Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Knock at the Cabin’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(from left) Adriane (Abby Quinn), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Leonard (Dave Bautista) and Redmond (Rupert Grint) in Knock at the Cabin, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

If there is one thing that means the world to us more than anything else, it’s family. Simply because… they are an actual extension of us, and they are people that we share supremely special memories with, and those two elements make them important people in our lives… the kind that we would do anything for, and we most certainly do. Since we will stop everything to let them vent or cry or gush with joy, and these are the same folks that we will fiercely defend when they are wrongly under fire. Because family is indeed everything, and if a few people are hurt emotionally from us taking the time to stand up for the ones we love… oh well, so be it, and if we have to go further to keep them safe… we will do what we must.
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Because that is indeed how much family means to us and how badly we want to help them. But thankfully, going to extremes for our family isn’t something that has to happen all that often, if ever at all. But it somehow brings us comfort to know that if we must cross that line, we will. Or will we? Because we truly have not faced that dark moment where such a decision would have to be made and well… it does leave one to wonder just how far we would actually go to save our family, especially if we were tasked with taking part in horrible, horrible acts to keep them in good standing. But thankfully, these are tough questions that can be easily explored via the safety of fiction, and it just so happens that a brand-new movie from Universal ponders upon that ugly question in a horrifying manner.

A feat that Knock at the Cabin accomplishes by plunging us into the middle of a very unique day for a family. For Andrew and Eric and their adopted daughter Wen, find their idyllic and peaceful getaway at a remote cabin in the woods, interrupted by four strangers, led by a mysterious man named Leonard who has quite the request of this family. In that, he and his friends firmly believe that the end of the world is about to take place and if their visions are correct, the only way to keep billions of people from dying horrible and tragic deaths… is for this family to willingly sacrifice one of their own. An act that disgusts Andrew and Eric, despite the fact that darkness does seem to be falling upon the Earth. Leaving them in a difficult place for certain, one where they must indeed decide if one life in exchange for billions is a fair price… to keep a portion of their family free from the horrors that await them outside.

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Which is… the perfect way to ponder upon that grand question. Because that exact conundrum is what Eric and Andrew must face. Because if the world ends, there’s no happiness or safety for their family, just horror and terror and sorrow. But of course, that ask is incredibly high and this story does an amazing job of putting them on the spot to think about the impossible and how far they would go. As to what they decide, we won’t spoil here, but we can say that this is a refreshing challenge for characters to face. One that is only made more difficult by the troubling events that take place in the cabin while they decide. The kind that are motivated by Leonard and his friends and their visions and those acts and the subject matter in general, bring forth some unique horror elements.

For this is a scary story that is devoid of blood and guts and jump scares and terrifying monsters. Instead, this is a good old fashioned psychological horror film, one that uses dread and the situation at hand to really bring forth the scares. The kind that relates to the darkness we carry and the evil we are capable of and of course, the film makes heavy use of the disturbing nature of the nightmare now surrounding this family and their ‘guests’ to terrify the viewer. All of which works in concert to create a supremely bleak story for certain, one that doesn’t leave you with a single feel-good moment. Which is quite the accomplishment for director M. Night Shyamalan, who usually opts to inject a smidge of humor when things are at their worst to never let the moment overpower.

But here, he is eager to just terrify and unsettle us and it is mission accomplished for certain, and the ugly that we experience is only further enhanced by some stunning performances in this film. With Dave Bautista stealing the show as Leonard since he brings a collected calm to the desperate darkness he expresses in this tale and really, the chilling performances, and incredible situation this family and these strangers find themselves struggling with, makes for one powerful horror film. One that truly leaves you with plenty to chew upon. For this is a supremely intelligent horror film, one that explores topics and taboos that few horror films will touch and truly rattles you to your core. Since this is a motion picture that preys upon our primal fears and toys with a concept that is genuinely sacred.

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