Shadows on the Wall | Knock at the Cabin

Knock at the Cabin

Review by Rich Cline | MUST SEE

dir M Night Shyamalan
scr M Night Shyamalan, Steve Desmond, Michael Sherman
prd M Night Shyamalan, Marc Bienstock, Ashwin Rajan
with Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Kristen Cui, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn, McKenna Kerrigan, Ian Merrill Peakes, Denise Nakano, Rose Luardo, Bill Vargus
release US/UK 3.Feb.23
23/US Universal 1h40

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A clever twist on the cabin in the woods horror genre, this fiercely focussed thriller dives fully into its brain-bending premise. Not only does M Night Shyamalan's faith in the story never waver, but his skilfully up-close and personal directing style makes the audience feel as uncomfortable as the sweating, squirming people on-screen. He also takes a few moments to poke at much bigger themes along the way.

In a rental cabin in rural Pennsylvania, 8-year-old Wen (Cui) is happily collecting grasshoppers while her dads Eric and Andrew (Groff and Aldridge) relax on the deck. Then gentle giant Leonard (Bautista) appears, speaking in ominous pronouncements about the coming apocalypse, accompanied by the clearly terrified Sabrina (Amuka-Bird), angry Redmond (Grint) and sparky Adriane (Quinn). As they insist that this little family must make a horrible sacrifice to save humanity, Eric and Andrew can't help but think that these nutcases are part of a doomsday cult. But some of what they say strikes a nerve.

With an insidious pace, the film is carefully constructed to grab the audience from the deliberately familiar opening shot. Then surprises emerge, from character revelations to the situation's thematic complexities, which combines ideas about bigotry, religion, class and race. And flashbacks make sure that the glare never shifts away from the tight family dynamic at the centre. Each performance bristles with textures that force us to join the characters in grappling with a conundrum that seems obviously crazy.

Among the committed cast, Aldridge has the most nuanced role as a man who has responded to his traumatic past with sheer bravado, but also radiates open-hearted emotion. Groff stirs in even deeper layers as the concussed Eric struggles to deal with his own overpowering feelings. Bautista is terrific against type as the burly, over-earnest Leonard. And Cui holds the film together as the perceptive, razor-sharp Wen.

In typical Shyamalan fashion, this story continually peels back its skin to uncover new elements. But what makes it fiendishly clever is the way he shifts our attitudes along with the characters. As scepticism gives way to questioning, the film provocatively explores the idea that the world is simply not as clear-cut as we like to think it is. So while the unthinkable narrative entertains us, and often makes us squirm with fear, it's the underlying way the film challenges us to pay attention that will most likely make it a cult classic.

themes, language, violence 27.Jan.23

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