Knock at the Cabin

As a superstitious believer in traditional values, Shyamalan has run out of ideas for points to make in that regard, so he at least comments on more complex social issues. Specifically, same-sex adoption. The dramaturgical intent with the viewer is clear, but in order for it to work, we would have to take the home-invasion situation very seriously (though it’s entertaining in the context of the genre, it just can’t be taken seriously) and disbelieve the intruders’ theory (which we have no reason to do, since anything is possible with such a bizarre array of characters, especially in a Shyamalan film). (03/06/2023)

Four armed weirdoes trap a married couple and their daughter in a cottage and demand that one of them sacrifice himself to prevent the coming apocalypse. A game of nerves begins, but what if the end of the world is really near? M. Night Shyamalan takes an interesting subject and made a woefully uninteresting film. His new film tries to play on uncertainty, to not explain and to avoid clear-cut points. But this doesn’t make it thrilling, but rather boring and drawn out. Another misstep for the director. It is decently shot, but not very entertaining to watch. (01/31/2023)

Shyamalan's best years are behind him and his latest release is a mediocre film. Knock at the Cabin is more of a psychological drama-thriller than a horror film, but one that lacks drive, doesn't make much sense, lacks a proper twist and holds up the violence. The first half hour is pretty good, it has a home-invasion feel to it, with four armed people trying to ambush two men and a little girl and coming up with an unpleasant proposition like Sophie's Choice. Dave Bautista is decent in the role and is probably the most interesting thing about the film. The disasters on TV are also interesting, the only more action packed and interesting insert. However, the progression of the film is very tepid and slow, and wheen there is a murder, it's out of frame. The psychology of the characters isn't portrayed consistently enough to sway the viewer and the whole thing unfortunately doesn't make much sense without a proper Shyamalan Twist. The atmosphere didn't impress me much either, the suspense is lacking as well, I don't find much praise to recommend Knock at the Cabin to anyone. 5/10. (02/27/2023)

As someone who didn't hate the last two widely criticized Shyamalan films, I have to say that M. Night pissed me off with Knock at the Cabin. While Glass and Old were leaky and unconvincing in some ways, I found their concepts interesting and thought-provoking. In comparison, the concept of Knock at the Cabin is very stupid. I'd probably enjoy a believable movie with a premise of people trying to convince other people of complete bullshit, and how those people are willing to believe said bullshit under certain conditions, but the problem is that I would NOT describe Knock at the Cabin as a film with that premise. That's because the finale – apparently unlike some other viewers – doesn't strike me as ambiguous, it strikes me as unambiguously, unequivocally idiotic. PS: This film doesn't have a typical Shyamalan twist, or the twist is that the four freaks are ***** ****** **********? I really laughed at that. (02/03/2023)

M. Night Shyamalan almost bored me to death with Old, so I started watching his next attempt with considerable apprehension. But it turned out that my concerns were unnecessary. I was pretty entertained by the movie in which two dads tried to destroy humanity so intensely that they didn't even have time for various unsanitary matters. From the first shot of the empathetic teacher with a giant head and the remaining body parts trailing close behind, I started to chuckle, and I kept chuckling despite the unsettling events that followed. What surprised me was that I really liked Kristen Cui in the role of Wen. I had a great time when Leonard's team started explaining that they were not crazy; I know for sure that after such an explanation, I would reach for a shotgun:-) Well, it wasn't an unforgettable masterpiece, but as simple entertainment, it worked tremendously well for me. A massive credit for that goes to Dave Bautista. He may not be the best actor, but he is a noticeable (and entertaining) figure. / Lesson learned: If you ever find yourself in a position to save humanity, don't make a decision right away. First, think about what exactly you are saving... (07/10/2023)