a knock at the door movie review

Knock at the Cabin

M. Night Shyamalan should probably just stay away from the apocalypse. Who could forget the baffling events of his global warming horror “The Happening,” aptly represented by a scene in which a character just lays down in front of a moving lawn mower? Or what about “ After Earth ,” which made a box office bomb out of a sci-fi movie starring Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith ? There’s something about the end of the world that fascinates Shyamalan—as a sentimental moralist, an overzealous twister, and a button-pusher—there’s also something that always foils him. His latest, “Knock at the Cabin,” uses the question of human behavior during the threat of end times to create a morality study that progressively hollows itself out. It’s another minor work from a director whose films, especially after “After Earth,” have been mostly major.  

It’s a shame that the story isn’t so good, because the film has a rich and earthy Kodak-shot presentation from co-cinematographers Jarin Blaschke (“ The Lighthouse ”) and Lowell A. Meyer (“ Thunder Road ”), who turn many scenes of characters standing in mostly the same living room into striking studies of pleading faces in close-up. It looks about as realized as a movie like this could be. And the performances have enough uniform intensity, even when the writing is only playing games. It’s a striking ensemble piece by design, and creates some promise early on, but Shyamalan’s larger intent doesn’t give “Knock at the Cabin” nearly enough resonance.  

The standout performance comes from Dave Bautista , in his most tatted-up teddy bear mode possible, wearing glasses like he did in “ Blade Runner 2049 ” to suggest the gentle boy inside his grizzly physique. For a movie about how humans choose to interact with one another, his acting is incredibly disarming here and sometimes moving in how he chooses to speak so gently while enacting a plan filled with the unthinkable. His character Leonard is a second-grade teacher from Chicago who has united with three other people (played by Rupert Grint , Abby Quinn , and Nikki Amuka-Bird ) who have also had life-changing visions of the apocalypse. They approach a cabin in the woods with sharp weapons in hand, and they do not want to hurt the people inside. But they will enact the violence that they feel they must.  

The targeted family is that of young Wen ( Kristen Cui ) and her two dads, Eric ( Jonathan Groff ) and Andrew ( Ben Aldridge ). They do not know why they have been chosen, but it does not matter. Tied up in chairs before their weapon-wielding captors, they must decide to kill one of their family of three to stop an impending apocalypse. They cannot kill themselves, and if they reject their captors’ prospect, something awful will happen in the cabin, and a plague will be unleashed. The first time Eric and Andrew effusively say no, towering tsunamis are conjured, and deadly earthquakes ensue.  

Are Leonard and his friends onto something, or is this all a coincidence? Is it manipulation? There may be no force more powerful on this earth than belief. It can be a tool that builds communities or a weapon that destroys lives; a movie like “Knock at the Cabin” needs to wriggle in that magnanimous uncertainty of belief, and instead, it only sits and admires it. It’s like presenting QAnon devotees and people who think the Earth is flat as possibly being right, for the sake of both sides-ism. Shyamalan isn’t nudging about a divided people (like Jordan Peele’s “ Us ,” which echoes through the woods of this movie), but lazily stirring the fear of conspiracy.  

Cut back to us, well aware that our collective brains are broken, waiting for a larger point: we are stuck with a frustrating and self-serious movie that kneels before its zealousness but also continually emphasizes why Leonard and the others would sow skepticism. The script carefully doles out information about everyone to toy with coincidence and happenstance, but it’s more stirring, less building. Shyamalan does not have the nuance to handle this idea, as confirmed when his expected twist comes minutes before the end. 

Even with these sharp weapons, bizarre motivations, and that whole apocalypse thing, “Knock at the Cabin” lacks a key squeamish element. Not that the movie needs gore, but the threat of violence in this immediate scenario is specifically numbed by cutaways; for a story pitched in the human capacity to recognize another’s life value, there just isn’t the terror that could create some of its emotional stakes. The lack of it is deeply felt once it becomes apparent what monsters this movie is and isn’t dealing with, while showing how these people are driven by something that forces them to do awful things. Instead, “Knock at the Cabin” creates one anticlimax after another. 

The script, co-written by Shyamalan, Steve Desmond , and Michael Sherman (adapting Paul Tremblay’s book The Cabin at the End of the World ), does better in making us worry for the targeted family. During this present-day stress, “Knock at the Cabin” cuts back and forth between the love story of Eric and Andrew, and their life with adopted daughter Wen. Groff and Aldridge are heartbreaking as they slowly become opposites: Aldridge embodies one’s tough exterior against a threatening world, while Groff gradually depicts the journey of seeing the light. Together, they show the pain of possibly making The Choice, and how Eric and Andrew don’t want to in part because of their deep love for each other. They also help provide more substance to the film’s representation of a same-sex married couple, which on one hand, more of this please, but on the other hand, still feels like major studio productions have a lot more work to do.  

“Knock at the Cabin” has glimmers of interest as a parable about people trying to preserve all of humanity: not just the population, but the concept. The work of Leonard and co. is something like a promotion of empathy, though as is often said about faith: it’s the messengers who need work. By trying to make a grand statement to a post-lockdown theatergoing audience about what they are willing to believe—but also about how far they are willing to go for others—Shyamalan trips over himself and neglects to give them much of a movie.

Now playing in theaters. 

Nick Allen is the former Senior Editor at RogerEbert.com and a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

• Jonathan Groff as Eric
• Ben Aldridge as Andrew
• Kristen Cui as Wen
• Dave Bautista as Leonard
• Rupert Grint as Redmond
• Nikki Amuka-Bird as Sabrina
• Abby Quinn as Adriane
• Herdís Stefánsdóttir

Cinematographer

• Jarin Blaschke
• Lowell A. Meyer
• M. Night Shyamalan
• Michael Sherman
• Steve Desmond
• Noemi Preiswerk

Writer (based on the book "The Cabin at the End of the World" by)

• Paul Tremblay

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Knock at the Cabin First Reviews: Dave Bautista Shines in M. Night Shyamalan's Tense, Character-Driven Thriller

Critics say this is a return to form for shyamalan, who makes use of a chilling atmosphere and top-notch acting to bolster a somewhat understated story..

TAGGED AS: First Reviews , movies

When M. Night Shymalan comes knocking, fans of twisty thrillers answer. The writer and director’s latest, Knock at the Cabin , should be met by his usual crowd, given that its premise contains yet another suspenseful scenario. In the movie, four strangers show up at a family’s cabin claiming that the end of the world is near. Only one thing will keep the apocalypse from happening, but it’s a solution that brings a great moral dilemma. Initial reviews of Knock at the Cabin are mostly positive, and one thing is clear: Shyamalan is still great at creating a chilling atmosphere, and Dave Bautista’s performance is remarkable.

Here’s what critics are saying about Knock at the Cabin :

Is Shyamalan back in peak form?

With his latest film Knock at the Cabin , Shyamalan has delivered his best film in years. – Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture

Knock at the Cabin is close to a return to form for Shyamalan. If it’s not on the level of his very best, it shows that he’s still got it. – Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

It’s a well-crafted, suspenseful piece of filmmaking that shows off Shyamalan’s still formidable skills. – Cary Darling, Houston Chronicle

The film is Shyamalan at his most restrained and deliberate. – Sam Stone, CBR

It might be his most technically impressive film thus far, even if it’s not his most narratively exciting one. – Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

Shyamalan’s working somewhere near the height of his powers to remind us all that there’s more to him than twist endings. – Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge

Knock at the Cabin has already been hailed in some quarters as Shyamalan’s return to form. That said, those filmgoers previously irritated by his propensity for mystical woo will probably still come away disappointed. – Jason Best, What to Watch

(Photo by ©Universal Pictures)

How does Knock at the Cabin compare to his other movies?

With his latest, Knock at the Cabin , he may have finally made a film that ranks with his best work. – Cary Darling, Houston Chronicle

Shyamalan’s latest cinematic confrontation with mortality and meaning, Knock at the Cabin , is among his best work. – Chase Hutchinson, Seattle Times

I don’t think Knock at the Cabin is one of M. Night Shyamalan’s best films to date, but it’s firmly in the category right below that. It’s solid. – Germain Lussier, io9.com

Knock At The Cabin , while a relatively minor feature, is Shyamalan’s most effective effort since The Village . – Kyle Pinion, Screen Rex

There are elements of greatness, such as Shyamalan’s ability to tell a scary global phenomenon from the perspective of one family (much like he did in Signs). – Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon.net

What works best in the movie?

You can tell [Shyamalan] is getting back to basics though with Knock at the Cabin , stripping down spectacle to lean into an impossible premise. – Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

The empathy it displays toward all of its characters marks it as one of the few apocalyptic dramas to earn its enduring faith in humanity. – Jake Cole, Slant Magazine

One of Shyamalan’s touchstones as a horror storyteller is his sincerity… Shyamalan’s adoration for the dads and their sweetly introverted daughter is evidenced by scenes of genuine tenderness. – David Sims, The Atlantic

Shyamalan lets loose a little… As a showcase for Shyamalan’s evolving abilities as a filmmaker, it does a great job. – Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

The direction is taut, the action attractively lensed, yet it’s the unusual ensemble of actors that really wins you over. – Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, metro.co.uk

Knock At The Cabin does not waste any time getting into the nitty-gritty of it all. Within minutes, Dave Bautista is already tromping through the woods to get to the cabin, and things only get more intense from there. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

(Photo by Phobymo/©Universal Pictures)

Is it scary?

Shyamalan has found his groove again, popping off one squirm-in-your-seat, bite-your-nails moment after another. – Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture

The film itself never gets scary. It is more a thriller that will have you wondering what is and isn’t real. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

[It] becomes less of a thriller than an unorthodox character study, especially as the film’s expertly deployed use of flashback slowly forms the emotional core of the story. – Jake Cole, Slant Magazine

The filmmaker prefers to cut away or frame deaths off-screen, a move that winds up minimizing the impact of the stakes when the film rarely leaves the cabin or its handful of characters. – Megan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting

It’s ultimately satisfactory entertainment for horror fans who don’t want to see anything too disturbing on screen. – Carla Hay, Culture Mix

How is the cast?

While all the cast give strong performances, it is Bautista who shines and shows his range in some key monologues. – Chase Hutchinson, Seattle Times

Bautista is the stand-out, granting Leonard a sense of calm that is at once friendly and deeply unsettling. – Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture

Bautista walks away with the film, giving incredible pathos to what could have felt like a villainous character. – Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

The role of Leonard is perfectly suited to the wrestler-turned-actor. As a fundamentally sympathetic antagonist, Bautista digs deeper into the timid sincerity and striking naivete already present in his Guardians of the Galaxy role. – Clarisse Loughrey, Independent

Bautista is fantastic… You believe that he believes what he says, which makes some moments all the more terrifying. – Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

Grint especially, as the jittery, hotheaded wild card, nearly steals the scenes from Bautista a few times. – Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

Kristen Cui is the standout here. She is absolutely phenomenal… She is going places. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

How does it compare to the book?

It’s purer now, whittled down to its ideological bones. – Clarisse Loughrey, Independent

If you have read the book, we can all but guarantee you will like that ending better, so don’t expect this changed version of the story to blow your minds. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

[Shyamalan] has changed one plot point from the novel that changes the tone of the story’s ending in a way that… the film’s climax doesn’t feel entirely as earned. – Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture

It’s easy to see why the filmmakers chose to make these changes because there are many things in the book that would not be as “crowd-pleasing” to movie audiences. – Carla Hay, Culture Mix

Should we expect a twist?

Shyamalan hasn’t added one, allowing the whole film to play as straightforwardly as possible, much to the film’s credit. – Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture

The most suspenseful and intense moments come when we feel that the twist is about to be revealed — and then there isn’t one. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

It wants to keep you guessing, but once the truth is revealed there’s little left to actually hold it up, and the film crumbles under its own weight. – Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

Those seeking a twisty-turny set of cinematic surprises should get the requisite shocks they seek. – Eddie Harrison, film-authority.com

The prolific filmmaker has delivered one of his biggest surprises of all by telling a relatively straightforward thriller that places its characters in a fight for survival with wide-reaching implications. – Sam Stone, CBR

What are its biggest flaws?

While Knock at the Cabin works well in almost every way, it’s missing a spark of energy and intrigue that truly would’ve really knocked it out of the park. – Germain Lussier, io9.com

Knock is so emotionally flat that I found it impossible to care about. For a film in which the stakes couldn’t be higher, that’s a fatal failing. – Roger Moore, Roger’s Movie Nation

The scale never becomes as massive as it should… [It’s] a quickly paced but single-note and ineffectual apocalyptic tale. – Megan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting

The story is solid, but the filmmaking is not… [Shyamalan’s] directorial choices feel as amateurish and contrived as ever. – Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots

There is a hollow ending that wants you to think the story and these characters have some kind of redemption, but it’s a thinly-veiled insult to its audience. – Tom Santilli, Movie Show Plus

Will it make us look forward to the next Shyamalan movie?

