To say that M. Night Shyamalan has a checkered history is an understatement. While he burst onto the scene with the fantastic The Sixth Sense and also Unbreakable, nothing he has done in the last 20 years has come close to that level of film making, and most of his ambitions have been downright awful. The hype for Knock at the Cabin brought hope for a return to form, and while it is an improvement, you can’t help but leave the theater feeling like it could have been great but ended up just being mediocre.
Eric (Jonathan Groff), Andrew (Ben Aldridge), and their daughter Wen (Kristen Cui), are enjoying a vacation at their cabin when Wen is approached by gentle giant Leonard (Dave Bautista) who seems friendly before apologizing for what he is about to put her and her family through. He, along with three of his cohorts, invade their home, tie them up, and deliver a chilling message – the apocalypse is about to happen, and one family member must be willingly sacrificed to avert it. Eric and Andrew scoff at the madness Leonard is presenting, but as mankind begins to be judged, the tight knit family is left wondering if what they are witnessing is lunacy, a maniacal ploy, or a reality that would cost them everything to change.
The premise is executed exceedingly well, and the miasma of fear and dread around the characters will leak into your psyche long after credits have rolled. The plot device of the unthinkable task is nothing new, but it’s the level of emotion and empathy from Leonard that elevates it. Whatever his motivations, the sorrow he brings to his actions humanizes him and the other invaders beyond villain status, and while it’s odd for the bad guys to be the crux of the story, it works beautifully here.
The same cannot be said about Eric and Andrew. Eric is a passive spectator for much of the film, and his abrupt 180 into action towards the end is puzzling as it doesn’t match his character. As the angry protector, Andrew is shrill and annoying, and while his past experiences make his actions understandable, he ends up a caricature rather than a fleshed-out person.
Cabin is based on a book – The Cabin at the End of the World – which it generally follows beat for beat until Shyamalan’s trademark twist has to rear its ugly head. Except this time it’s not a twist but a dramatic departure from a pivotal moment in the source material. Adapting a story is generally a good thing as it makes it unique and also allows the audience to be surprised when they find out the journey they thought they were on has taken a detour. However, replacing a vitally important plot point for no reason cheapens the new story being told and completely erases the meaning behind it. Which is a shame because if it hadn’t been changed, it would have incorporated a lot more good will that could have allowed us to overlook some of its flaws.
I’m still torn on how I feel. On one hand, it’s well-told and immediately drops you on a roller coaster of fear, dread, and psychological trauma, but on the other, it drags in some sections with unnecessary flashbacks, has protagonists you really don’t care about, and makes unnecessary changes that don’t payoff. While it’s the best thing Shyamalan has done in decades, that isn’t really saying much as he should have taken home a trophy but instead, he’s walking away with a participation ribbon.