User reviews

I don't know why I keep on falling for it. I keep on watching movies by M Night Shyamalan, and continue to hope to walk away with the excitement and awe I felt when I watched movies like The Sixth Sense, Signs, and The Visit. Instead, I keep on walking away shaking my head, thinking about the lost potential and opportunity. He continues to have very interesting ideas with very poor execution. The concept of this movie is excellent. The directorial choices, the storyline, the decisions made by characters were to be honest with you kind of blah. I didn't care enough about any of the characters to really care what happened to them. For a director that's known for his plot twists, this movie sure could've used one.

For some reason, despite a few bombs, I've always rooted for M. Night Shyamalan. I don't know ... he just seems like a good guy and someone who I would like to have as a neighbor maybe.

In addition to being a seemingly likeable person, he made one or two really great films (at least one, for sure) and for some reason that just adds to his likeability. The problem with this, is that because of his seemingly genuine affability and because of the one or two good films he has made, I always feel as if he has it in him to create something exceptional, and time and time and again I think that the 'next one' will BE the one ... only to find that it isn't. So is the case with his latest offering, Knock at the Cabin. With The Cabin At the End of the World (which was the source material for Knock at the Cabin), he even started off with more than half of the recipe for something amazing.

The fact that it falls SOOOO short of being so, is truly a shame, and makes me wonder if he will really ever reach the heights of another 'The Sixth Sense'.

In order to avoid a Spoiler Tag I will not go into detail, but there was ZERO FILMED backstory to any of the important characters, and the filming of the backstories (and getting to know at least a little about each of them) was NECESSARY / paramount for this film to work. Having each character just speak about themselves for what amounted to a handful of minutes, was the worst.

In a world of sequels and IP M. Night Shyamalan continues to give us interesting and original stories. And he tends to get a lot of flack for them sadly. People want original content but then destroy it every time it comes along. It's no wonder we can't have nice things. 'Knock at the Cabin' isn't perfect, but it's certainly a fun ride.

The film starts out as a mystery. We don't know what is going on and everything seems very strange and is not making a lot of sense. It's a good way to start a movie. Then we are let in on what is going on and things become particularly interesting. It's at this point that you simply must turn your brain off to logic to get through the rest of the film. Because much like a lot of religion it doesn't make a lick of sense.

Where the film let me down was the ending. The book has such a thought-provoking and interesting ending. To get the movie made they were obviously told they would have to change that. It's very disappointing but it's sadly where we are in the world of film. Everyone is afraid they might offend the 1% so the 99% miss out.

Still though, the first 9/10 of the movie are a pretty damn good time and are well worth your dollar. 7/10.

Parents Eric and Andrew take their young daughter Wen on a vacation to a remote cabin.

M Night Shyalaman always manages to offer something a little bit different, sometimes it works, sometime it doesn't, Knock at The Cabin I'd place as one of the better ones, I enjoyed it.

I expected something along the same lines as Strangers, some sort of slasher movie, I wasn't expecting a horror thriller with biblical overtones.

I'll be honest, I didn't care a great deal for it when I first saw it at The Cinema, but second time round, I rather enjoyed it, possibly because.i knew what I was expecting.

It's a truly quirky film, pretty much as you'd expect, it's fairly well paced, has a degree of tension, it just manages to be so different.

I always like to think about how I'd feel in the position of a film's central character, and seeing if from Eric's point of view, you'd surely be thinking it was a set up, and that someone from the past had set up an elaborate hoax, the alternative is too terrible even to contemplate.

It's well acted all round, but I have to give credit to Dave Bautista, who puts in an absolutely terrific performance, he's captivating.

Those BBC news articles made me chuckle, most presenters now have regional accents across the channel, here they all had those wonderful accents from the 1950's, all terribly posh.

This film is definitely worth seeing, even if you were a bit undecided first time round.

M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin is a solid concept and is filled with thrilling suspense, however I just felt that there was something missing. The acting was particularly good with some breakout performances from Ben Aldridge and Kristen Cui. It was an aesthetically pleasing film which was also a plus, but it was the story that just didn't add up. I felt that I left the movie with more questions than answers and an overall feeling of un-fulfillment. I think that audiences will enjoy this film for the most part, but the potential for a more satisfying conclusion will leave viewers feeling disappointment in my opinion. Still worth watching though.

I have watched most of Night Shyamalan's movies and some I like a lot. But to me his ability to make interesting movies decreases as time goes by. The last one I watched was "Old" where people on a beach aged at an accelerated rate.

This one I stared watching streaming on Peacock. A family of three, two dads and a little girl, about to turn 8, are vacationing in a secluded cabin in the woods, somewhere in Pennsylvania. Very shortly after the movie begins four strangers show up, they want to talk, but break down the doors when the parents lock themselves in.

The most frustrating thing is how S-L-O-W-L-Y the four strangers tell them why there are there and what they need. It absolutely is audience abuse. They tell them all kinds of other things but "this is why we are here and what we need from you" comes out at such a prolonged rate that I found myself thinking, "He is only doing this to make the movie longer."

Well they eventually tell the family that their mission is probably the most important mission ever in the history of humanity. And what they tell the family needs to be done makes absolutely no sense at all.