After middling returns with Old and Glass , Knock at the Cabin doesn’t quite mark a complete return to form for Shyamalan, but it is a big step in the right direction. – Sam Stone, CBR

Old fans and Servant -heads alike know that M. Night Shyamalan never really left, but Knock at the Cabin feels like it just might convince those not in the know that he’s back. – Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge

Knock at the Cabin will serve as a reminder that Shyamalan should be celebrated as much for his craftsmanship as he is for his shock tactics. – Clarisse Loughrey, Independent

Here’s hoping he’s back for good. – Dan Bayer, Next Best Picture

Knock at the Cabin opens everywhere on February 3, 2023.

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A Knock On The Door Review: A Gut-Punch Of A Film Driven By Courage And Clarity

A knock on the door review: it draws its strength from the writing as well as stupendous performances from adil hussain and amrita chattopadhyay..

Cast: Adil Hussain, Amrita Chattopadhyay, Nandita Das, Imaad Shah, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah

Director: Ranjan Palit

Rating: Four stars (out of 5)

In A Knock on the Door , his second narrative feature as director, cinematographer-filmmaker Ranjan Palit juxtaposes the abject with the absurd in a portrayal of the plight of a Kolkata couple subjected to political repression.

The film goes for the jugular but does so not with gnashed teeth but with a pained smirk on the face. Combining bemusement with belligerence, it takes aim at and lands stinging punches on the abuse of power by forces that dread debate, dissent and democracy.

The English-Bangla-Hindi film, which Palit wrote with Ritwik Sinha and shot in Kolkata, is a psycho-political drama that darts between the polemical and the spoofy, the surreal and the stark, the hard-hitting and the quizzical without ever going off-balance.

A Knock on the Door draws its strength from the writing as well as stupendous performances from Adil Hussain and Amrita Chattopadhyay (both of whom had substantial roles in Palit's first film, Lord of the Orphans, an inimitably structured history of the director's family).

Besides Nandita Das and Imaad Shah in key and impactful supporting roles, the cast includes Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah in significant cameos. Among other things, the two seasoned actors deliver Macbeth's "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow..." soliloquy in a manner that is as much theatre of the absurd as it is Shakespeare. The resultant dissonance aptly sums up the Sisyphean struggles of the tormented protagonists.

The plot of A Knock on the Door is, however, firmly rooted in reality. It incorporates the aftermath of the recent Covid-19 pandemic and the continued harassment of unyielding activists and academics who dare to defy an ideology being sought to be rammed down the throats of people.

A Knock on the Door premiered on Monday at the 52nd International Film Festival of Rotterdam (January 25-February 5, 2023) as part of a special 19-film package titled Focus: The Shape of Things to Come?, a curation aimed at understanding what the future holds for the world's largest democracy.

The film centres on a late-night raid on the home of Professor Hari Chowdhury (Adil Hussain) and his one-time student and now wife Ramona Bose (Amrita Chattopadhyay), also a college lecturer. The principal target of the invasion is the former because of his political and social beliefs.

What Hari reads and writes, the books he has in his collection, the ideas he propagates, and the protest meetings he leads put him in the line of fire of the establishment. The raid leaves scars on both Hari and Ramona, who stands by her husband like a rock. But panic and paranoia begin to get the better of them.

When the film opens, the pandemic has just ended and Hari is cooking a lamb curry to celebrate the third anniversary of his and Ramona's marriage. A power outage scuttles the quiet dinner. Worse follows. Five people with weird three-faced masks barge into the house and take away Hari's laptop, hard drive and other stuff. Among other things, the raiding party wants to know what meat the couple is about to eat.

Lord of the Orphans was defiantly form-breaking and marked by a staggeringly inventive visual design. A Knock on the Door resorts to more conventional methods to portray the plight of a rebel haunted by the repercussions of his resistance. It has elements of a dark thriller, but it is anything but a genre film.

It is accessible and has suspense and intrigue, but the director-cinematographer stirs the pot with vigour and transcends the limits of form. Provocative and playful in equal parts, A Knock on the Door pushes the boundaries of the political film, too.

The film moves between the personal and the public, the psychological and the physical and the nightmarish and the tangible to depict the deleterious effect surveillance has on the human psyche.

Official power is vested in the police department and the dean of Prof. Hari Chowdhury's university. A deputy commissioner of police played by film conservationist and filmmaker Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and the officer-in-charge of a police station, a role essayed by actor-director Ashoke Viswanathan do nothing to ease matters for the tyrannised.

Naseeruddin Shah dons the garb of the university dean who misses no opportunity to chastise Hari for his refusal to fall in line. He appropriates Bob Dylan to warn Hari of troubles up ahead. "There is a battle outside and it is ragin'," he says. The irony isn't lost on Hari because he knows "it is like the Emergency all over again".

Many such moments highlight the disconnect between the two married professors and Aman (Imaad Shah), a student writing a thesis under Hari's guidance, and the world around them that is swarming with pliable men and women out to prove that Ramona and Hari are going insane.

One person in their circle who Ramona and Hari have no reason to suspect (although there is palpable tension between her and the former at an emotional level) is Reena (Nandita Das), Hari's lawyer and ex (it isn't specified if she was a girlfriend or a wife).

Also on their side, at least on the face of it, is a psychiatrist (Anupriya Goenka), who seeks to soothe the nerves of her client. In an environment where truth and trust are at a premium, Ramona and Hari are, however, never rid of their reservations and trepidations.

A local politician contemptuous of the likes of Hari, an ice-cream vendor who also sells mask, a drunk caretaker whose memory is hard to rely on, a fishmonger's assistant who is too inquisitive for comfort, a biker who seems to be on Ramona's trail and law-enforcers who do everything other than what they are supposed to exacerbate matters for the victimised couple.

Palit's camera captures the characters and the settings in relationship, and in opposition, with each other. It also rustles up a veritable dance of light and shade, choreographed with an eye on reflecting the tension and trauma of two people holed up in their homes.

The eclectic soundtrack (the background score is by filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee) is studded with mostly diegetic numbers and singing voices. They range from Goodnight Irene, an aria from a Handel opera and a Goalpara medley (sung by Adil Hussain) to a tribal protest song ( Gaon chorab nahi jungle chorab nahi ) and a Baul composition sung on-screen by Kanai Das Baul.

A gut-punch of a film driven by courage and clarity, A Knock on the Door is made all the more potent by its fine synthesis of heart and craft. An absolute triumph.

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Knock at the Cabin ending explained: Here's how the M. Night Shyamalan twist differs from the book

Let's unpack that M. Night Shyamalan big finish.

Warning: This article contains spoilers about Knock at the Cabin .

With another M. Night Shyamalan movie comes another Shyamalan twist. Following Glass , Old , and the latest episodes of Servant , Knock at the Cabin delivers a story that's meant to keep audiences guessing until its climactic ending.

Based on Paul G. Tremblay's 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World , the film sees husbands Andrew ( Ben Aldridge ) and Eric ( Jonathan Groff ) vacationing at a lakeside cabin in the woods with their daughter, Wen (Kristen Cui), when the unthinkable happens. Four strangers — a large, spectacled elementary school teacher named Leonard ( Dave Bautista ), a seemingly kind-hearted cook named Ardiane (Abby Quinn), a conflicted nurse named Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), and a rough-and-tumble man named Redmond ( Rupert Grint ) — invade their lodging.

The men are tied up and presented with a cruel task: choose a member of their family to sacrifice. The strangers promise they won't make the decision for them, but they will not allow any of them to leave the premises until a decision has been made. If the family does not pick a sacrifice, the kidnappers are convinced the world will come to an end.

Are they lying or is the world really on the brink of the apocalypse? Below, we break down what happens in the ending and how it differs from the book.

The entire movie is meant to keep the audience guessing. The strangers claim that one family is chosen every so often to decide the fate of all of humanity. They guess Andrew and Eric were chosen because of the immense love they share for each other and their daughter. Collective visions have seemingly brought these four disparate individuals together to deliver the challenge.

Each time Andrew and Eric refuse to make the sacrifice, the strangers kill one of their own with "tools" they've built, again based on visions they claim to have had. They start with Redmond and work their way up to Leonard. Each death is meant to unleash a plague upon the world.

Andrew, a lawyer, is the more logical one of the family who has a reasonable answer for the strangers' Biblical rantings. When Redmond is killed, Leonard turns on the TV to watch a tsunami kill thousands off the California coast. Andrew points out that the news broadcast was previously recorded and believes their kidnappers are keeping track of the time to coincide a death with a news broadcast. They are all just deluded conspiracy theorists who found purpose in shady internet chatrooms, he claims.

Eric, however, is more empathetic and subject to suggestion. He was also concussed when the strangers first attacked them, which may or may not account for the visions he sees throughout the film, that of a human figure glimpsed within the light.

The family continues to watch the strangers kill themselves and supposed plagues play out on television broadcasts, not fully knowing if they are real or not. All planes currently in flight fall from the sky, a mysterious virus (not COVID) rapidly spreads around the globe, and devastating lighting strikes scorch the planet without warning.

While it seems like the family might make it out of this alive, it becomes time for Leonard to kill himself. Before he does, he warns the men that after he's gone they have mere moments to make a sacrifice before they are forced to roam an apocalyptic hellscape with Wen as the only surviving human left on the planet. Eric, now believing the strangers were really the four horsemen of the apocalypse, convinces Andrew to shoot him dead to save his family and the rest of mankind.

Upon leaving the cabin with Eric's corpse inside, Andrew and Wen observe a world that seems like it has been scarred by the plagues. Andrew spots at least one plane fall from the sky, and the dark clouds that have gathered above have mysteriously dispersed. They arrive at a nearby diner and find the entire establishment has been watching the same news feeds they viewed with bated breath, only now the relieved anchors are reporting that the aforementioned plagues are easing up without an apparent cause.

The events play out rather differently in Tremblay's book. First of all, Wen dies from an accidental gunshot during a scuffle with Leonard in the cabin. The strangers claim that her death doesn't count because the family didn't willingly choose her as the sacrifice. Choice wasn't a factor. The outcome of this sequence is completely left out of the movie.

There are also some cosmetic changes. For instance, Andrew kills Adriane with the gun from his car in the book, while he ends up killing Sabrina with the pistol in the movie. But the biggest change beyond Wen's death is how the movie interprets the ending.

The Cabin at the End of the World leaves the reader to draw their own conclusion. The fathers, mourning the loss of their child, refuse to kill each other. Instead, they drive away from the cabin with Wen's body in the back towards an uncertain future. The film decides to take a more definitive approach and say the strangers were the heralds of the apocalypse, and Eric's choice to sacrifice himself saved billions of lives.

It's not like the classic "I see dead people" Bruce Willis twist or the other Bruce Willis twist from the Glass cinematic universe, but it does provide a new viewpoint.

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'Knock at the Cabin' Review: M. Night Shyamalan Delivers B-Movie Thrills to Your Door

Dave Bautista is a complex villain in a micro-horror movie in theaters now that asks how you can stop the end of the world.

A family in peril in Knock at the Cabin.

Knock, knock! Who's there? Why, it's M. Night Shyamalan with Knock at the Cabin -- another nerve-jangling good time at the movies.

Ever since Shyamalan's breakthrough feature The Sixth Sense gave us the unforgettable line "I see dead people," the writer-director has specialized in telling stories with a brutally simple hook, designed to unsettle you and stick around long after viewing. His latest film, Knock at the Cabin, in theaters now, is based on Paul G. Tremblay's novel The Cabin at the End of the World, and comes with a troubling premise: What would you sacrifice to save the world?

Opening in a quiet January still ruled by box office-conquering Avatar: The Way of Water , Knock at the Cabin is a small movie with some big ideas. It takes the hugest of dangers -- the end of the world -- but explores that in a savagely intimate microcosm.

Young child Wen (Kristen Cui) is enjoying a vacation in an isolated cabin when a huge man in sinister shirtsleeves (Dave Bautista) walks out of the woods and hints at a horrifying proposal. Wen and her adoptive parents, Eric and Andrew (Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge), find themselves trapped with a group of fanatics who are driven by nightmarish visions.

Somebody's knockin' at the door...

Some movies would use this setup as a springboard for a survival horror in which the family is forced to defend themselves against strange interlopers in thrilling action sequences. But the story goes in a different, more character-driven and unsettling direction. The bad guys are both apologetic and apocalyptic, presenting their challenge in unnerving politeness.

Dave Bautista is excellent as the leader of the gang of shamefaced sociopaths. He's a looming monolith, a frame-filling physical nightmare whose implacability is made all the more terrifying by his sensitivity. He's much scarier here than he was as the one-dimensional muscle-bound Bond villain in Spectre , and he builds on the scene-stealing, hushed vulnerability we saw in Blade Runner 2049 .

