Knock at the Cabin is a 2023 psychological horror movie directed by M.Night Shyamalan based on the 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay. The movie is evidence of Shyamalan’s waning powers as a director. The movie seeks to be unique but fails in true psychological horror. The movie begins with seven-year-old Wen who is vacationing with her fathers, Eric and Andrew (Jonathan Groff & Ben Aldridge), at a remote cabin in rural Pennsylvania. While catching grasshoppers, Wen is approached by a stranger named Leonard (Dave Bautista) (Dave Bautista appearing to be cuddly instead of scary). Initially friendly, he explains that he needs Wen and her parents’ help to save the world. However, Wen becomes suspicious when three other people appear with makeshift weapons. Wen flees to warn Eric and Andrew, but the visitors break into the cabin and tie them up, with Eric sustaining a concussion attempting to fight them.
Leonard and his companions—Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Adriane (Abby Quinn), and Redmond (Rupert Grint) (oh, how far Ron Weasley has fallen) — claim that they have never met before this day and have no intention of harming the family. However, in the past week, they have been driven by visions and an unknown force to find the family. The group foresees an impending apocalypse in which Leonard claims oceans will rise, a pandemic will spread, the sky will fall, and darkness will envelop the Earth. The only way to prevent this is for the family to sacrifice one of their own. They are warned that, although they will survive the apocalypse, if they do not make a choice, they will be the last people alive. Eric and Andrew suspect that the intruders are lying and that the attack is motivated by hatred and delusion.
When the family refuses to make a choice, the intruders sacrifice Redmond (barely any role by Rupert Grint) by covering his head with a cloth and fatally striking him with their weapons. A concussed Eric sees a figure of light as Redmond dies. On television, media reports show devastating megatsunamis, which Leonard declares is the beginning of the apocalypse. Andrew believes he recognizes Redmond as Rory O’Bannon, a man who had been arrested after assaulting Andrew in a bar years prior. Andrew thinks Rory tracked him down for revenge and manipulated the others to go along with his ruse. Leonard, Sabrina, and Adriane question Andrew’s assumption and grapple with their guilt, but still hold onto their visions. They reveal that Redmond’s death has unleashed the first judgment of humanity. The next day, the visitors sacrifice Adriane as the family remains indecisive. The disasters continue as a deadly variation of the flu virus, to which children are particularly vulnerable, spreads across the world.
Andrew insists the disasters are coincidental and that the intruders were anticipating a pre-scheduled news broadcast. Andrew escapes, retrieves his gun from his car, and shoots at Sabrina until she runs off. He finds Redmond’s wallet and proves to Leonard that he was Rory. With their tires slashed, Andrew believes the intruders came in a truck nearby and suggests they use it to escape. As Leonard is being held at gunpoint, Sabrina breaks into the house and is fatally shot by Andrew. Leonard decapitates Sabrina, before overpowering Andrew and taking his gun. The broadcast shows spontaneous plane crashes occurring around the world. Realizing their time is nearly over, Leonard leads the family to the back deck as the sky darkens. Leonard informs them that after his death, they will only have a few minutes to make a decision, before slitting his throat. Upon his death, lightning causes fires and more planes to crash. Eric now believes the events are real, and that the intruders represent the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (a different approach to the mythology though).
Not wanting Wen to grow up in a destroyed world, Eric offers himself as the sacrifice. He reveals that during Redmond’s sacrifice, he saw a vision of an older Andrew and an adult Wen thriving in the future that prevented the apocalypse (highly convenient). Eric feels that their family was chosen to make the sacrifice because their love was so pure (again a subtle attempt to promote alternative lifestyles by Hollywood). Reluctantly, Andrew shoots and kills Eric before lightning strikes, setting the cabin on fire. Andrew and Wen find the visitors’ truck with belongings that corroborate their stories. They drive to a crowded diner nearby, where they watch news reports confirming that the disasters have subsided. Returning to the truck, the radio turns on and plays the song that Eric had played for them on their drive to the cabin. They drive off, returning to their life.
The movie could have been better had it provided more meat to the four horsemen in terms of their stories. A little more of the mythology behind the apocalypse and their roles could have made the movie more interesting. The movie begins abruptly and ends abruptly with more questions unanswered. Why were the vacationing gay couple chosen? Was only their love pure? Also, why did the horsemen conveniently choose this family in the middle of nowhere? In terms of performances, the actors portraying the gay couple play their part well and convincingly. The horsemen are another story. Leonard tries the teddy bear act but only convinces as a bear. Sabrina shows more expressions than the other actress who plays Adriane and only comes off as deranged. Redmond, convincingly named for the redhead Rupert Grint, is a wasted character and is killed barely minutes into the movie. The disaster scenes are also dull and aircrafts falling from the sky doesn’t really cover the sky falling to the earth scenario so well.
All in all the movie is perhaps a watch for M.Night Shyamalan’s ardent fans but be prepared to encounter a movie similar to the quality of “Lady in the Water” instead of “Signs” or “The Sixth Sense”.
JAY’S VERDICT
A disappointing offering from M.Night Shyamalan who really must think of something new to offer his fans.