My wife, wisely, chose to skip this one. I wish I had too, I might never watch a Night Shyamalan movie again. Doing so is just mostly a waste of time. This movie is NOT entertaining and it doesn't make sense.

Shyamalan gets the most extremes sides far as reactions. People either love or hate his movies for his bizarre yet ambitious signature style. The fact that he approaches his films with a "swing away" attitude has gained my utmost respect since his mega hit Sixth Sense. Along the way there's been some strikeouts but within the last decade he's created a Renaissance for his films.

This particular book adaptation is yet another hit, and will be sure to get people talking. The premise starts out rather straightforward and you quickly find out the stakes are high and massive. The story will grab hold of you and shake you to the core with twists that even though you know are coming will still be shocking even for M Night's catalogue.

The acting is absolutely next level with Dave Bautista and Jonathan Groff putting in their raw emotions and prowess into every scene. They will make you feel the story relentlessly . The writing here is also relative and gutsy. The camerawork is as crisp as ever with fantastic wilderness settings and supreme angle work. The cgi for certain scenes used looks authentic and never cheap. The true standout has to once again be the leaps that the plot takes going into to daring territory . It never holds back which is commendable in a time like this.

Overall I would easily say that this film will be looked at as one of his stronger ventures and is highly thought provoking to a point where you'll need a second viewing. It gives the classic Shyamalan wonder and curiosity that make him one of the most intriguing directors /story tellers of our time.

I read the book this film is based on before watching it. The Cabin At the End of the World was a great book that really dives into the histories of the characters, the philosophy behind the choice, and it ended with an ambiguous ending, where you weren't sure who was right at the end.

The movie was on par with The Last Airbender in how it took the source material and made a Wikipedia summary adaptation with poor dialogue, acting and an ending that missed the point. The only redeeming quality was Dave Bautista's performance. He really did a good job with the role of a giant with a heart of gold, who is forced to do something horrible. You can really see the sadness in his eyes, and his conviction that what he saw was true.

M. Night needs to get help with his scripts. He just doesn't know what he's doing.

Back from an advance screening of M. Night Shyamalan's Knock At The Cabin, I think it'll be polarizing and nerds will say iT's NoT hOrRoR, but I really liked it. It was very intense, the action starts up RIGHT away, and crazyyy good performances by every single actor. Gold star for Dave Bautista 🌟 It pulled off a few visuals and events I've never seen portrayed in a movie and they were pretty chilling. Also had some really cool camera work and transitions. I also think the end could be taken a few different ways which I really like. Go see it, and decide for yourself what happened. For me it was one of Shyamalan's best in a long time.

Tame and mild are not words I would use to describe any other Shyamalan movie. I don't understand why he takes this route with Knock at the Cabin. It's not restricted by a PG-13 rating like so many other horror movies from cowardly/greedy studios (looking at you M3gan). So why were there numerous times where this movie used strategies seen in PG-13 horror flicks? Every time there was anything close to violence or gore, the camera cuts away. I don't even know what caused this to get an R-rating.

As for the movie itself, it's extremely boring and has very little of value. Nothing stands out. Nothing impressed me. The filmmaking is more than competent, but there is almost no intrigue in this story. And it's one of the preachiest movies I've seen in a long time.

As someone who's been more patient than most with Shyamalan's flops, that patience is starting to dwindle. I'll always be grateful for movies like Unbreakable, Split, Signs and many others. But I hope he can get back on track soon. (1 viewing, opening Thursday UltraScreen 2/2/2023)

Just so you know where I'm coming from up front, I should preface this review by saying I'm not the biggest M. Night Shyamalan fan - in fact, I kind of like to tease and mock his movies when I watch them with friends. I think he often starts off with interesting ideas but, perhaps because of his early success with The Sixth Sense, always feels this need to cram in some kind of ridiculous twist (or multiple twists) at the end. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't - but he seems to rely on the surprise of the twist to win people over too much. It was a surprise to me then when this movie didn't have a twist at all. I kept waiting for it - but it never came.

That's not really a good thing though because the movie is very slow and plodding, never really going anywhere, and at 1hr 40min the premise just isn't engaging enough to sustain interest for the duration. It's not all bad though. Perhaps the most surprising thing is Dave Bautista, who delivers a nuanced understated performance as Leonard. I still remember when I used to assume a movie was going to be bad if Bautista was in it - but over the past few years he has really come into his own as an actor and is showing his ability to take on some interesting roles.

While I can't really recommend this movie I do have to give it a few bonus points just for Bautista.

Cabin who? Ya, it's all I got, and that's about as exciting as M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin. The premise of the story was very intriguing, and the casting and performances - especially Bautista, were spot on. But Shyamalan's execution felt more like something you'd expect from an amateur filmmaker. His artistic attempts with all the off-center shots - such as an actors face in the bottom right corner of the entire screen, became annoying fast, especially when it came to the dramatic gore scenes, that seemed to be edited down for 10 year old viewers. Even the backstory of the two dads was boring and pretty much insignificant to the core premise of the film, especially when the narrative was based on "pure love". Ya, ok, nothing pure about those two in those backstories, that also lacked anything of substance to make me care for either dad. His screenplay lacked the creativity to give the viewer the thrills and shock-factor this film really needed to give it some bite. At least throw in a twist or two to offset the generic and predictable storytelling. Nevertheless, still a decent one-time watch, but could've easily been so much better.