Rupert Grint (the former Harry Potter star from Shyamalan's recent Apple TV Plus series Servant) is also superb as a twitchy, simmering redneck, adding a dose of violent volatility to the mix. Nikki Amuka-Bird and Abby Quinn have less substantial roles, but they provide some heart and even a couple of chuckles amid the mounting horror.

On the surface, Knock at the Cabin is an oppressive horror story that puts you in the shoes of a kidnapped family. From the cabin's flimsy and wide-open French doors to the moment where the dad is caught in a nightgown, the family is achingly vulnerable. Most of all, the presence of a young child will have parents wincing throughout (especially if they've read the book).

The threatening aspect of the story is agonizing, but there's a feeling that Shyamalan is pulling his punches. As in Shyamalan's other recent work, the unnerving atmosphere is reminiscent of movies like Hereditary and Get Out. But he doesn't commit to the nastiness that gives those films their shocking bite.

Equally, the taut simplicity of the setup isn't going to fill an entire movie's runtime. We get a bunch of flashbacks to the relationship between Eric and Andrew, which fleshes out their characters and helps you to identify with them. But the flashbacks are probably the most awkward part of the film. Though watching two people fall in love and support each other through their problems is heartwarming, it's not always interesting (or at least not as interesting as trying to escape some implacable weirdos in a cabin). That background throws in an intriguing and complicated twist, but it's never allowed to develop because the characters in question disappear from the story too early. 

Knock at the Cabin is sparse and economically narrated, giving us plenty of space to ponder the deeper global themes thrown up by its desperate dilemma. It confronts the reality of a world going to hell and our power to stop it. And unlike the preachy tone of Adam McKay's apocalyptic satire  Don't Look Up , Shyamalan's film is more subtle in conveying the responsibility we each take for the future of our planet. Ultimately, that's the predicament we're left with: What kind of sacrifices must our generation make to ensure that our children have a world to live in?

And of course, ever since The Sixth Sense, we're conditioned to expect a twist ending. Shyamalan's last film, the  beach-based shocker Old , undid some of this genre with an overly literal ending that explained everything. Wisely, Knock at the Cabin leaves things more ambiguous. 

You have to admire the way M. Night Shyamalan consistently delivers taut and disquieting B-movies with big ideas. Knock at the Cabin may not stretch the nerves as much as similar horror stories, but a Shyamalan film is always welcome when it comes knocking.  

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'Knock at the Cabin' review: Dave Bautista is the true revelation of M. Night Shyamalan's apocalypse

When director M. Night Shyamalan comes knocking with one of his signature thrillers, you never know what’s going to appear. Maybe it's a kid who sees ghosts or a reluctant, unbreakable superhero, or a houseplant that wants to kill you.

But when there's a “ Knock at the Cabin ,” definitely answer the door. Based on Paul Tremblay’s provocative 2018 horror novel “The Cabin at the End of the World,” the pre-apocalyptic film (★★★ out of four; rated R; in theaters now) is top-shelf Shyamalan. Centered on a family having to make the most dreadful of decisions, “Knock” is a well-crafted intimate thriller that plays with your expectations and immerses you in a disconcerting situation.

'Knock at the Cabin': Dave Bautista talks crying on cue and seeking the 'elusive' rom-com

It also features a knockout dramatic performance from Dave Bautista , the massive – and massively talented – wrestler-turned-actor, who’s never been better.

Eight-year-old Wen (newcomer Kristen Cui) is vacationing at a remote Pennsylvania cabin with her adoptive dads, Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge) when a mountain of a man named Leonard (Bautista) approaches her in the woods. A gentle giant, Leonard disarms Wen by helping her catch grasshoppers and says he needs to talk with her parents. 

Ranked: Every M. Night Shyamalan movie

That’s when she sees the armed strangers with him carrying makeshift weapons. Soon enough, Leonard knocks on the cabin door and he and his group – Redmond (Rupert Grint), Adriane (Abby Quinn) and Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird) – take the family hostage, insisting they don’t want to hurt anybody. However, they arrive with a doomsday task: Leonard tells Eric and Andrew that the family must sacrifice one of its own for the sake of humanity – if they don’t, well, cue R.E.M. because it's the end of the world as we know it.

The two dads are naturally skeptical: They figure this is more about them being gay than any actual final-days scenario, especially when Andrew recognizes one of the invaders. But as the story plays out and freaky stuff begins to happen outside their walls, some characters on both sides begin to change their views about the situation.

Narratively, it’s a big swing with heady themes that Shyamalan mostly pulls off, even leaning into hope with a story that could veer super-duper bleak. Like his last film, “Old,” “Cabin” is an adaptation of existing material rather than one of his earlier original stories. That said, it still compares well with his twisty greatest hits, like “Unbreakable” and “Signs.” 

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The filmmaker intersperses quite a few flashbacks, most of them unnecessary, and they often futz with the strong claustrophobic tension in the cabin. But he revels in absolutely chilling apocalyptic imagery, including enormous crushing tidal waves and airplanes falling from the sky, like the Book of Revelation taking pages from modern times.

While the small cast is good all around, Bautista is quietly spectacular in the film’s most important role. Like the others in his party, Leonard is a seemingly ordinary dude given an extraordinarily difficult task, and his gentle tortured soul belies his intimidating presence. At the same time, the “Guardians of the Galaxy” star brings a fearsome unpredictability to this mystery group as the tale unfolds: Are they members of some crazy cult, or are they actually on the level?

Saving the world vs. saving your family is an intriguingly rapturous concept to explore, and “Cabin” succeeds the same way Shyamalan’s best films do: by giving you something powerful to watch and something even deeper to think about later.

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Knock at the Cabin

While vacationing, a girl and her parents are taken hostage by armed strangers who demand that the family make a choice to avert the apocalypse. While vacationing, a girl and her parents are taken hostage by armed strangers who demand that the family make a choice to avert the apocalypse. While vacationing, a girl and her parents are taken hostage by armed strangers who demand that the family make a choice to avert the apocalypse.

• M. Night Shyamalan
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• Steve Desmond
• Dave Bautista
• Jonathan Groff
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• 834 User reviews
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• 63 Metascore
• 11 nominations

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M. Night Shyamalan Puts on His "Boogie Shoes"

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• Trivia In a 2023 interview with Screen Rant, M. Night Shyamalan explained how he came to cast Dave Bautista : "I thought, 'This is an impossible role. A GIANT who can emote and do 30 pages of monologues. This doesn't exist, this person doesn't exist!' And then I was like, 'Wait a minute, what about that guy in Blade Runner 2049 (2017) ?' I don't know much about wrestling, so it wasn't like I had that in my head, and probably if I did I might've been blinded to the fact that this person was an amazing actor... They said his name was Dave Bautista and so I reached out, and then Dave reached out, and then we met. And when I spoke to him, I found a human being who was ready to start over again, take away all the success that he had and unlearn it and then start over... He just wanted to be proud of himself and I was like, 'I'm down, brother. Let's do it the right way from beginning to end' and he's like, 'I don't know if I can do this' and I go, 'But I do'."
• Goofs At 01:05:15, Sabrina strikes the SUV window and the window cracks. At 01:05:18, Sabrina strikes the SUV window for a second time (and it shatters), but the cracks from the first strike are missing.

Leonard : The four of us are here to prevent the apocalypse. We - and when I say, "we", I mean everyone in this cabin, can stop it from happening, but only with your help. Ultimately, whether the world ends or not is completely up to you three.

Andrew : You are having a psychological break of some kind.

Leonard : Your family must choose to willingly sacrifice one of the three of you in order to prevent the apocalypse. After you make what I know is an impossible decision, you must then kill the one you choose. If you fail to choose, of if you fail to follow through with the sacrifice, the world will end. You three will live, but the rest of humanity, seven billion plus... will perish.

Eric : They're lunatics.

Leonard : And you will all live long enough to witness the horror of the end of everything. And you will be left to wander the devastated planet alone. Permanently and cosmically... alone.

Andrew : Leonard. We haven't done anything wrong.

Leonard : I agree with you. You haven't. You haven't done anything wrong to... to deserve this burden. You're just the family chosen to decide for us in this time.

• Crazy credits At the very end of the credits, you hear the knocking on the cabin door.
• Connections Featured in The Graham Norton Show: Claire Foy/Sarah Michelle Gellar/M. Night Shyamalan/Rob Beckett/Sam Smith (2023)
• Soundtracks Distance Written by Emily King and Jeremy Most Performed by Emily King Courtesy of Making Music Records

User reviews 834

• Sleepin_Dragon
• Sep 19, 2023
• How long is Knock at the Cabin? Powered by Alexa
• February 3, 2023 (United States)
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• Llaman a la puerta
• Tabernacle, New Jersey, USA (Farmland)
• Universal Pictures
• Blinding Edge Pictures
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• $20,000,000 (estimated)
• $35,397,980
• $14,127,170
• Feb 5, 2023
• $54,760,947

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• Runtime 1 hour 40 minutes
• Dolby Digital
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• Dolby Surround 7.1

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• M. Night Shyamalan’s <i>Knock at the Cabin</i> Is Overly Preachy

M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin Is Overly Preachy

S ay what you will about the films of M. Night Shyamalan : they tend to be short, dropping just enough clues about the inevitable impending twist that they don’t wear out their welcome. And Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin has relative brevity going for it, at least. But instead of short and fleet, it’s short and fat, trundling along with the solemnity of an elephant bearing a heavy golden basket of pseudo-spirituality. It’s suspenseful enough, but the tension it generates is the unpleasant kind, particularly in the way it exposes a very young character to some truly terrifying sights and experiences, only to wave away any possible effect on her. (The idea seems to be that she’s so bright she’ll get over it.) Worse yet, it’s so eagerly progressive in its social views that it’s almost retrograde: beyond merely insisting on the normalcy of the idea that a child might have two dads, the plot hinges on the novelty of it. With Knock at the Cabin Shyamalan may be trying to change minds and hearts, even more than he’s trying to scare us. But even by Shyamalan’s usual standard of reminding us that he’s a thinker of deep thoughts as well as an entertainer, the result is cumbersomely preachy.

Adorably precocious grade-schooler Wen (Kristen Cui), dressed in a quaintly hip smock-and-sweater outfit straight out of a Scandinavian children’s clothing catalog, is hopping through the forest collecting grasshoppers when she’s approached, in characteristically foreboding Shyamalan fashion, by a heavy man in heavy boots. His meaty arms are covered in tattoos, but his eyes are kind—because this is Dave Bautista we’re talking about. This man, who identifies himself as Leonard, says he wants to make friends with Wen, and quickly learns her name, her favorite movie, and that she has two dads—the family is in the area on vacation, having rented a luxuriously rustic cabin for their getaway.

He also has a warning for her: regretfully, he and his “friends”—as yet unseen, though we hear them rustling in the brush as they approach—are on a crucial mission, and Wen must persuade her parents to let them into the house. If they won’t, the group will have to force their way in. This sounds like a bad bargain to Wen, let alone to the audience, and she runs to warn her fathers, Daddy Eric ( Jonathan Groff ) and Daddy Andrew ( Ben Aldridge ), though they read her chatter as a kid’s fantasy. Before long, Leonard and his three associates—Nikki Amuka-Bird’s calm, kindly Sabrina, Rupert Grint’s hotheaded Redmond and Abby Quinn’s spacey Adriane, all bearing threatening homemade weapons that they refer to as “tools”—have broken into the house like hungry zombies, making the family their captives as they spin out a shared apocalyptic vision involving plague, black skies and other stuff. Only Wen’s family can halt this horrific progression of events, but it will require an unspeakable sacrifice.

To tell you much more about Knock at the Cabin would violate the vow of near-silence required of nearly everyone who sees a Shyamalan movie before the general public does. Shyamalan and fellow screenwriters Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman have adapted the movie from Paul G. Tremblay’s 2018 horror novel The Cabin at the End of the World, though it appears they have taken significant liberties with the ending. There’s some knockabout violence, though the grislier events happen off-camera, suggested rather than shown. (Shyamalan has always been discreet that way.) And uncharacteristically for Shyamalan, there’s no real twist ending. By midfilm, you can pretty much see where the story is headed.

Yet why, exactly, has this particular family been chosen by the grand, string-pulling whomever to be the saviors of the world? That’s a question the movie never quite answers, though it’s hinted that the love between Wen, Daddy Andrew, and Daddy Eric is so intense and pure that it only stands to reason they’ve been chosen as humanity’s last hope. The movie’s finest scenes are its flashbacks, showing Eric and Andrew doing both average and special things. There’s a tense, sad “meeting the parents” scene that signals family disapproval of the union. At one point the two men profess both their love and their annoyance with one another in a bar, just before a life-changing event occurs there. And when they first meet Wen as an infant, having trekked to a hospital somewhere in Asia to adopt her, they can’t reveal to the nurses that they’re a couple, but their joy at welcoming this snuggly little bundle into their arms is its own truth.

