"Knock at the Cabin" Review

 

by John Zenoni

M. Night Shyamalan is one of those directors I have still yet to decide if I really like or not because his films are so hit-and-miss. From his big breakout film in 1999, ‘The Sixth Sense’, through the 2004, ‘The Village’, I thought, ‘This guy is really a terrific storyteller.’ Then he came out with ‘Lady in the Water’, in 2006, and I couldn't figure that one out. Well, let me just say it, I didn't like it at all. Since then he's had some other releases come out that have been pretty good, with my favorite being ‘Split’, released in 2016. But nothing released since 2004 has matched what I feel like is the mystique and twists of his earlier films. Needless to say, his latest, ‘Knock at the Cabin’, doesn't do any better. Not that it is a bad film, and if nothing else, it does make you think, which I like.

The premise is that four strangers show up one day at the cabin of husbands Eric and Andrew, along with their daughter, Wen, telling them that they must decide to sacrifice one in their family in order to save the world. Pretty strange and there are some rough moments, as each time Eric and Andrew refuse, one of the four is killed by the others in the name of humanity. It's really disturbing, to say the least. Anyway, ultimately it gets down to sacrifice, but without giving anything away, the film’s ending left me scratching my head but at the same time making me think about what I believe the intent is. It definitely is one that can be interpreted many ways. Overall, it had some pretty good acting - although not necessarily believable scenarios - and some plot lines that could have been expanded on.

I have to give the director credit for one thing and that is that he at least tries to change things up with his stories.