Shyamalan Does Apocalyptic Thriller as Morality Test in ‘KNOCK AT THE CABIN’

In M. Night Shyamalan’s latest science-fiction thriller Knock at the Cabin, the apocalypse is here. Or so says Leonard (Dave Bautista), and his companions Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Adriane (Abby Quinn), and Redmond (Rupert Grint). They claim that in the next two days, a number of plagues will be unleashed upon the Earth. Floods, fires, and mass technological breakdowns will decimate all human life and cover the world in eternal darkness. It’s all very Old Testament; fire and brimstone and mass judgement from on high. Not unlike – what one character astutely points out – the scrawled prophecies of doomsday preachers on any city street corner in America.

What makes them different? Well, for one, the plagues are actually happening. Just as they said they would. Secondly, they just aren’t the type. These don’t appear to be fundamentalists so much as put-upon messengers, willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. The collection is a ragtag cross-section of America: a blue-collar gas company worker, a second-grade teacher and school sports coach, a diner waitress, and a post-op nurse. This all lends some credence to their apocalyptic warnings though it all still sounds a bit nutty to Eric (Jonathan Groff), Andrew (Ben Aldridge), and Wen (Kristen Cui). Likely because their rental home has been invaded by the aforementioned people. They’ve also been told they must sacrifice one of their own to make the whole thing stop. Thus begins an effort to a) convince the family that they are not crazy and the looming apocalypse is real and b) have that same family make the impossible moral decision to kill off one of their own to end it.

Leaning into the similarly spooky atmospheric tension that he most recently brought to life in the Apple TV+ show Servant, Shyamalan actually uses a fairly even-handed approach to suspense filmmaking here. In many ways, it’s a throwback to his earlier mood-driven films like Unbreakable and Sixth Sense, though nowhere near on the same plane in terms of overall effectiveness. A lot of it works pretty well, though Knock at the Cabin is admittedly short of memorable individual moments. This is partially due to a PG-13 rating that leaves characters screaming family-friendly lines like “That’s a bunch of crap!” in moments of high tension in addition to some of the more shocking moments being largely bloodless and tame.

Still, Shyamalan shoots these moments with an eye for drama. In the early scenes where Leonard and company forcibly enter the titular cabin, his almost preternatural flair for tension reaches a fever pitch that the remainder of the movie can’t seem to watch. That’s not to say that it’s not fairly engaging throughout, but once things settle into a pattern, it’s easy to see how one dot connects to the other until the end of the film.

As tends to be the case with Shyamalan’s movies, the performances are a mixed bag. Some amongst the ensemble cast are quite good while others take the more hammed up approach. Hamilton and Mindhunter veteran Groff plays a combo of bewildered and contemplative well, though I would have liked to see a bit more from him. Bautista is actually the standout of the bunch, delivering a restrained and humane performance, very likely the best dramatic performance he’s given to date.

One of the least twisty films in Shyamalan’s oeuvre, Knock at the Cabin surprises by virtue of its lack of surprise. While it’s all rather predictable, especially for a Shyamalan joint, the film’s central questions about faith and choice would really just be invalided by some cockamamie last minute heel-turn. I never once doubted that Leonard and his group of true believers were religious fanatics, cult members, or otherwise mentally deranged, and the movie really gives us no reason to. Instead, Shyamalan and co-writers Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman center the tension around whether or not Eric and Andrew will make the ultimate sacrifice before it’s too late. Though even that is a bit of a foregone conclusion.

Where the movie could have really kicked into another gear is in the apocalyptic events, though those just don’t impress on the level that they should. There’s just a lack of oomph where these moments really need to land that’s consistent throughout. So too do some of the sociopolitical aspects feel a bit antiquated and land with a thud. The fact that Wen has two dads is treated with a kind of foreignness that makes it feels like an import from the early 2000’s. That aspect and how it informs their characters just kind of juts out like a sore thumb and doesn’t really add anything to the overall picture. Ultimately though, Knock at the Cabin sees Shyamalan playing the hits, dabbling with familiar themes of destiny vs. decision, and Bautista’s measured lead performance. For that alone, this Knock is worth opening up for.

CONCLUSION: A middle-of-the-road effort for twist-master M. Night Shyamalan, ‘Knock at the Cabin’ asks a family if they would sacrifice one of their own for the good of humanity. It doesn’t all work but it enough does to justify its existence. Dave Bautista is as good as he’s ever been here.