Plot

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.

Cast

Dave Bautista and Rupert Grint were the only faces I knew, everyone did a passable job.

Verdict

I'm not a Shyamalan fan, his films to me have ranged from bad to mediocre with minimal exceptions so Knock at the Cabin I assumed would be the same and I called the "Twist" (If you can call it that) from the trailer never mind the film.

I like Bautista I do, but decent cast members can only take you so far and he had no hope of saving this. It's tense, it certainly is but it's playing out a story that you already know, it jumps from checkpoint to checkpoint and lands slap bang in the middle of Icalleditville.

Everybody does the best with what they're working with, but Shyamalan delivers another mediocre forgettable film and I'm not even remotely surprised.

Rants

Why did Bautista look so bloated? I mean he's a big guy absolutely, but here he looked like someone had pumped him with air like the Michelin man. Either that or to prepare for the role he spent a month eating twinkies and getting stung by bees. Either way Mr Bautista, are you okay?

Breakdown

Mostly well made Far too predictable Falls flat.

Okay, Streamers, I know we all have been waiting on pins and needles for M. Night Shyamalan's next feature film, and it's finally here. Oh, was that only me? Okay, then... Anway, I was anticipating Knock at the Cabin since I saw the first trailer last fall. Home invasion and the end of the world movies build on reasonable fears that many people have, so let's see what Shyamalan was able to do with the mix of these two.

Knock at the Cabin is based on a novel by Paul Tremblay, "The Cabin at the End of the World." Shyamalan and his co-writers have adapted that novel into this movie. The basic premise is that a gay couple and their adopted daughter are on a vacation in a remote cabin in Pennsylvania when four strangers come to the cabin and tell them that the world will end unless they decide to sacrifice one of their own. It's a moral dilemma - kill someone you love in order to save billions of people you don't even know. What would you do if these hijinks ensue.

Here's the thing - the premise of this movie is very interesting. It immediately makes the audience question what decision they would make and what questions they would ask if put in this situation. In that way, the movie easily grabs you. The problem is that Shyamalan doesn't do much more than pose the question and go through the motions of telling you what these guys do. It gets repetitive and there isn't enough development of the gay couple as characters to help the audience care about them or why they make the decisions they make. Therefore, the movie becomes pretty frustrating and unsatisfying.

On the other hand, there are some good aspects. Dave Bautista, who plays one of the strangers, Leonard, is an inviting presence on screen. He can be menacing by his sheer size, but his performance ably fights against first impressions. Rupert Grint, who play another stranger, Redmond, brings a bit of dark humor. He's probably the scariest of the strangers. I'll also mention that even though I don't believe they are well-developed characters, Ben Aldridge and Jonathan Groff, who play the gay couple, Eric and Andrew, have good chemistry and react appropriately in this situation. I'll also say that no one does anything really dumb in this movie, which typically happens in these home invasion movies. Eric and Andrew, generally, make smart decisions to help protect each other and their daughter. So, the movie isn't frustrating because anyone is dumb.

I also don't know why this movie is rated R. There isn't really any gore. There isn't anything visually scary about it. There may be some curse words, but I can't imagine they were enough to justify this not being PG-13.

In conclusion, Knock at the Cabin is a decent entry in the Shyamalan filmography. It is not one of his best, but it also certainly not one of the worst. There is a good premise, but the movie doesn't do anything more than present it as a morality play, which eventually becomes repetitive. Although there are good performances, there isn't enough character development to sustain interest in these individuals. Knock at the Cabin is only good enough for a handful of popcorn - there's no urgency to see this in a theater.

Par for the course for an M Night Shyamalan movie. I actually really enjoyed this. Maybe I just really enjoy watching Dave Bautista. I was thankful that they didn't rely on gratuitous gore to get the point across, that's the main thing I was afraid of. This was tastefully done and very emotional.

Also, I'd like to beg the question, why does a Shyamalan movie always have to have some 'twist' to it? Sure, I expect the movie to give me food for thought but is there some secret surprising 'twist' to the story? I didn't get that impression from the trailers and the movie didn't seem to be suggesting one and I just enjoyed each moment for what it was. In the end, I was satisfied with the way it went, regardless of whether or not I already knew the end or guessed the end or didn't guess it.

Let's face, it at this point, Shylaman had been a hack for over a decade. This movie isn't esoteric, it's not misunderstood and it's not unique. The only thing Unique is the fact it was produced rather than simply throwing this pathetic screenplay into a furnace. Truthfully, outisde of a Sixth Sense and Split, Shylaman can simply not write a decent movie. You'll see the same fan boys that somehow gave Old a 10 singing the praises of this poorly written script. If you want to waste 2 hours of your life, fight off sleeping and waste fifty dollars to prove you're right. Be my guest, I was more fulfilled staying home and watching Sponge Bob reruns.