If you like claustrophobic twisty thrillers, this is a must-watch.
Netflix has just added Knock at the Cabin, the excellent 2023 thriller movie made by legendary director M. Night Shyamalan (Signs, The Sixth Sense and Split).
An adaptation of an acclaimed novel by Paul Tremblay, the film stars Ben Aldridge (Fleabag) and Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) as Andrew and Eric, a couple who take their adopted young daughter, Wen (Kristen Cui), to a remote cabin in rural Pennsylvania for a holiday.
While vacationing at the secluded spot, however, the cabin is invaded by four strangers (including Marvel star Dave Bautista and Harry Potter’s Rupert Grint) who hold the family hostage.
The intruders claim that they are not there to steal from or harm the vacationers but as part of a special mission to prevent the apocalypse.
They also say that in order to do this, Andrew and Eric must make a “horrible decision”.
To reveal any more would spoil Knock at the Cabin – this is a Shyamalan movie after all.
But we will just say that M. Night’s dread-inducing filmmaking, as well as the movie’s dark and twisty story, weighty themes and incredible performances – particularly from Bautista and Groff – make it a must-watch for fans of claustrophobic thrillers.
Upon release, it became one of the filmmaker’s best-reviewed films in recent years and a bit of a hit, nearly tripling its $20 million budget at the box office.
You can read a sample of some other positive reviews for Knock at the Cabin below:
ABC News: “This doomsday thriller starring a never-better Dave Bautista as a modern horseman of the apocalypse confirms that the Sixth Sense maestro knows how to fill the screen with tension and squeeze.”
Chicago Reader: “Shyamalan dazzles here with his gift for taking the kinds of ideas that once comprised the plots of pulp magazine stories, anthology television, and B-movies and turning them into high art.”
Chron: “Shyamalan has tapped right into the paranoia of our age. He’s made a single-location potboiler that echoes the rapid proliferation of crackpot conspiracy theories and the powerful urge to doom scroll.”
Observer (UK): “As the film’s bleak momentum builds, so does a tsunami swell of existential dread. It’s Shyamalan’s most contained and efficient picture in a while.”
The Ringer: “Even though his spiritual successor, Jordan Peele, is reaching for the A+ B-movie torch, Night remains the industry standard.”
Vulture: “The most exhilarating and wounding film M. Night Shyamalan has made in many, many years.”
Knock at the Cabin is streaming on Netflix in Ireland and the UK right now.
You can check out JOE’s interview with Shyamalan about the movie right here:
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