Knock at the Cabin

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn, Kristen Cui
Running Time: 100 min.
Rating: R 

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)

The opening minutes of Knock at the Cabin are so tense and gripping you worry it can't possibly last, while we anxiously wait for the rug to be pulled out from under us with another M. Night Shyamalan twist. But then a weird thing happens as the story escalates and becomes absorbing enough to wash away any lingering fears of disappointment. In its place comes the realization that the polarizing director could actually nail this, potentially delivering his best work since Unbreakable. And then he does.

In recent years Shyamalan's shown flickering sparks of former glory with stronger efforts like Split, but has remained an unfortunate punchline, most recently bumbling a promising premise with 2021's Old. If there's a flaw with this film it's that we know in advance who directed it, making it difficult not to carry in some of that baggage. But whatever you may think of his output, he's still here plugging away, ignoring the criticisms and attempting to tell fresh stories in a moviegoing landscape where good ideas aren't always celebrated. That has to count for something. 

On description alone, it's easy to see why The Twilight Zone-inspired filmmaker was drawn to Paul Tremblay's 2018 novel "The Cabin at the End of the World," and maybe even less surprising that it's the quickest script he's ever hammered out. Working with a terrific concept that plays on Shyamalan's strengths while suppressing what many believe are his worst impulses, he's back at his most precise and restrained, efficiently letting this play out in the most suspenseful manner possible. It also features an unexpectedly rich performance from a promising actor who really turns it up a notch here, further establishing himself as a talent worth taking very seriously. Reminding us just how skilled he can be at handling this type of material, Shyamalan's again firing on all cylinders for the first time in a while.

While vacationing with her two fathers Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge) at a remote cabin in rural Pennsylvania, 7-year-old Wen (Kristen Cui) is approached by a hulking, soft spoken stranger named Leonard (Dave Bautista). After engaging in some friendly if slightly unsettling banter, he explains to Wen that he needs desperately needs her family's help to save the world. After three other mysterious companions named Sabrina (Nikki Amuka- Bird), Adriane (Abby Quinn) and Redmond (Rupert Grint) show up alongside Leonard, she frantically runs inside to warn her dads. But armed with makeshift weapons, they force their way into the cabin and tie up Eric and Andrew.

The intruders warn of an oncoming apocalypse that can only be stopped if one family member is sacrificed. If they refuse to make a choice, they'll survive, but as the last remaining people on Earth. Believing themselves to be targeted by a gang of delusional psychopaths fueled by fear and hatred, Eric and Andrew understandably push back, refusing to buy any of this. But as news reports of natural disasters and pandemics quickly intensify, Leonard's warnings of impending doom become frighteningly prescient. Assuming any of this is true, their continuous denials could have dire consequences, unleashing a series of plagues that threaten humankind. Whether they were specifically targeted or not, their survival may depend entirely on the decision they make, as the intruders' doomsday clock continues to tick.

Introducing itself as a home invasion thriller, there's a clever conceit around which the film revolves. And yet there's still a strong possibility the crime is exactly what it looks to be on the surface, despite many inexplicable occurrences and coincidences. That no character would reasonably believe any of these warnings is Shyamalan's biggest challenge, as he has to create enough doubt for this abducted family to let their guard down enough to start questioning themselves. With a timely script that openly acknowledges the absurdity of its own premise, the invaders are fully aware that not a word they speak will be taken at face value. At points they're even downright apologetic toward their hostages, as if they've been called to duty by visions and reasons still unfamiliar to them. 

That all this screams "suicide cult" only makes it easier for Eric and Andrew to categorize this as a gay hate crime. And we find out they have good reasons to assume it is, as vital flashbacks of their lives before and on the day they arrive at this cabin help establish who they are and where things could be headed. As for the antagonists, their histories and intentions are understandably left murkier, since fleshing that out would compromise the pervasive sense of existential dread and mystery the plot calls for. Their stated purpose needs to be just as crazy as it seems, with holes big enough to drive a truck through, but containing just enough evidence to invite questions. Shyamalan opens the door for audiences to contemplate how much it takes to believe the impossible, before taking it a little further, digging into how easy it is to deny anything, with or without irrefutable proof. 

Eric is the more even headed husband, but far from ready or willing for this confrontation, as an injury early on has us questioning his judgment. Andrew assumes the worst in people, even as his refusal to budge on the simplest, most logical explanation initially seems justified. Groff and Aldridge bring different tools to the table while both conveying the primary objective of these men to protect their little girl. As the predicament wears on, each undergo a transformation, discovering some painful truths about themselves they wouldn't have otherwise known or admitted. 

Kristen Cui is a real discovery, precociously playing Wen, while remaining smart and observant about the horror unfolding around her. This child is understandably scared to death and shows it, but there isn't a false moment in the performance or a sense she's not completely aware of the stakes. Amuka-Bird, Quinn and Grint are all impressive in depicting the intruders' own fears and uncertainties about this mission, but it's Dave Bautista who sets the tone, showing us what he's capable of in the hands of a major director. 

Carrying the whole film from the moment he comes out of the woods with a quiet, remorseful presence, Bautista portrays Leonard as a calm, outwardly kind man unwilling to deviate from a plan we're not sure he wants to go through with, or even can. The performance doesn't give any hints, leaving equal room for theories that this giant could be a complete sociopath, a prophetic truth teller or gullible mark sucked into a dark web of conspiracy theories. It's a fairly complex role, but he completely owns it, fully immersing himself in this compelling character.  

Shyamalan endings are often fodder for ridicule, but he sticks this one by not trying to be overly clever, opting instead to provide a definitive answer. There are only two real ways this can go, and while variations exist within those possibilities, everything still comes down to the single question of whether these people are telling the truth. Without any unnecessary fakeouts, he lands in the right place, with a chilling finale as focused as anything he's ever done. Knock at the Cabin doesn't cheat, giving audiences craving an intelligent thriller the satisfaction of knowing they got what was promised.