Aldridge and Groff are good enough actors to pull all of this off without undue sentimentality. Yet the movie around them vibrates with special pleading. Every other minute it beams a signal that announces, “Look at these amazing gay dads!” And naturally, they’re the ones who, in their selflessness—and despite, or maybe because of, their history of being persecuted for who they are—are asked to make the ultimate offering to the vengeful god who rules the movie.

Early in the film, Wen explains to Leonard in exasperation that a guidance counselor at her school repeatedly gushes how awesome it is that she has two fathers. Yet the movie does the same thing, penning this modern but not so out-of-the ordinary family into their own little petting zoo. Shyamalan seems to be in a particularly pensive mood here, ruminating on the fact that we’re destroying our world, but also, it seems, hoping that love, along with a change in our thinking, might save it. But he also can’t resist inserting himself into this tightly conscripted little circle: the whole movie takes place in and around that remote cabin, but he still finds a way to assert his presence via his traditional Hitchcock-style cameo. Knock at the Cabin may be one of Shyamalan’s most serious-minded movies, but even as the world may be ending, he can’t resist a little in-joke. His fans expect it, and he’s a crowd-pleaser above all.

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‘Knock at the Cabin’ Review: No Surprise, M. Night Shyamalan’s Latest Is Long, Slow and Disappointing

The 'Sixth Sense' director has resuscitated his career more times than most, but this latest supernatural thriller feels like a tired remix of letdowns like 'Signs' and 'The Happening.'

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

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The twist in M. Night Shyamalan ’s latest film comes at the beginning, not the end. The trouble with that arrangement is that a career of surprise-ending films, such as “The Sixth Sense” and “Signs,” has conditioned audiences to expect something juicy to be revealed at the eleventh hour, by which point, this apocalyptic head-scratcher has already played its hand.

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The twist, as teased above, is that the fate of the world rests in this gay couple’s hands. Not those of Nicolas Cage or Arnold Schwarzenegger or the family from “A Quiet Place,” all of whom mainstream audiences readily accept and identify with in such situations. The ensuing drama hinges on an impossible decision, presented by Bautista’s Leonard — a big, bald mountain of a man outfitted in wire-frame specs and a dorky-looking costume three sizes too small that makes him look like one of those top-heavy “Zootopia” water buffalo squeezed into human clothes: This family can save the world from Judgment Day, but to do so, they must decide to sacrifice one of their own.

What would you do if faced with the same dilemma? If Shyamalan’s film were the least bit effective, audiences would find themselves mulling that question, ideally even discussing it long after the credits had rolled. But it’s a preposterous proposition, and instead we look for the catch, searching the clues for some other explanation for what’s going on — because that’s usually what happens in Shyamalan movies. (This one was adapted from Paul Tremblay’s divisive horror novel, “The Cabin at the End of the World,” which may be the first book I’ve ever seen on Amazon with a user rating below four stars.)

What if the twist were that there is no twist? Instead, we get this “Killing of a Sacred Deer”-style thought experiment, minus the moral dimension that would’ve made it interesting. Eric and Andrew spend less than one minute of the film’s running time actually debating which of their family members they would choose to eliminate so that humanity may survive, focusing instead — as any reasonable person would — on why these nutjobs believe that some kind of biblical Armageddon is upon us. But let’s just say for a moment, because this is a supernatural movie from a director who’s taken ghosts and aliens and even superheroes seriously in the past, that this really is the cabin at the end of the world. Why should anyone believe that offing one of these three likable folks would fix things?

According to the aforementioned “rules” — which appeared to Leonard and friends through a series of take-their-word-for-it visions — the four visitors have traveled all this way to plead their case, but they can’t force or harm the family in any way. (In the novel, someone gets killed by accident, and that doesn’t change anything, since the death was not voluntary. Eliminating that shock from the screenplay also removes a key element of skepticism: Why should Eric and Andrew believe the intruders?) In order to show how serious they are, the four strangers threaten to sacrifice themselves every time the family says “no,” using their gnarly-looking homemade weapons to bludgeon and chop one of their cohorts to death.

Reviewed at AMC The Grove, Los Angeles, Jan. 31, 2023. MPA Rating: R. Running time: 100 MIN.

• Production: A Universal Pictures release and presentation of a Blinding Edge Pictures production, in association with FilmNation Features, Wishmore Entertainment. Producers: M. Night Shyamalan, Marc Bienstock, Ashwin Rajan. Executive producers: Steven Schneider, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Ashley Fox.
• Crew: Director: M. Night Shyamalan. Screenplay: M. Night Shyamalan, Steve Desmond & Michael Sherman, based on the book “The Cabin at the End of the World” written by Paul Tremblay. Camera: Jarin Blaschke, Lowell A. Meyer. Editor: Noëmi Preiswerk. Music: Herdis Stefandottir.
• With: David Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn, Rupert Grint.

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In Knock at the Cabin, a Terrific Dave Bautista Saves M. Night Shyamalan From Himself

Dave Bautista gives a career-best performance as a messenger of the apocalypse.

M. Night Shyamalan movies live or die by their twists.

At least, that’s the accepted thinking, based on the filmmaker’s famous (or infamous) inclination to include a jaw-dropping twist in most of his movies. The twist can shock, or baffle, or turn the movie’s entire narrative on its head — but if it’s unsatisfying, the entire film is written off . It’s a reputation that’s overshadowed Shyamalan’s whole career , and one that he’ll probably never fully escape. But refreshingly, with Knock at the Cabin , it seems that Shyamalan has outgrown the plot twist.

Based on Paul G. Tremblay’s 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World , Knock at the Cabin follows the story of a loving family — Eric (Jonathan Groff), Andrew (Ben Aldridge), and their adopted daughter Wen (Kristen Cui) — whose vacation at a remote cabin is interrupted by four strangers arriving at their door. Led by the hulking Leonard (Dave Bautista), the strangers Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Adriane (Abby Quinn), and Redmond (Rupert Grint) insist that they are there to avert the apocalypse. But they need Eric, Andrew, and Wen’s help with a terrible decision: the three must decide which of them must be sacrificed to save all of humanity from dying in a series of world-destroying plagues.

And that’s it, there’s no twist. Instead, Knock at the Cabin is a straightforward exercise in nail-biting suspense, steered by a filmmaker at the height of his confidence in his craft, and powered by a tremendous antagonistic turn from Bautista, who gives the best performance of his career yet.

It’s clear this is Bautista’s movie from the opening moments, when he emerges from the woods to approach Wen, who’s collecting grasshoppers outside the cabin. Bautista’s Leonard first appears as just a blurry figure in the distance, before we cut to his feet, his boots stomping on the worn-down path like some ominous death knell, each heavy thump reverberating through the screen until it settles in your bones. Shot from afar, Bautista’s large physique feels inherently threatening, but Shyamalan chooses to mostly show him in extreme close-up, Bautista’s gentle, open face putting the audience — and Wen — at ease as he asks her about her grasshoppers and her family.

But then, things start to feel a little off . As Leonard and Wen’s conversation continues, each cut becomes a deeper Dutch angle. A wide shot of the woods distorts with a dolly zoom, and soon, three other people emerge from the woods, each carrying a strange, primitive weapon. Leonard apologizes to Wen “with all of my broken heart,” and she flees to the cabin, pulling her dads inside and insisting they lock the doors. And the unrelenting barrage of dread and suspense begins.

Eric (Jonathan Groff), Andrew (Ben Aldridge), and their adopted daughter Wen (Kristen Cui) fend off strangers in Knock at the Cabin .

Shyamalan might have found his perfect collaborator in Bautista, who nails the tricky balance of earnest tone and stilted dialogue typical of the filmmaker’s movies, all while radiating a terrifying, unreadable fanaticism that feels equal turns compassionate and menacing. He’s a gentle giant who apologizes to his would-be victims and puts cartoons on for Wen, but he believes in his task with a religious fervor that makes his every action incomprehensible to everyone but him.

Shyamalan’s signature quirk of awkward dialogue, which is less pronounced here thanks to co-writers Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman, feels somehow natural coming from Bautista’s lips — Leonard’s words feel rehearsed because they are, his actions are practiced because he did. And despite the limitations of the character, Bautista manages to convey deep empathy and sadness with every word he utters; it feels like his short, heartbreaking scene in Blade Runner 2049 turned up to 11. This is a man given a terrible burden he wouldn’t wish on anyone, and Bautista sells that.

But Knock at the Cabin is not just Bautista’s movie. Amuka-Bird, Quinn, and Grint are all standouts as Bautista’s uncertain fellow horsemen of the apocalypse, with all of them a little apologetic, all of them scared. Grint especially, as the jittery, hotheaded wild card, nearly steals the scenes from Bautista a few times.

But if there’s anyone to hold a candle to Bautista, it’s Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge as Eric and Andrew, whose stubborn resistance to the strangers’ awful demands is only superseded by their unflagging loyalty to each other and Wen. Unlike the four strangers, Eric and Andrew are given the benefit of a character arc, with flashbacks to their lives together interwoven throughout the movie. It helps the two feel like the most fleshed-out and intensely human of Shyamalan characters, an achievement aided by the fact that Groff and Aldridge seem to have sidestepped the “awkward dialogue” requirements of his films.

Leonard (Dave Bautista), (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Adriane (Abby Quinn), and Redmond (Rupert Grint) in Knock at the Cabin .

Shyamalan hasn’t quashed all of his worst instincts — Knock at the Cabin feels almost unbearably earnest at times, and its messages are spelled out a little too obviously — but it does feel like he’s reached a new level of confidence as a filmmaker that he was just starting to gain with Old . Given a straightforward thriller like this, Shyamalan lets loose a little with his filmmaking style, the aforementioned Dutch angles and dolly zooms being only a few of the directorial tricks he uses to amp up the dread. It might be his most technically impressive film thus far, even if it’s not his most narratively exciting one.

Knock at the Cabin is a rock-solid thriller, but not an amazing one. Its Biblical apocalypse prevents it from playing as anything more than a parable, and limits it from reaching for any deeper meaning beneath the surface-level suspense. The latter makes some readings of the film’s ending as potentially insidious feel thin. But as a showcase for Shyamalan’s evolving abilities as a filmmaker, it does a great job. And even if Knock at the Cabin doesn’t live or die by a twist, it gets all the life it needs from a terrific, terrifying Bautista.

Knock at the Cabin opens in theaters on February 3.

This article was originally published on Feb. 1, 2023

• Science Fiction

Knock at the Cabin and the Terror of Raising Children

M. Night Shyamalan understands how to make a ludicrous horror concept work: Add in a healthy dose of tenderness.

M. Night Shyamalan’s filmmaking career has taken many wild and woolly turns over 30-plus years, but recently, he seems to have struck on a powerful, understated plot formula: What if you went on a vacation with your children and something terrible happened? In his 2021 hit, Old , a family gets stuck on a secret beach that ages them rapidly. His new follow-up, Knock at the Cabin , proposes another Twilight Zone –esque conundrum to a family trying to enjoy a weekend away. Simply put, the world is ending, and the only way to stop it is by killing someone they love.

That ultimatum is delivered to them by four intimidating strangers carrying medieval-looking weapons, led by the hulking Leonard (played by Dave Bautista). The family at risk is a gay couple, Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge), and their adopted daughter, Wen (Kristen Cui), and they immediately assume that the threat is just a cruel hoax rooted in prejudice, which the home invaders deny. Shyamalan has become deeply preoccupied with how family units can be tested by enormous, even supernatural stress. Knock at the Cabin is maybe his bluntest exploration yet, as Eric and Andrew slowly realize they are in the vise of an impossible choice.

The premise unfolds in a way that’s unusually plain for Shyamalan. It lacks the loopy fantasy elements of Old , the comic-book heightening of Split and Glass , and the outright slapstick humor of The Visit , the found-footage horror that helped rebound his career in 2015. Knock at the Cabin is based on the novel The Cabin at the End of the World , by Paul G. Tremblay, and it retains most of that story’s unnerving, direct narrative. Leonard and his foreboding sidekicks initially seem like a cult entirely detached from reality. But as the day drags on, Leonard’s apocalyptic visions seem more and more plausible.

Read: Glass is M. Night Shyamalan at his weirdest

One of Shyamalan’s touchstones as a horror storyteller is his sincerity; he takes ludicrous concepts and somehow squeezes them into the realm of reality. That tonal trick hasn’t always worked—what sank films such as The Happening and Lady in the Water was how jarring the juxtaposition was between the ensembles’ earnest performances and the plots’ fundamental silliness. Knock at the Cabin avoids this problem partly through its deft casting, with Bautista serving as the most pivotal player. So much of the movie revolves around Leonard’s surreal monologues; the actor keeps a firm grasp on Leonard’s belief in his every word.

Bautista’s breakout performance came in Guardians of the Galaxy , in which he played an alien who always means exactly what he says—he’s from a planet without irony. The disarming authenticity he honed in that role makes him a particularly strong screen presence here, giving Leonard an aura of menace that extends beyond his imposing physical form (and his big bladed weapon). Leonard’s omen sounds patently absurd, and the main evidence he and his fellow attackers have to offer is their collective visions. But Leonard’s gentle exhortation that the only way forward involves violent death demands everyone’s attention precisely because he says it in such a measured, muted way.

