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

February 1, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Abby Quinn, Ben Aldridge, Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Knock at the Cabin, Kristen Cui, M. Night Shyamalan, Michael Sherman, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Reviews, Rupert Grint, Steve Desmond Leave a comment

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. Read More

The ‘GLASS’ is Half Empty in Laughably Bad Conclusion to Shyamalan Trilogy

January 16, 2019 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Anya Taylor-Joy, Bruce Willis, Glass, James McAvoy, M. Night Shyamalan, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Spencer Treat Clark, Split, Unbreakable Leave a comment

The Unbreakable trilogy that started in 2000 at the peak of M. Night Shyamalan’s powers, then went subterranean during his dark ages (the brutal run of films that spanned Lady in the Water to After Earth), and stealthily re-emerged in the midst of his recent revival of sorts (the one-two punch of The Visit and Split re-ameliorating the Indian director with American audiences) has officially ended. Along with the hopes of a true Shyamalanasance (say that three times fast.) And folks, Glass concludes the promise of a 19-years-in-the-making unprecedented movie triptych in the worst way possibly imaginable. Read More

Out in Theaters: ‘SPLIT’

January 18, 2017 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Horror, James McAvoy, M. Night Shyamalan, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Split 1 Comment

In 2015, M. Night Shyamalan executed the biggest twist of all. Following a slew of critical and commercial disasters, Shyamalan produced…a hit. The Visit, a found footage old people horror-comedy, connected with critics and audiences, turning its paltry 5 million dollar budget to a whopping near-100 million international haul. More importantly, it signaled the return of one of the most unique voices in the genre: the king of the twist. And Split, a thriller about an abductor with a fractured personality, proves that he’s here to stay. Read More

Out in Theaters: ‘THE VISIT’

September 10, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Deanna Dunagan, Ed Oxenbould, Kathryn Hahn, M. Night Shyamalan, Olivia DeJonge, Out in Theaters, Peter McRobbie, Reviews, The Visit 2 Comments

I could spend the bulk of this review talking about the precipitous rise and fall of M. Night Shyamalan. I could praise The Sixth Sense and Unbroken, give small credit to Signs and even portions of The Village and bury later “horror” duds like Lady in the Water and The Happening. I could extend a wilted rose towards the cinematic sharts that were The Last Airbender and After Earth but what’s the fun in that? After all, we’re no longer celebrating a funeral so much as a man’s comeback, because make no mistake The Visit is a comeback and a pretty damn entertaining one at that. Read More