinematography, courtesy of Jarin Blaschke and Lowell A. Meyer, as well as a harrowing score from Herdis Stefansdottir that builds as the film’s stakes escalate. The narrative is refreshingly streamlined, with no wasted scenes devoted to wheel-spinning or padding the running time. At a brisk 100 minutes, it gets the job done.
A big reason for the unsettling tone is the claustrophobic atmosphere of the titular cabin. Most of the film takes place within the cabin’s few rooms, although Shyamalan does provide brief moments of tension-breaking humor. He also delivers crucial information about the central family via well-timed flashbacks, adding further dramatic weight to the characters’ present crisis.
Although the final act suffers from too much exposition (one character explicitly spells out the already obvious metaphor at the story’s core) and there are a few too many plot contrivances, the unrelenting tension and strong performances make up for those weaknesses. I’m happy to report the good version of Shyamalan is back – for now, at least.
Knock at the Cabin is rated R for violence and language. Opens in theaters on February 3.
Grade: B
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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