Equally unsettling is the fact that the world actually does seem to be melting down around Eric and Andrew; Leonard points to reports of tsunamis, pandemics, and other cataclysms that I shan’t spoil as proof that his predictions are bubbling to life. But the cruel twist is that those kinds of horrible events play out on the news all the time, and Eric and Andrew’s desensitization fuels their denial. At the core of Shyamalan’s story is the idea that raising children in this world—where ocean levels are rising and ambient doom is almost always hovering in the background—is an inherently tragic project.

Shyamalan sprinkles in a few flashbacks of Eric and Andrew’s relationship, their struggle to adopt a child, and their resiliency. Those fleeting memories help clarify the stakes of their looming sacrifice. They also introduce a knotty angle that the film barely has time to explore but that I kept pondering after leaving the theater. Is Eric and Andrew’s fate entirely random, or have they been chosen because their relationship is so powerful? Shyamalan’s adoration for the dads and their sweetly introverted daughter is evidenced by scenes of genuine tenderness, and Groff’s performance is especially moving. But those touches also make the film’s final act all the more wrenching; it’s suffused with disaster and entirely devoid of winks to the camera.

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Where To Spot M. Night Shyamalan's Cameo In Knock At The Cabin

Knock at the cabin would've been way better with the book's ending twist, knock at the cabin continues m. night shyamalan's great new trend.

• The ending of Knock at the Cabin involves a self-sacrifice, with Eric choosing to die in order to save the world from the alleged apocalypse.
• The movie explores the theme of love conquering all, highlighting the power of Eric and Andrew's strong and unwavering love for each other.
• The nature of the apocalyptic events in Knock at the Cabin is left ambiguous, leaving the audience to interpret whether they were real or a timed coincidence.

2023's Knock at the Cabin is underpinned by a deep meaning, one that when explained in full reveals just how cerebral yet bleak the M. Night Shyamalan movie truly is. Knock at the Cabin has a seemingly straightforward plot, but there are twists and revelations abound in writer-director M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film. Co-written by Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman, Knock at the Cabin sees Shyamalan back once again telling a story of an apocalyptic situation. However, unlike Signs or The Happening, the characters in Knock at the Cabin know they have the power to stop the collapse of civilization — it's what they must do to achieve it that makes the movie so harrowing.

The Knock at the Cabin ending sees Leonard, Redmond, Sabrina, and Adriane dead, with Andrew still firm in his decision to save his family, regardless of the alleged apocalypse happening around them. While Andrew is not keen on killing Eric, Eric has made the decision for them — Eric will sacrifice himself to stop the apocalypse. Offscreen, a gunshot is heard, presumably with Andrew killing Eric. The planes stop falling from the sky and the lightning ceases. Shortly after, Knock at the Cabin's Andrew and Wen leave the cabin in Leonard’s car together. It's a bitter ending that's difficult to swallow, and there's clearly a much deeper meaning behind it and the nature of Andrew and Eric's choice.

Knock At The Cabin Secretly Does Have A Twist (Not What You’d Expect)

Knock at the Cabin may not continue M. Night Shyamalan's reputation for major plot twists, but the film still presents a great twist for his career.

Why Eric & Andrew’s Family Was Chosen To Save The World

The purity of their family dynamic may have been why they were targeted.

One of the biggest questions that Knock at the Cabin explained somewhat ambiguously is why Eric and Andrew were chosen in the first place. Even Leonard and his three associates don’t really know the answer to why Eric, Andrew, and Wen are the family slsected to prevent the apocalypse in Knock at the Cabin . Leonard believes the Knock at the Cabin sacrifice was chosen because Eric and Andrew’s love for one another is pure. Compared to the darkness of the world and all the obstacles Eric and Andrew had to overcome to maintain their love, Leonard’s assertions seem accurate.

The Knock at the Cabin ending explained how such a strong love is a beacon of hope amidst all the hate, destruction, and violence humanity has wrought.

The group’s collective visions only pointed them toward a cabin, and they didn’t know Eric and Andrew would be the occupants. In all actuality, Knock at the Cabin explained it could’ve been anyone who was in the cabin. However, considering how hard Eric and Andrew fight for each other and their daughter, as well as how they never doubt their love for one another despite others (and societal standards) wanting to bring them down, it’s possible the depth of their love was enough to save the world.

The Knock at the Cabin ending explained how such a strong love is a beacon of hope amidst all the hate, destruction, and violence humanity has wrought. The strength of Eric and Andrew’s love is also a testament to love breaking boundaries and societal norms, thriving because two people saw the best in each other and simply wanted to build their relationship on trust, mutual respect, and love.

Knock At The Cabin’s Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse – What Each Represents & Their Fates Explained

M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin is a psychological horror film that employs the biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (and subverts them).

Were The Apocalyptic Events Real Or A Timed Coincidence?

The end of the world in knock at the cabin is ambiguous.

Knock at the Cabin explained that Leonard and his associates are convinced the apocalypse is real, but Andrew is in disbelief for the entirety of the movie. The events the characters witness on TV could have been predicted beforehand and then timed to Leonard’s team’s arrival at the cabin. After all, even Leonard admits that the end of the world has been coming before he and his crew began having visions. Viruses have killed many, and earthquakes have brought destruction. Leonard and his associates might have been following the patterns, predicted something big was going to happen for a short while, and that’s when they decided to strike.

The answer ultimately comes down to perception, and the proof is vague enough that it could go either way.

However, there is also enough evidence in the Knock at the Cabin ending to explain the world was indeed saved because of Andrew and Eric’s decision. The planes stopped crashing to the ground abruptly, children stopped dying from the X9 virus, and the waters stopped rising following the tsunamis. The world was deeply affected by the calamities, but Eric’s death hints that Leonard’s crew was indeed telling the truth. It could have all been a coincidence, though, and Shyamalan’s film wanted the audience to question whether it was all real or not. The answer ultimately comes down to perception, and the proof is vague enough that it could go either way.

M. Night Shyamalan's Films Ranked From Absolute Worst To Best (Including Old)

Our ranking of M. Night Shyamalan's best and worst films includes everything from his first debut drama to his most recent thriller, Old.

Why Eric Decided To Sacrifice Himself Instead Of Andrew

Eric knew wen had a better future with andrew.

The decision made by Eric was a surprising moment in Knock at the Cabin, but the movie did a surprisingly good job at explaining his rationale. Eric was at peace by the end of Knock at the Cabin, which is why he decides to sacrifice himself instead of allowing Andrew to die. He knew Andrew had a lot of fight left in him. Andrew saw the world for what it was, but he still fought for people every day as a human rights lawyer because he knew there was something worth fighting for.

Andrew’s stubbornness would help him make his way through the world, his protective nature would help in raising the couple’s daughter, and his doubts about the apocalypse would make him curious enough to search for answers. Andrew is who the world needed — not Eric. Eric realized that and knew that Andrew’s passion and drive would allow him to go on regardless of his loss. It's different from the book where Andrew and Eric both survived.

8 Unanswered Questions After Knock At The Cabin

Like many M. Night Shyamalan movies, Knock at the Cabin is a thriller full of intriguing twists and turns that leave fans with questions at the end.

Why Leonard & His Crew Refused To Kill Eric & Andrew

The couple had to decide who died for themselves.

Leonard’s associates could only kill each other whenever Eric and Andrew refused to make a sacrifice. Only Eric and Andrew could decide which of them would die, and if either of them were to be murdered and the choice removed then the apocalypse would have been a certainty. It’s possible Eric and Andrew loved each other so much that the decision to sacrifice either of them would be worthier because it was done freely and not by force.

If any of Leonard’s crew had killed them, it would’ve ruined their entire mission. It would also have enraged the surviving spouse — the sacrifice had to be a decision made through love. Leonard couldn’t make that decision for them; it would have undermined Eric and Andrew’s connection, based on the Knock at the Cabin meaning.

Why Did Redmond Lie About His True Identity?

Redmond didn't want his past to exclude him from the mission.

Redmond’s real name was Rory O’Bannon, and Knock at the Cabin revealed he attacked Andrew at a bar years prior , which led Andrew to buy a gun for protection. Redmond’s presence was why Andrew thought his family was targeted. It’s possible Redmond lied about his true identity because he didn’t want Leonard, Sabrina, and Adriane to know he had a violent past, and that it was tied to Andrew’s.

If Redmond revealed the truth, Leonard may not have wanted him on the mission, regardless of the shared visions. Perhaps Redmond believed stopping the apocalypse could redeem him, and revealing his true name would have been too dangerous.

Knock At The Cabin’s Apocalypse Phases & Judgments Explained

As a family prepares for doomsday in M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin, these are the phases and judgments of the apocalypse that occur.

Did Eric Really See A Figure (Or Was It Just His Concussion Talking)?

It's left unclear if eric had a genuine vision or a hallucination.

As Leonard’s crew argues their case, Eric often seems in doubt. Eric later claims he sees a figure in the light behind Leonard, which convinces him there’s something to what Leonard and Sabrina are telling them. However, it could have easily been a trick of his mind. Eric’s concussion made him sensitive to light in the Knock at the Cabin plot, so he could’ve been seeing something that coincided with what he was being told.

The audience never saw the figure, and Eric wasn’t clear-headed at the time, so he can’t fully be trusted.

The audience never saw the figure, and Eric wasn’t clear-headed at the time, so he can’t fully be trusted. Eric needed to see the figure, however, to make his final decision at the end of the horror film, or he might not have sacrificed himself. Ultimately, it didn't matter whether the figure Eric saw at the end of Knock in the Cabin was real or not, as what was truly important was his decision.

Knock at the Cabin features a M. Night Shyamalan cameo. Here's where to spot the director if you missed him & how this cameo is different for him.

How Leonard’s Crew Was Chosen For The Apocalypse Mission

The four horsemen in knock at the cabin shared a delusion.

Leonard’s team each represented the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse — at least according to Eric. Leonard was Guidance, Sabrina was Healing, Adriane was Nurture, and Redmond was Malice. It’s suggested they were all having a shared delusion, seeing the same visions and believing the same thing about the end of the world.

It’s also possible they were chosen to stop the apocalypse because they would decide to do something about what they saw instead of ignoring it. Knock at the Cabin explained that Leonard and his crew could have also been looking for a way to help the world on a larger scale. In their professions, there was only so much they could do.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, in Christian scripture, are different from the ones presented in Knock at the Cabin .

Redmond likely wanted redemption for the violence he’d committed in the past. Sabrina, as another example, was a nurse, but she could only save one person at a time. Saving the entire world at once — despite the fear they had — gave them some peace. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, in Christian scripture, are different from the ones presented in Knock at the Cabin . But they are still figures who are called upon and given authority.

Like Eric and Andrew’s family, Knock at the Cabin’s home invaders could have been anybody. There could have been others who had visions as well, but Leonard, Sabrina, and co. were the only ones to organize.

M. Night Shyamalan is known for saving his big twists until the end, and Knock at the Cabin's best one came right from the book it was based on.

The Real Meaning Of Knock At The Cabin’s Ending

The movie is about genuine love conquering all.

Eric and Andrew’s love for each other is highlighted throughout the movie, and the Knock at the Cabin ending hints that it’s the power of love that will save the world from catastrophe. Eric and Andrew’s love was strong enough to withstand such a sacrifice, and the pair spent the majority of Shyamalan’s film fighting for each other and their daughter. Their love was offered as a stark contrast to Leonard, Redmond, Sabrina, and Adriane, who were often defined by their jobs or their hateful pasts. Perhaps the world needed to be reminded of love’s goodness, its purity, in the face of humanity’s violence and fear.

Knock at the Cabin also asserts the power of manipulation and coercion. The entire film is a power play. Leonard and his crew force Eric and Andrew to make a decision under pressure; they’re in a position of power and influence for the majority of Shyamalan’s film, and their way of handling things puts Eric and Andrew in a precarious situation where they will feel bad about any decision they make. The Knock at the Cabin meaning may have religious undertones and deals with doubt and questioning what’s real, but it’s very much about psychological and emotional manipulation and how that can factor into decision-making.

How M. Night Shyamalan Explains Knock At The Cabin's Meaning

Knock at the cabin needed altering to work as a movie.

M. Night Shyamalan made serious changes to the Knock at the Cabin ending. However, he felt that there was something that happened in Paul Tremblay's books that would have ruined it as a movie. " Well, there's an event that happens in the book (not in the movie), prior to that ending, that you can't recover from ," Shyamalan explained in an interview (via SF Gate ). According to the director, the book had built up a thought-provoking, unbelievable, and emotional experience for the readers. However, in one moment, " You did something that eradicates that ."

