Dave Bautista leads a group of people who have to carry out a job to prevent the apocalypse in M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller.
Just 18 months ago, M. Night Shyamalan released Old, and he’s already back with his next project, Knock at the Cabin.
This psychological thriller follows Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Eric (Jonathan Groff) and their adopted daughter Wen (Kristen Cui), who are on holiday in a remote cabin in the woods.
One day, their relaxing break is interrupted by the arrival of armed strangers Leonard (Dave Bautista), Redmond (Rupert Grint), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), and Adriane (Abby Quinn) – who take them hostage and instruct them to make a difficult choice to avert the apocalypse.
The four strangers are not your average villains. They are normal people who have been dumped with the burden of saving humanity and truly believe they’ve seen the future and this is the only way to stop it.
The movie, based on The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay, is a gripping, thought-provoking thriller revolving around a moral dilemma. It makes you wonder how you would act if you were in Andrew and Eric’s shoes.
By its very nature, the story is quite repetitive and some people might get fed up with it but it’s full of surprises and keeps you guessing right until the very end.
There are even some shocks in store for those who have read the book.
While the concept is interesting, it doesn’t really sustain itself as a feature. Shyamalan has to resort to flashbacks about Andrew and Eric’s past to fill the story out and although it adds more depth to their characters; they are ultimately unnecessary.
They also interrupt the tension and flow of the present-day narrative and take you out of the main story.
Given his run of macho or comic characters, you wouldn’t expect a man of Bautista’s physique to be cast as a nurturing schoolteacher.
It’s an unexpected turn from the former wrestler and it proves he’s got much more to give as an actor.
The other standout cast member is child star Cui, who holds her own alongside her adult co-stars. Wen is smart, resourceful, and a useful member of the family team.
Knock at the Cabin is much better than Shyamalan’s previous outing, Old, and a decent psychological thriller, despite its pacing issues.
In cinemas from Friday 3rd February.
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