Knock At The Cabin (2023) Dir: M. Night Shyamalan
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M. Night Shyamalan's latest horror film gained a fair bit of traction with casual audiences when it released in 2023, and continues to be popular on streaming services. I had been intrigued by the film's trailers when they came out, but ultimately decided to wait until I had an opportunity to see it at home instead.
The cinematography for the film was fairly straightforward - the visuals weren't exactly the key focus of it - but, I did quite like the aesthetic of it all. The simple layout limited the film in both positive and negative ways. The sense of isolation was certainly a strength, while the repeated use of the television to explain the consequences of the story was somewhat repetitive and boring.
The set-up to the story was simple, but interesting - it had a good hook for a story - something that Shyamalan often does well with his projects. Unfortunately, there were a few plot holes, as well as some sloppy bits of writing, but, on the whole, I found myself quite entertained. The character relationships, specifically between the family, felt genuine, which was honestly nice to see, and allowed me to invest in their collective fate all the more.
Kristen Cui put in quite an enjoyable shift as the young star of this film. I won't say that this was the best child performance I've seen or anything, but she understood what was required of her, and delivered it rather well. I think her strongest scenes came at the beginning of the film, where she really stood out nicely.
Of the two male protagonists, I think that Jonathon Groff had the better individual scenes, particularly those where he was being vulnerable. I will say though, that, of the two, Ben Aldridge was the more consistent actor throughout the film. I enjoyed the intimacy the two men displayed, not just between them, but with Cui as well.
Dave Bautista may not have been playing the main character in the film, but nobody told him that. He acted his socks off, and honestly looked leagues better than his co-stars at times. I'm so glad that Bautista is getting roles like these, because he really is showing some immense acting ability at times.
Although none of them feature as much as Bautista, and although they certainly don't hold a torch to his performance, I do think that Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn and Rupert Grint deserve credit for their supporting roles. I'd have liked for them to feel a little more fleshed out as chatacters, but the acting was fine, at least - except for Grint's American accent, that is.
Overall, I'd say this was a fairly enjoyable, if not spectacular, modern horror from the often maligned Shyamalan. Most of his films may not be classics, with the exception of one or two, but he knows how to entertain, and he always brings a little twist to his stories that keeps audiences on their toes. I, for one, liked the film.
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