Shyamalan said that if he had done that in the movie, it would have trumped the unbelievable premise of the story, and that would have been " game over " for the movie as a story. This went against what Tremblay sought out with his novel. Both the author and filmmaker said the modems of storytelling are different, and you can't do the same thing in a movie that you can in a novel. Tremblay wanted to leave things open for ambiguity. The book's author actually said he felt Shyamalan's ending was darker than his. While Tremblay didn't force Eric or Andrew to make the ultimate choice, Shyamalan said it had to happen in his movie.

"I just fulfilled the premise. There was a journalist that interviewed me who said they read the book and then threw it across the room when they finished. And then another one said the same thing to me. They had those violent reactions because Sophie didn't make a choice."

M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin highlights an interesting trend in his career - here's what it could potentially mean for his future movies.

How The Knock At The Cabin Ending Changed From The Book

The director made deliberate changes to the source material.

The Knock at the Cabin ending was dark in both the movie and the book. However, the darkness was in different ways. In the book, neither Andrew nor Eric died, and neither had to make the choice. That is because it is Wen who died. The death of the young girl was accidental, as there was a fight for control of a gun, and when it went off, it was Wen who took the bullet and died.

This was a greater tragedy than anything that happened in the movie because the parents had to weigh their choices and decisions during this traumatic event with the loss of their daughter, who they loved and swore to protect. It was a terrible moment in the book.

In the book, with their daughter dying in front of them, neither Andrew nor Eric was going to make that decision.

However, it also completely changed the course of the book from the Knock at the Cabin ending . According to Shyamalan, Knock at the Cabin explained that Andrew and Eric had to make a sacrifice to save the world and their daughter and one of them made that choice in the end. In the book, with their daughter dying in front of them, neither Andrew nor Eric was going to make that decision.

This is important though, because it made the two stories about very different things. While the Knock at the Cabin ending in the movie was about sacrificing oneself for the greater good, the book was about true love surviving.

One problem with the movie is that it took an LGBTQ+ couple and made them the focus of the story only for them to have to end their relationship. This is not the story Paul Tremblay was telling in The Cabin at the End of the World . His theme was about love conquering all, and Andrew and Eric live, although heartbroken about Wen's death.

It is Leonard who sacrifices himself, believing that is the last option when Andrew and Eric won't make the choice. Tremblay felt Eric dying destroyed the loving couple, making the Knock at the Cabin ending darker. He chose love, even if it meant the readers didn't know if it stopped the apocalypse at all.

How The Knock At The Cabin Ending Was Received

Like many of the director's movies, the ending was divisive.

Like many M. Night Shyamalan movies, Knock at the Cabin received a mixed response from both audiences and critics. Those who enjoyed the movie were raving about it and saw it as solid addition to both the director's filmography and that of the cast members. However, those who didn't appreciate the twist saw it as a confusing overreach, leading to somewhat unforgiving responses from critics — a phenomenon that's plagued M. Night Shyamalan throughout his career.

Some viewers and critics expected more from the Knock at the Cabin ending. While it certainly was emotional, especially given Eric's sacrifice, there is a school of thought that the finale didn't quite pay off the gravitas and suspense built by the rest of the plot (especially given the performances of the likes of Rupert Grint and Dave Bautista).

The Knock at the Cabin ending is one that is beloved by fans and derided by those that aren't, with very little middle-ground in opinion.

The ambiguity may also have not worked favorably for Knock at the Cabin , as the concepts it presented may have been better received if there was a solid underlying explanation instead of an ending that suggested the apocalypse may not even have been real, and that there was no clear reason Eric and Andrew were selected.

On the other hand though, there were many who felt these elements were perfect for a story like Knock at the Cabin. If there had been more of an explanation for why Leonard's group chose Eric and Andrew, or validation about the events of the apocalypse, it could have nullified the suspense (especially on repeat viewings). Ultimately, like many of M. Night Shyamalan's films, the Knock at the Cabin ending is one that is beloved by fans and derided by those that aren't, with very little middle-ground in opinion.

Knock at the Cabin

M. Night Shyamalan's thriller, Knock at the Cabin, tells the story of a family who is approached by four strangers while staying in a remote cabin and given an impossible ultimatum. When Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge) take their daughter Wen (Kristen Cui) to a remote cabin for a family getaway, their stay is interrupted by the arrival of Leonard (Dave Bautista), Redmond (Rupert Grint), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), and Adriane (Abby Quinn), who tell them that one of the family must be sacrificed in order to stop the impending apocalypse.

M. Night Shyamalan’s Next Creepy Thriller Is ‘Knock at the Cabin’

DON’T ANSWER THE DOOR

Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, and Dave Bautista star in the twist-loving director’s next movie, a cabin-in-the-woods thriller set against a looming apocalypse.

Fletcher Peters

Entertainment Reporter

Universal Pictures

After his bonafide masterpiece Old (yes, the beach that turns you old, no, I won’t be told it’s anything less than a perfect film), M. Night Shyamalan has returned with another bone-chilling thriller. The first trailer has been unveiled for Knock at the Cabin , a secluded horror story following two dads ( Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge ) on a family vacation with their sweet young daughter, Wen (Kristen Cui).

Opening on “Boogie Shoes,” a classic, fun-loving tune from K.C. and the Sunshine Band, is a bit misleading. Knock at the Cabin appears to be far darker than any upbeat melody, though the young family enjoys what fun they have before things start to get really creepy. There’s a lurker in the woods. Now, he’s knocking down the door. ( Knock at the Cabin , get it?)

Wen befriends the strange, “heartbroken” man ( Dave Bautista ), who tells her he’s afraid of what he has to do today. What’s so grim on the agenda? We’re forecasting murder, torture, or some other grisly body horror, because the forest man shows up with his buddies (Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn, and Nikki Amuka-Bird) and a bunch of weapons.

“See, the four of us have a very important job to do,” Bautista echoes over the trailer. “In fact, it might be the most important job in the history of the world.”

Then, the kicker: “The four of us are here to prevent the apocalypse.”

So, the family staying in the cabin has been chosen to make a huge decision—though we don’t know what, exactly, that choice entails. If they don’t choose correctly, the world will end. The stakes are pretty high; in fact, they’re perhaps the highest they’ve ever been.

Since 1992, M. Night Shyamalan has been creating world-bending thrillers and horrors, like Split , Unbreakable , The Sixth Sense , and The Village . Knock at the Cabin is based on the 2018 horror novel The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay, which won the Bram Stoker Novel Award in 2019.

Knock at the Cabin will hit theaters February 3, 2023.

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Let’s Talk About the Ending of Knock at the Cabin

Spoilers follow for the film Knock at the Cabin and the novel The Cabin at the End of the World . 

Get the Robot Chicken “What a twist!” meme ready: M. Night Shyamalan has another film in theaters. After the horrors of The Visit , Split , and Old , Shyamalan is back with Knock at the Cabin , another genre offering based on Paul Tremblay’s novel The Cabin at the End of the World . And, in typical Shyamalan fashion, the director and his co-writers Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman have deviated from Tremblay’s original third act, crafting a different ending for this story that reifies the apocalyptic stakes, rearranges character deaths, and reframes the novel’s considerations of dignity and sacrifice.

Aside from tweaked character backstories and ages, Knock at the Cabin is fairly faithful to its inspiration until the ending. Married couple Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and their adopted daughter, Wen (Kristen Cui), are on vacation in a remote lakeside cabin farther away from the main road than they expected and outside of cell-phone range. The film begins with Wen, who is catching grasshoppers in a jar when a stranger approaches: a hulking, soft-spoken man who introduces himself as Leonard (Dave Bautista). He gently extends his hand to shake Wen’s, evoking Frankenstein’s monster when he gifts her a flower. His heart is broken, he tells Wen, because he and his friends — similarly outfitted in button-down shirts and carrying a collection of handmade, gnarly-looking weapons — have come to tell Wen and her fathers about a “tough” and “terrible” decision they’ll need to make.

Wen is unnerved, then almost hysterical, as she runs back into the cabin and tells Eric and Andrew about the visitors. The sounds of creaking porch boards tell the family they’re surrounded, and Shyamalan amps up the tension by centering the tools Leonard and his companions carry while excluding their faces. As Leonard, Adriane (Abby Quinn), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), and Redmond (Rupert Grint) force their way in, Eric falls and hits his head, resulting in a serious concussion. Once the family is tied up, the four trespassers launch into their appeal. They’re “normal people, just like you,” but they’ve been selected to prevent the apocalypse. They’ve seen visions of this cabin and of the catastrophic events — including a flood and a plague — that can be stopped only if the family chooses to kill one of their own. If they refuse, then the home invaders will have to kill one another one by one, though their deaths can’t stop the end times. All of them are locked into a ritual from which they can’t escape, both literally (because the family is tied to chairs) and existentially (because the intruders truly believe in their task).

Eric and Andrew assume the members of the group are zealots and bigots driven by homophobia and a collective delusion. But as Knock at the Cabin creeps past its halfway point, and as the family’s refusal to cooperate results in Redmond’s death and they all watch a news report about earthquakes and tsunamis flooding the West Coast, the husbands begin to diverge. The religious Eric thinks he saw some kind of figure in the light shining into the cabin, but is it an effect of his brain injury or a divine entity proving that the foursome’s claims are genuine? Human-rights attorney Andrew was knocked unconscious by a bigot at a bar with Eric years ago and swore afterward to defend his husband and daughter any way he could. At the moment, he’s more concerned with getting to the gun he stashed in their car’s backseat. All of this is fairly in line with The Cabin at the End of the World , including the reveal that Redmond was Andrew’s attacker, a detail that shocks Leonard, Adriane, and Sabrina but convinces Andrew they’re being purposely targeted. But when it’s time for Adriane to become the next sacrificial lamb, Knock at the Cabin zigs instead of zags, changing the path of Tremblay’s story and suggesting that perhaps acquiescing to fate, instead of fighting it, is bravery — even grace.

The book’s concluding third goes like this: Andrew retrieves his gun from the car before Adriane is forced to die, and he kills Adriane in self-defense. As he and Leonard scuffle for the firearm, it goes off and kills Wen. Andrew and Eric are devastated, and when Leonard worries that Wen’s accidental death won’t stop the apocalypse (“I’m afraid she might not, um, might not count … The sacrifice was supposed to be a willing one. And it wasn’t”), Sabrina changes course. She decides to abandon their “capricious and cruel” calling and help Eric and Andrew leave the cabin, but some part of her is still tied to the prophecy. She kills Leonard, and after she guides Eric and Andrew — carrying Wen’s body — under a stormy “alien sky” to the pickup truck that Leonard’s group used to travel to the cabin, she’s compelled to kill herself as well.

In the final pages of the book, Eric decides to end his life to stop the apocalypse, Andrew persuades him not to, and the two join hands to walk into the abyss: “The storm swirls directly over us. But we’ve been through countless other storms. Maybe this one is different. Maybe it isn’t … We will lift Wen into our arms and we will carry her and we will remember her and we will love her as we will love ourselves. We will walk down the road even if it is flooded by raging waters or blocked by fallen trees or if greedy fissures open beneath our feet. And we will walk the perilous roads after that one. We will go on.” The Cabin at the End of the World ’s idea of fate is a brutal one, and its idea of love is confidential: Andrew and Eric pick each other, and the loss of Wen ties them closer together. To separate even further would be unthinkable, and the novel deliberately contrasts them with Leonard and Sabrina, who “realize in this darkest hour of the darkest day they are alone, fundamentally alone.” The care Andrew and Eric have for each other makes the rest of the world irrelevant and unnecessary to save; while Sabrina describes existence as “only emptiness and lack and void,” that’s not the experience of the family she helped take hostage as long as they remain united. They will endure (a little bit like another recent queer love story ).

Knock at the Cabin likewise valorizes perseverance but revises which characters we should respect for having that fortitude and what the content of that fortitude is. In being far more definitive than the novel about the apocalyptic threat, Shyamalan’s work is more sympathetic to the captors and more willing to position their pursuit of this mission as a noble act. They second-guess themselves less, and their agonized expressions are often captured in closeups to convey the toll this is taking on them. The film also reorders their ends so that Adriane willingly dies, Sabrina is shot and killed by Andrew while trying to defend Leonard, and Leonard — a second-grade teacher and youth-basketball coach in his previous life before the visions started — gives a Roy Batty –like speech, full of pathos and wistfulness, about the importance of guiding children with truth and honesty before he slashes his own throat. Leonard’s last words are especially meaningful because Wen doesn’t die in the film, and her survival adds another layer of weight to Eric and Andrew’s ensuing discussion about what to do about the end of the world.

