Knock at the Cabin

Grade: B

Most of M. Night Shyamalan’s post-Sixth Sense movies tend to have an ending which, at worst, is unsatisfying, and at best, pales in comparison to the body of the film. The Visit was a thoroughly entertaining and engaging thriller until the big twist was dropped in, then it settled into robotic mechanical cinematic fare in the final act. Old had scenes in the conclusion that were way out of left field and felt tacked on from a different movie. Knock at the Cabin, opening in theaters tomorrow, is no different. Its appetizer and main course contain great, and a few excellent things, but it’s “86” all desserts, and hopefully you’re ok with just black coffee.

In the opening scene, we meet Wen, the under-10-year-old daughter of Eric and Andrew. In a flashback (one of several that fills in some blanks), we see the pure joy and love these two men have as they adopt baby Wen. The three of them are vacationing in a remote cabin. A man named Leonard shows up on foot and strikes up a conversation with Wen. He is large and physically imposing, but seems mild mannered. This is where Shyamalan shines. He has always been a master at unsettling the viewers, and this opening dialogue cuts back-and-forth between Leonard and Wen’s faces in extreme closeups, as every lesson, thought, and red flag about stranger danger floods into our minds.

Another man and two women join Leonard, and they force their way into the cabin, where they tie up the dads. Leonard explains that the four of them are there to stop the apocalypse. It can only be averted if Eric, Andrew, and Wen put their heads together and make an unthinkably difficult decision – one they have to decide and execute on their own, without help. I thought about telling you a little more, but that’s as far as I’ll go.

The movie’s hour and 40 minute run time clips by nicely, thanks to the pacing, filmmaking, and convincing performances. These actors are grounded and emotionally charged. As Leonard, Dave Bautista (from Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and the Guardians of the Galaxy films) has really been showing us his range as an actor in recent months. He has surprised me, and I look forward to what else is up his artistic sleeve. Ben Aldridge, effective and memorable in Spoiler Alert, and Broadway/Disney/musical theatre veteran Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening, Frozen, Hamilton, Little Shop of Horrors) take their eclectic resumes and deliver electric chemistry as fathers Eric and Andrew. Kristen Cui is an adorable young star in the making as Wen – and in a scene where she sings a song with her dads, she can hold her own with their vocals – even Groff’s. My favorite of the hostage-takers was Rupert Grint. It’s too bad he doesn’t have more screen time (hint hint) because he is a scene-stealer with a command of the craft. He reminds me of someone associated with a Shakespeare company that I’ve performed with extensively. If you are familiar with that group, when you see the movie, let me know if he makes you think of anyone.

In the movies, whenever something is obscured, blurred, or otherwise kept from our view, it’s usually a sign that they want to save it for a cheap reveal later on. They went to an awful lot of trouble to conceal somebody’s face in a flashback, and it felt lame and forced. Ultimately, the best reason to see Knock at the Cabin is for the solid work by the actors, who play their stakes and keep the momentum going while they (and we) are still figuring things out. The journey is usually more enjoyable than the destination. I’ve heard the book this is based on ends differently (and better). The film’s ending doesn’t really amount to anything, but we had a tight, efficient, cool story leading up to it.

Grade: B