Pervaded with an air of mystery and driven by a sense of impending doom, Knock at the Cabin finds its madcap filmmaker channeling some of his best tendencies as a storyteller and makes for a consistently tense, gripping & unnerving apocalyptic psychological horror that's powered by sturdy performances from the cast, only to throw away all the progress in the last moments.
Written & directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Signs, The Village & Old), the story follows a family that's taken hostage by four strangers who ask them to make an unimaginable sacrifice. It is an interesting premise that screams both promise & potential and delivers the goods for the most part. However, the ending suffers from the unnecessary explanation that hurts its open-ended interpretation.
Shyamalan's direction is excellent throughout, and he does well to sustain the tension and keep us invested in the unfolding drama. But the flashbacks often halt the momentum and fail to add anything substantial to the hostages' arcs. Dave Bautista broadens his range as an actor with a brilliant showcase and is well-supported by the rest. And the technically sound production adds more polish to the final print.
Overall, Knock at the Cabin had all the ingredients to finish as one of Shyamalan's better efforts but the finale unfortunately overstays its welcome and undoes the utter brilliance of the first two acts by explaining what should've been left ambiguous in the first place. Still, one can't help but admire the director's ability to keep the interest alive in the proceedings at all times. Fascinating yet frustrating, Shyamalan's latest is worth a shot.
Written & directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Signs, The Village & Old), the story follows a family that's taken hostage by four strangers who ask them to make an unimaginable sacrifice. It is an interesting premise that screams both promise & potential and delivers the goods for the most part. However, the ending suffers from the unnecessary explanation that hurts its open-ended interpretation.
Shyamalan's direction is excellent throughout, and he does well to sustain the tension and keep us invested in the unfolding drama. But the flashbacks often halt the momentum and fail to add anything substantial to the hostages' arcs. Dave Bautista broadens his range as an actor with a brilliant showcase and is well-supported by the rest. And the technically sound production adds more polish to the final print.
Overall, Knock at the Cabin had all the ingredients to finish as one of Shyamalan's better efforts but the finale unfortunately overstays its welcome and undoes the utter brilliance of the first two acts by explaining what should've been left ambiguous in the first place. Still, one can't help but admire the director's ability to keep the interest alive in the proceedings at all times. Fascinating yet frustrating, Shyamalan's latest is worth a shot.