As gay men, what do they owe a society whose members mistreat and hate them — like Redmond (who served time in prison for attacking Andrew), Andrew’s parents (whom we see in a flashback radiating resentment and disappointment as they visit their son and Eric), or the adoption officials whom the couple had to lie to about their relationship so they could adopt Wen? Should Eric and Andrew believe in a higher power and treat this test as an opportunity to forgive those who have wronged them? Are they being forced into that forgiveness, and is it acquiescence or strength? Setting aside a specifically religious perspective, what would humanism have them do? Can people grow and progress, and at what point do the lives of many outweigh the few? What power do individuals have against the tide of climate change and a pandemic or the desensitization of the technologically advanced world (questions Shyamalan also weighed in The Happening and The Village , respectively), and is it cynical or precautionary to opt out of taking action? What do they owe Wen, and what kind of world do they want her to grow up in? What is the best way for Eric and Andrew to honor their promise to take care of her: Is it better for one of them to depart now on their own terms so that the other experiences years of happiness with their daughter? Or should they turn their backs on the world and doom themselves to eternal loneliness for the sake of staying together? Are people capable of great acts of love even at the expense of their own lives, and what bravery does that require?

Groff and Aldridge are wonderfully in sync as they desperately turn over these questions and their oppositional responses, and without the grief of Wen’s death, the movie can concern itself with the promise and potential of life. As a genre, horror is of course about our animalistic, fight-or-flight modes of survival when our backs are against the wall, but Knock at the Cabin is also deeply interested in the particular kind of agency born out of having a choice. Andrew may push back against the pressure of a decision by insisting, “We’re nothing special,” but Knock at the Cabin rejects that self-diminishment. Every person in this film has value and purpose, and when Eric persuades Andrew to kill him, it’s an olive branch extended to a world on fire. Where The Cabin at the End of the World can be read as a suggestion that Eric and Andrew’s refusal to engage with an apocalyptic bargain is justifiable self-preservation, Knock at the Cabin makes the love shared by their family so resilient, so unwavering, and so uncontainable that it becomes absolution. It’s not Shyamalan’s wildest twist, but it might be his most openhearted one.

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Review: 'Knock at the Cabin' is peak-form Shyamalan, a suspense master

Astonish us! That seems to be the demand we make on India-born filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan every time he unleashes a new horrorfest. We want that "Sixth Sense" twist again. The twist comes with all the suspense trimmings in "Knock at the Cabin," only in theaters since there's no place like the dark to gather audiences and fry their nerves to a frazzle.

Will this be the movie to finally knock "Avatar: The Way of Water" off the top of the box-office charts? Don't bet against it.

"Knock at the Cabin," directed and co-written by Shyamalan, is an adaptation of the 2018 novel "The Cabin at the End of the World" by Paul Tremblay. Don't grab the book to figure out the ending since Shyamalan modified it to suit his own brand of terror, which means creating an atmosphere of compelling claustrophobia that holds you in its grip.

The big twist this time comes at the start. A gay couple, Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Eric (Jonathan Groff), are enjoying a weekend getaway at a remote lakeside cabin in the Pennsylvania woods with their 8-year-old daughter Wen (the supremely adorable Kristen Cui). Then a knock comes at the cabin door.

Right away we're thinking home invasion since a quartet of stranger-dangers, led by the hulking Leonard (Dave Bautista), is carrying scary homemade weapons. Will it be robbery, kidnapping, even murder? Or are they homophobes who don't approve of gay adoption?

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I'll never tell, though I will say that Leonard and his pals, Redmond (Rupert Grint), Adriane (Abby Quinn) and Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), are on a mission to save the world from apocalypse. And to do it they need this family to voluntarily sacrifice one of its members.

Not gonna happen is the general response. But the TV is alive with images of jets falling out of the sky, not to mention tidal waves and plague. Plus the invaders seem sympathetic to the family's plight. Leonard may look like a human battering ram, but Bautista -- the former wrestler is all kinds of amazing in an expectations-defying performance -- brims over with empathy.

You feel the tension between the two daddies, both avid to protect their child. Aldridge ("Fleabag") finds the heat in Andrew that makes him want to strike out. Groff, so great as singer ("Spring Awakening," "Hamilton") and actor ("Mindhunter," "Looking"), is superb as Eric and speaks movingly to Shyamalan's theme about the necessity of faith in times of crisis.

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There are flashbacks to suggest a connection between these men and the intruders who claim to be afflicted with visions that drive them forward. "Knock at the Cabin" is R-rated for scenes of violence. That's no joke. There are brutal images that will pull you up short.

Flesh and spirit have been part of Shyamalan's work from the start in fine films ("The Sixth Sense," "Signs," "Unbroken") and outright duds ("The Happening," "Old," "Glass").

"Knock at the Cabin" can be too fuzzy, too earnest and too full of itself for its own good. Like Wen collecting grasshoppers in a jar, Shyamalan is observing the world in microcosm with good and evil in an uneasy truce. The metaphors weigh a ton. Still, at its best, this is peak-form Shyamalan, a suspense master who knows how to fill the screen with tension and squeeze.

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Early Reviews of M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin Praise Film

The highly-anticipated thriller flick stars out actors Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge as two gay fathers.

M. Night Shyamalan's latest film is a look into a disastrous vacation taken by a gay couple and their daughter -- and it could be one of the best movies of his career.

Knock at the Cabin , which hits theaters on February 3, is the prolific and sometimes controversial director's return to the big screen following 2021's Old .

The movie follows a gay couple , played by Glee alum Jonathan Groff and Out cover star Ben Aldridge , and their daughter as they are taken hostage by four armed strangers while on vacation at a cabin in the woods. The strangers then tell them that they've been chosen for a globally important mission: the family must decide one of them to sacrifice or the world will come to an end.

It's a lofty premise, but so far, early reviews are giving near-universal praise for the thriller.

Brian Davids of The Hollywood Reporter said the film is "one of the best films of M. NIght Shyamalan's career" and that he hadn't stopped thinking about it ten days after watching.

\u201c#KnockAtTheCabin is the work of a true artist. It's one of the best films of M. Night Shyamalan's career, and I haven't stopped thinking about it the last 10 days.\u201d — Brian Davids (@Brian Davids) 1674685698

Movie critic Erik Davis tweeted that he was "happy to report that M. Night Shyamalan's #KnockAtTheCabin is a real deal nail-biter - startling & captivating from start to finish. It's lean & mean, and a perfect little edge-of-your-seat thriller for early February. A BIG win for M. Night, imo. Highly recommend."

\u201cHappy to report that M. Night Shyamalan\u2019s #KnockAtTheCabin is a real deal nail-biter - startling & captivating from start to finish. It\u2019s lean & mean, and a perfect little edge-of-your-seat thriller for early February. A BIG win for M. Night, imo. Highly recommend.\u201d — Erik Davis (@Erik Davis) 1674685314

Another fan who saw an early screening said it's the director's best work since Signs , which was released over 20 years ago. While many of Shyamalan's films have been loved by critics and fans ( The 6th Sense, Signs, Split, Unbreakable ), others haven't been quite as successful ( Lady in the Water, The Happening, The Village ), and it's good to know that the director is back doing what he does best.

Viewers are especially enthralled with Dave Bautista's performance, calling it one of the best in his career. They call him "scary as hell," "both affecting and terrifying," and "an enthralling screen presence."

Asyia Iftikhar, an entertainment reporter for PinkNews , said she was "floored" by the film and especially praised Ben Aldridge and Jonathan Groff's chemistry as the couple at the center of it.

\u201cWell #KnockAtTheCabin floored me - Ben Aldridge and Jonathan Groff\u2019s chemistry is gorgeous to see on screen, not a second wasted with emotional punches, heart-racing suspense and Dave Bautista being just incredible!!\u201d — Asyia I (@Asyia I) 1674684215

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Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.

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‘Heretic’ Review: Hugh Grant Is Heavenly in a Religious Horror Movie About Two Mormon Teens Who Knock on the Wrong Door

A single-minded religious horror movie that strains to be shocking but refuses to offend, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ “Heretic” leaves itself with no other option but to have some cheeky fun at God’s expense. That proves easy enough for this chatty little chamber piece, as one of the story’s three main roles is a sadistic theologian played by Hugh Grant , who’s having the time of his life in a spirited performance that feels like a cross between “Paddington 2” baddie Phoenix Buchanan and real-world nuisance Bill Maher. “Heretic” may not be serious-minded enough to shake (or reaffirm) anyone’s faith, but it’s rare to experience a sermon of any kind delivered with such panache — and not only because Grant’s character sings Radiohead and impersonates Jar Jar Binks as part of his effort to prove that all of the world’s religions have gotten it wrong.

The mansplainer’s name is Mr. Reed, and two Mormon teen missionaries have the terrible misfortune of knocking on his door one dark and stormy night in small town Colorado. The bubbly and naive Sister Paxon (Chloe East) and her somewhat worldlier co-evangelist Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) have come to sell their new friend on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following a long day of failed baptisms and public humiliation (some local kids wanted a look at Sister Paxton’s “magic underwear”), and Mr. Reed is all too eager to hear their pitch.

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Never mind their host’s stray comment about the metal in the walls or the fact that he already seems to know more about Joseph Smith than either of his guests, the girls are cold and it smells like Mr. Reed’s wife is cooking up a wonderfully fragrant pie in the kitchen. Then again, the church’s safety rules stipulate that female missionaries should never share a room without another woman present, and those pies sure have been in the oven for an awfully long time. The sisters are slow to suspicion (they have God’s love in their hearts), but after discovering that the front door has been sealed behind them and the blueberry aroma is coming from a scented candle, even these innocent creatures begin to fear that something more sinister is afoot. Does Mr. Reed even have a wife, or — like so many of their Bible teachings — have the girls simply accepted an unverifiable claim on the blind faith of raised believers?

Needless to say, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton’s convictions will be tested in a wild variety of different ways during the course of the night to come. Their crucible begins in the living room, where the perversely genial Mr. Reed insists that he’s found “the one true religion,” and then — for much of the film’s second act — settles into the concave mock church in the middle of his house, where he lectures the girls about the evolution of Judeo-Christian iconography as if he were a giddy college professor goading his students towards the conclusion he set for them like trap.

To say more would spoil the fun of a movie that has little else to offer, but suffice to say that “Heretic” finds a semi-clever device by which to question the borders that separate hope, faith, and hard proof. …And that anyone who thought “Barbarian” fell a few creepy basement chambers short of its full potential will be pleased to discover what Mr. Reed has done with the place (even if the windowless nave on the main floor of the house remains the highlight of Philip Messina’s skin-crawling production design).

It won’t come as a surprise that “Heretic” graduates from theory to practice at a certain point, but the Socratic method holds court for a mighty long time before giving way to something a bit scarier (or at least more physical), and most of the film is so talky that it occasionally feels like “A Quiet Place” scribes Beck and Woods are overcompensating for the lack of dialogue in their breakthrough hit; anyone who doubted their ability to write entertainingly indulgent monologues about the relationship between the Torah and Monopoly is about to eat a lot of crow. All the same, the duo create a lasting, delicious, and sometimes rather funny sense of tension as Mr. Reed teases things out, and the self-amusement of Grant’s performance proves to be infectious. For some men, it’s not enough to be right — they need other people to be wrong , and Grant finds a palpable religious ecstasy in becoming a human manifestation of the “Ben Shapiro DESTROYS ‘Barbie’ Movie for 43 Minutes” headline construction.

East and Thatcher are similarly effective at conveying their characters’ nerve-jangled fear. While neither Sisters Barnes nor Paxton are given much in the way of depth (it’s both a blessing and a curse that “Heretic” omits all but any trace of backstory or psychological underpinning for its characters’ behavior), the young actresses playing them uncover evidence of a soul all the same. East, so memorable as teen Spielberg’s extremely Christian girlfriend in “The Fabelmans,” turns that breakthrough role into a bonafide niche by finding a real strength within Sister Paxton’s charitable spirit and “Napoleon Dynamite” inflection, while Thatcher makes the most of her “Yellowjackets” experience by endowing Sister Barnes with a more noticeable edge (an edge made all the more arresting by the veil of sadness — or is it cynicism? — that it casts over an ostensibly innocent daughter of the church).

If only “Heretic” were as serious about religion as any of its characters (either for or against), perhaps the movie’s second half wouldn’t be so quick to descend into contrived parlor tricks and too-basic displays of suspense, but Beck and Woods aren’t really in the business of pushing any buttons. Their script is smart to focus on the root functions that religion can serve (as opposed to the verifiability of various gods), but Mr. Reed can only be so devious in a story determined to leverage his know-it-all chauvinism towards a more ecumenical purpose, and the final act — for all of its squelches and secrets — can’t help but feel entirely too safe for a genre exercise that talks such a big game about Revelations with a capital “R.”

Sure, there are a few errant points about how religions advertise themselves and iterate upon each other, but “Heretic” is much too nice a film to punish or punch down at a pair of young Mormon girls who are already bullied for their faith. Which isn’t to suggest that I’d prefer if the film did either of those things (no thanks), or that “Heretic” suffers for insufficiently belittling any of the church-goers who see it, but rather to say that “Heretic” — true to its title — doesn’t believe in anything with enough conviction to make good on the experience of sitting through a film whose characters all  display a profound degree of courage in their own convictions.

