Movie Review: ‘Knock at the Cabin’

The filmmaker creates a satisfying movie that plays off of the expectations of the audience, with strong work from Dave Bautista, Ben Aldridge, and Kristen Cui.

(L to R) Abby Quinn, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Dave Bautista and Rupert Grint in 'Knock at the Cabin,' directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

Opening in theaters on February 3rd is the new psychological thriller from the “Master of Surprise Endings” M. Night Shyamalan (‘The Sixth Sense,’ ‘Unbreakable’) entitled ‘Knock at the Cabin.’

To say too much about the plot would give away some of the very satisfying twists and turns, but it basically follows married couple Eric (‘Frozen’s Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (‘Spoiler Alert’s Ben Aldridge), along with their adopted daughter Wen (newcomer Kristen Cui) as they vacation at a remote cabin in the woods.

Trouble begins when four strangers, Leonard (Dave Bautista), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Adriane (Abby Quinn) and Redmond (Rupert Grint), arrive at the cabin with an extraordinary request for the family … either sacrifice one of your own or everyone on Earth will die.

(R to L) Ben Aldridge, Kristen Cui, Jonathan Groff and Dave Bautista in 'Knock at the Cabin,' directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

The result is a captivating and thoroughly enjoyable psychological thriller that plays off the expectations audiences have when watching a Shyamalan movie and features very good performances from Dave Bautista, Ben Aldridge, and newcomer Kristen Cui.

While I’ve always enjoyed M. Night Shyamalan as a filmmaker and storyteller, for me his films can be hit or miss. For every ‘Sixth Sense’ or ‘Unbreakable’ there is an ‘After Earth' or 'The Happening.' ‘Knock at the Cabin’ is in the former category, and I would put it right up there with some of the director’s best movies including ‘Signs’ and ‘The Village.’

But of course, audiences are aware by now of Shyamalan’s work and the twists, turns, and the surprise endings that he is famous for. However, in ‘Knock at the Cabin,' Shyamalan plays off of the audiences own expectations, which is the real twist. I spent half of the movie wondering what the twist would be, are the characters all really dead, or is everything just happening in someone’s backyard? But the true twist of the movie is that there is no twist at all! Everything is exactly as it is presented, and that is the real surprise, which is absolutely brilliant!

Dave Bautista in 'Knock at the Cabin,' directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

Of all the professional wrestlers turned actors, which includes Dwayne Johnson and John Cena, I’ve always thought Dave Bautista was the best actual actor of the bunch, and more concerned with the craft of acting than being a movie star. He’s pushed his range in recent years, from playing physically imposing characters like in ‘Spectre’ or ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ or more humorous roles like in the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movies or the recent ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’ In ‘Knock at the Cabin,’ while still physically imposing, Bautista has an opportunity to show his quieter, more emotional side and is very good in his dramatic scenes.

Also outstanding in the new film is actor Ben Aldridge, who plays Andrew. I first noticed Aldridge last year in the movie ‘Spoiler Alert,’ where he also gave an excellent performance. The actor does it again here, playing a loving character with some deep anger issues. Andrew is reluctant to believe what the four visitors are selling, and the complexity of his ultimate choice is heartbreaking. I think Aldridge is an actor you will be seeing a lot more of in the future, and could easily start getting the type of high profile roles that actors like Luke Evans or Matthew Rhys are often cast in.

But the true breakout star of the film is Kristen Cui, who plays Eric and Andrew’s young daughter, Wen. The actress is excellent in the role, and hard to take your eyes off of in her scenes. She is asked to do a lot for a young actress, and absolutely nails the role. She has great chemistry with Aldridge and Groff, but is especially great in her intimidating scenes with Bautista. Shyamalan also wisely uses flashbacks throughout the film to illustrate how Andrew and Eric met, the challenges of their relationship, and how they came to adopt Wen, which helps to flesh out the characters before their ultimate decision.

Kristen Cui in 'Knock at the Cabin,' directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

Groff does his best as Eric, but the character is not written as deeply as Andrew, and therefore seems one-dimensional at times, however Groff makes his final monologue really resonate. Speaking of one-dimensional characters, that is exactly what Rupert Grint was asked to play as Redmond. There is purposely not much nuance to the character, and Grint is more than satisfactory in his performance as the “evil redneck.”

Rounding out the four strangers is Nikki Amuka-Bird as Sabrina and Abby Quinn as Adriane. Amuka-Bird gives a very good and relatable performance as the reluctant Sabrina, while Quinn plays her role with a nervous, bubbly energy that adds a lot of humor to the otherwise nail-biting suspense thriller.

The movie touches on themes of religion, faith, and the environment, but really asks the question: Would you sacrifice your own love to save the world? It’s an interesting question, one that is explored in the movie, and lends itself well to the genre and Shyamalan’s form of filmmaking.

(L to R) M. Night Shyamalan and Ben Aldridge on the set 'Knock at the Cabin.'

There are some visual effects in the later part of the movie, that for the most part are used sparingly and really work. However, eagle eye viewers may notice a few shots that look slightly unfinished. It’s so minor, it’s almost not worth mentioning, and the drama of the story and the performances help to mask those moments.

In the end, it may not be his best film ever, but ‘Knock at the Cabin’ is definitely one of M. Night Shyamalan’s better movies, and a return to form for the visionary writer and director, featuring powerful performances from Bautista, Aldridge and Cui.

‘Knock at the Cabin’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.