'Knock at the Cabin': Critics call M Night Shyamalan's thriller 'grimly invigorating' but 'underwhelming'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: From iconic director M Night Shyamalan comes another terrifying horror movie that will force you to sleep with your lights on. Titled 'Knock at the Cabin', the movie is based on the 2018 acclaimed horror novel 'The Cabin at the End of the World' by Paul G Tremblay. There has been a buzz around the movie regarding the ensemble cast and Shyamalan's direction. The reviews are finally out and the critics are giving fairly mixed to positive reviews for the film, with many disappointed with the preachy elements. The movie currently holds a critics rating of 68% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The official logline of the movie reads, "While vacationing at a remote cabin, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. With limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost." The movie has an ensemble of Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise), Tony award and Emmy nominee Jonathan Groff ('Hamilton'), Ben Aldridge ('Fleabag'), BAFTA nominee Nikki Amuka-Bird ('Persuasion'), newcomer Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn ('Little Women') and Rupert Grint ('Servant').
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It is to be noted that the movie has done some major changes regarding the adaptation of the book and 'Knock at the Cabin' provides more of a definitive conclusion as opposed to the ambiguous ending of the book.
Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the tension the movie holds and noted, "Knock at the Cabin holds mystery and originality inside its walls." Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson opined, "The electric charge of the film, when one pauses and thinks “Wait, what is this movie saying?,” is grimly invigorating." While noting the major change in the adaptation, Channel Awesome's Doug Walker said, "The acting pulls most of it through, but by the end it comes across as a little underwhelming."
However, the direction of Shyamalan is getting overall praise from critics. Chicago Daily Herald's Dann Gire noted, "Leave it to M. Night Shyamalan to turn a simple, creepy home invasion thriller into an apocalyptic tale steeped in the biblical Book of Revelations."
Screenrant praised the movie by stating that "Shyamalan Delivers Thought-Provoking, Intense Horror", while The Guardian felt the movie lacks both horror and mystery and slammed the ending of the movie by stating, "M Night Shyamalan does it again, in the worst way". Empire Magazine praised the movie and added, "This is a brutally stressful and effective thriller that doesn’t need a third-act rug-pull to leave the audience breathless." Deadline noted, "M Night Shyamalan’s Tense Apocalyptic Thriller With A Twist", and added, "Knock at the Cabin is never boring, but also never remotely close to what Shyamalan had shown us what he could once do, a talented filmmaker still looking for a genuine comeback to glory."
This movie is M Night Shyamalan's latest theatrical release after his horror thriller film 'Old' in 2021. This is also the latest release of Dave Bautista after the massive hit 'Glass Onion' (2022). Bautista will be seen alongside Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldaña in Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3', which will be released on May 5, 2023.
'Knock at the Cabin' is currently playing in theaters.