This is an entertainingly unambitious midnight movie that thrives on the strength of a terrific cast and some equally brilliant craftwork (cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung deserves predictably special mention for creating such a full spectrum of expression from the damp and dilapidated palette he was given). Alas, “Heretic” is never unholy enough to risk flirting with sacrilege, which is a shame, as any God worth the time it takes to worship them would surely forgive a movie in which an evil Hugh Grant hails “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” in the same breath as the Bible itself.

“Heretic” premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. A24 will release it in theaters on Friday, November 15.

Want to stay up to date on IndieWire’s film  reviews  and critical thoughts?  Subscribe here  to our newly launched newsletter, In Review by David Ehrlich, in which our Chief Film Critic and Head Reviews Editor rounds up the best reviews, streaming picks, and offers some new musings, all only available to subscribers.

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• Pedro Almodóvar obsesses over death, actresses, and bright colors in The Room Next Door

The writer-director’s latest boasts many of his recurring thematic fascinations, though his Spanish sensibility feels somewhat muted in translation.

Despite their visual vivaciousness, Pedro Almodóvar films have long explored the singular weight of death, albeit with an element of stark levity. Volver follows a woman who is periodically haunted by the smell of her dead mother’s farts, Matador sees a sex scene unfold as an uncanny murder-suicide, and a leg of lamb is used to kill in What Have I Done To Deserve This? Although it doesn’t overtly lean into black comedy, Almodóvar’s latest, The Room Next Door , is perhaps his most death-obsessed film to date. 

Almodóvar’s two previous features— Parallel Mothers and Pain and Glory —look at death through a distinctly personal lens, respectively examining the exhumation of mass graves from the Spanish Civil War and the impact of his mother’s death on his creative career. Meanwhile, The Room Next Door employs a light, intimate touch for its meditation on mortality, bolstered by tender yet calculated performances from Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. The Spanish maverick’s penchant for melodrama is somewhat off-kilter, but his exquisite eye for color and contrast is decidedly intact, with his lead actresses posing as perfect canvases.

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Adapted from Singrid Nunez’s 2020 novel What Are You Going Through , Almodóvar’s English-language feature debut homes in on and fleshes out a specific plot point of the American author’s sprawling, anecdote-riddled narrative. Moore plays Ingrid, a successful writer who’s arrived back in New York City after an extended stint in Europe. While signing her latest novel at Rizzoli in Midtown, an old friend approaches Ingrid to let her know that Martha (Swinton), a war journalist who they used to be quite close to, was recently diagnosed with Stage III cervical cancer. Though she hasn’t seen or heard from Martha in years, Ingrid promptly resolves to visit her in the hospital. 

Moore enters what, for Almodóvar, is an appropriately aesthetic cancer ward. She sports a gorgeous plum lip that is perfectly complemented by her ginger locks and rich blue eyes. Her outfit is composed of even more reds and blues, with a dark burgundy coat and deep navy handbag rounding the look into a perfectly poised New York fashion moment. The vibrant tapestry continues unfolding as we encounter Swinton, herself clad in bold primary colors that classically evoke the director’s iconic palette. Brighter still are the flowers that fill classy vases and tasteful accent chairs carefully placed in the room’s periphery. As Martha explains that her cancer is inoperable and she’ll need to undergo an experimental treatment, pink snowflakes begin to fall from a periwinkle sky, twinkling with the illumination of a perfectly-framed Manhattan skyline.

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Though they may have lost touch for an extended period of time, Ingrid and Martha naturally fall back into the rhythm of close friendship. It doesn’t appear that this solely stems from a place of guilt for Ingrid, who assumes the role of an attentive caretaker with ease. Maybe this is what causes Martha to run an audacious request by her, one that directly influences the film’s location-specific title. Ingrid nervously sits with the idea as the two sip coffees in Alice Tully Hall (which, although contemporaneously-set, is erroneously presented as part of the formerly-titled Film Society of Lincoln Center), in what is arguably one of the only scenes that feels tethered to New York. The rest of the film, which unfolds at a posh, mid-century modern rental “near Woodstock” in New York’s Hudson Valley, was almost certainly filmed in the director’s beloved Madrid.

While there’s nothing wrong with shooting one location for another, the fact that New York as a setting seems far removed from The Room Next Door is slightly disappointing for a filmmaker who’s made a career of capturing urban sprawls in his native Spain. Obviously, it makes perfect sense to choose an American setting, considering the reference point of Nunez’s novel and the Anglophone actors Almodóvar sought to work with. Then again, even if the presence of the Empire State was palpable, there would still be a dissonance between the director’s melodramatic leanings and their English-language execution. In Spanish, this soapy sensibility is effectively embraced, but these same scenarios and dialogue carry a connotation of corniness in translation. One particular flashback sequence, which centers on a burning barn on the side of a desolate road, reads as particularly cloying in its execution. Overall, though, the scene’s perceived cringeworthiness speaks more to an American barometer for mawkishness (or lack thereof) than any sense of heavy-handedness on the filmmaker’s part. 

Stunning in all elements of design and performance, The Room Next Door is another wonderful entry among Almodóvar’s filmography, even if it doesn’t rank among his strongest works. Particularly when his past two features radically re-focus his attention to aspects of his past—both personal and political—this film simply doesn’t measure up in terms of narrative intrepidness. Even in his proper English-language debut, the 2020 short The Human Voice (which also stars Swinton), the filmmaker looked to playwright Jean Cocteau in order to deconstruct his own stylistic motifs. The Room Next Door , by contrast, feels beholden to popular notions of Almodóvar’s visual flair, which keep it from rising to its full potential. Winner of the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival—when more ambitious films were also vying for the top prize—it’s almost as if the director is being awarded for remaining true to form. This is quite the shame when his previous offerings have pushed the personal boundaries of an already dynamic artist; hopefully his twenty-fourth feature falls back in line with his recent streak of experimentation. 

Director: Pedro Almodóvar Writer: Pedro Almodóvar Starring: Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Alessandro Nivola Release Date: December 20, 2024

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'Wynonna Earp: Vengeance' Review: Tubi's Scrappy Movie Sequel Leaves the Door Open for More

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When Wynonna Earp first premiered on SYFY in 2016, the supernatural-tinged Western wasn't necessarily fated for success. The series, originally based on the comic books by Beau Smith , had a lot to prove at the time of its release — and a lot of noise to break through in terms of the television landscape being at its peak. But the Emily Andras -developed adaptation declared itself as soon as its titular hot mess express of a heroine, played by Melanie Scrofano , got off a bus and walked into a little town called Purgatory.

From the beginning, Wynonna Earp was a show like no other , as quick on the draw with its humor as Doc Holliday ( Tim Rozon ) — yes, that Doc Holliday — and as equally unapologetic in its identity. While Wynonna wrestled with the weight and expectation of her demon-killing heritage after returning to her hometown, she also had to navigate the strain between herself and her little sister, Waverly ( Dom Provost-Chalkley ), who'd grown into a supernatural expert in her own right. The series might have revolved around ridding Purgatory of a different demonic threat every week, but it also found time to focus on relationships, whether familial or otherwise — Wynonna's will-they-won't-they with Doc, or Waverly's burgeoning romance with county deputy sheriff Nicole Haught ( Kat Barrell ). No wonder the series quickly found a fanbase, who dubbed themselves Earpers and passionately championed Wynonna Earp throughout its four seasons to date.

Although 2021 marked a conclusion of sorts for the original show, there was still hope for a potential return, which came three years later. In February, Andras announced that Tubi had picked up a 90-minute special, titled Wynonna Earp: Vengeance , with the series' main cast members all reprising their original roles. If this movie-length follow-up proves anything, it's that the team behind the show hasn't lost a step in picking up where the story and these characters left off — but there are also more than enough signs that Wynonna Earp could continue in some form, if everyone is still all in.

What Is 'Wynonna Earp: Vengeance' About?

Following the events of the original series, Wynonna Earp: Vengeance picks up with the members of Team Earp split up and making an effort to live ordinary lives. While Wynonna and Doc initially left Purgatory for a chance at happily ever after, it turns out that they've taken a page out of Bonnie and Clyde 's book , cheating and fleecing their way through casinos to secure the funds they need to settle down. Even though the couple has temporarily put down roots in Tombstone, Arizona (also known as the place where Wynonna's ancestor, Wyatt Earp , famously made a name for himself), there's still something missing for their happy ending to be complete — their daughter, Alice, who previously had been sent far away from any demonic goings-on to keep her safe.

Back in the Ghost River Triangle, Nicole Haught might be firmly established as the newly-promoted sheriff — and very much enjoying married life to Waverly — but it almost feels as if the newlywed couple have become too settled in their ways, especially in a place where the norm was once very much made up of the paranormal. Good thing there's a powerful, demonic threat brewing on the outskirts of town, right? Vengeance 's new baddie (played by Karen Knox ) is one of the most personal monsters that's ever popped up in this world — one who has a surprising score to settle with Wynonna herself . After a particularly memorable debut, which doesn't happen without some death along the way, Waverly desperately summons her big sister back to Purgatory. With her trusty leather jacket donned and her magic, demon-killing gun Peacemaker holstered, Wynonna returns to a town that might not be happy to see her but still needs her unique brand of crazy to take down this new evil.

'Wynonna Earp: Vengeance' Feels Like an Extra-Long Episode of the Original Series

Wynonna Earp was a show that originally endured due to its charm, rather than any large amount of money thrown at its budget. In that regard, Tubi's feature-length follow-up special doesn't diverge from a formula that still works. From a visual standpoint, Vengeance looks exactly like an installment of the original series — and it helps, of course, that it's helmed by Paolo Barzman , who directed many episodes from Wynonna Earp 's initial run, with a script from series creator Andras. Another undeniable benefit of the special's streaming platform is the fact that Vengeance doesn't have to censor itself, and Wynonna Earp 's trademark wit and snappy exchanges get to pack even more of a punch when characters have the freedom to be unrepentantly cheeky.

With so many returning parties both in front of and behind the camera, the results are a sequel that feels like we've never left the world of Wynonna Earp , regardless of how much time has passed off-screen. Scrofano slips back into the role of gun-and-booze-slinging demon slayer without missing a beat, but she shines most in the more vulnerable moments Wynonna finds herself in after her return to Purgatory. Thanks to a fireside chat with Provost-Chalkley's Waverly, a front-porch revelation with Rozon's Doc, and a continuing odd-couple connection with Barrell's Haught, Scrofano gets to lean into all of her character's best and most endearing traits — including her softer side, even if it always comes out more reluctantly than her quippy humor.

It's Time to Make Your Peace as 'Wynonna Earp: Vengeance' Trailer Drops at SDCC

The movie will premiere on Tubi.

In fact, Vengeance 's best aspects don't even really have to do with the big demon threatening our faves, but the enduring chemistry that the main cast expertly wields to make us laugh, cry, and everything in between. Barrell and Provost-Chalkley have to balance WayHaught's sweeter moments with the tougher conversations that have been a long time coming, but they do so in a way that proves they're still one of the best couples on television. Meanwhile, Scrofano and Rozon balance simmering sexual tension with the underlying angst that continues to define Wynonna and Doc's relationship, their shared looks speaking volumes when they can't bring themselves to say what they need to aloud. But there's no on-screen pairing in Vengeance that isn't terrific — whether it's Wynonna and Waverly starting a drunken brawl at a wake or Wynonna and Nicole begrudgingly working together for the greater good, every combination of these characters is as magic as it's always been.

'Vengeance' Sets Up the Possibility of Even More 'Wynonna Earp'

Wynonna Earp 's initial endpoint was arguably satisfying — between a WayHaught wedding and Wynonna and Doc riding off into the sunset together, a sequel would only have felt like the right idea if everyone was on board. Vengeance was not only worth the wait, with every main cast member perfectly at home in their roles again, but it shines as a true labor of love , in part thanks to cameos that emphasize how game everyone was to come back for more. As a successor to the original series, the special doesn't use the plot as a way to just orchestrate a big reunion or skate by on vibes only; Team Earp has to deal with real stakes again, ones that lurk just beyond the boundary of the homestead, as well as the type of supernatural threats that won't see every character making it through to the end in one piece.

That said, without treading too deep into spoiler territory, Vengeance ends in such a way that it feels like the door has been left open for a continuation , even if it isn't another full season of the show. Why not allow the cast and crew to return for additional specials, giving viewers the chance to check in on what these characters have been up to occasionally? If the Earpers haven't made their peace with the series ending by now, then Wynonna Earp: Vengeance is only going to make their rallying cry for a resurrection louder than ever.

Wynonna Earp: Vengeance

Wynonna Earp: Vengeance is a welcome return to Purgatory and filled with everything great about the original series.

• The 90-minute streaming film feels just like an episode of the TV show.
• The returning cast hasn't lost a step in terms of their chemistry.
• The ending absolutely leaves the door open for a continuation in some form.

Wynonna Earp: Vengeance premieres Friday, September 13 on Tubi.

Watch on Tubi