Not The Apocalypse You Were Looking For (Knock At The Cabin review)

Yes, my people. I am back after 2 months and writing from a new place. So, expect new Olive Opinion posts on whatever I had the time to watch and review like usual. To all the readers, Thank you for all the support lately, I hope you stick around. 

M. Night Shyamalan has been no stranger to not bringing audiences to the big screen for people seem to be disappointed with what he has to offer these days, constantly comparing it to his seminal work on the Sixth Sense and Split while there are a few others that are mesmerized and happy to see what he presents next. Knock At The Cabin is not only a Shyamalan film but it was co-written and is an adaptation of the novel Cabin At The End Of The World by Paul G. Tremblay. 

With a premise that involves a couple and their adopted daughter having a break-in by a bunch of 4 strangers, something is bound to intrigue audiences, right? With familiar talents like Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, and Servant alum Rupert Grint, the film has nothing short of talent, even with actors you may or may not have seen before in much smaller roles. Bautista's performance as Leonard is the highlight of this film, portraying the hulking but charming leader of the four invaders. You believe every word he says, left wondering if you should trust him or not. 

Despite being a plotline that revolves heavily around an apocalypse, there's not much to witness dramatically for that 90 percent of the film takes place within the cabin and whoever is in it. The other 10 percent really involves side plots that provide backstory for our leads. Information about both of them in ways that should be analyzed further if anyone is interested in a rewatch. Intrigues, tensions, and urgency happen within a small space, leaving the actors and the script given to them to fend for themselves to make this adaptation worth the watch. As someone who has not read the book, the focus was mostly on the storytelling and whether Shyamalan's signature was still at play. 

For the most part, this does not feel like a film made by the aforementioned director for it feels and looks different. This might be due to the script being treated by Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman in order to not let Shyamalan run free. Even his memorable choice to include a cliffhanger of sorts was not done this time around. The closest thing we got to one was the plot twist some of us might or might not have seen coming. Either way,  it made sense. 

However, with the themes used in this film, whether it involves remnants of biblical inspiration or the inclusion of LGBTQ+ leads, Knock At The Cabin is an interesting film. It has everything a thriller needs. Do yourselves a favor and catch Knock At The Cabin in cinemas today for a spine-chilling time that will leave you gasping for air by the time credits roll.