KNOCK AT THE CABIN

US, 2023, 100 minutes, Colour.

Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Kristin Cui, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn.

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

Fans of the eerie and apocalyptic will be pleased to open this knock at their door. But, it is the kind of knock on the door that ordinary people would not want to open.

First of all, it is important to say that this is a M. Night Shyamalan. He has been producing them for a quarter of a century, making a huge impact in 1999 with The Sixth Sense and that frequently quoted “I see dead people”. During the 2000s he made quite a number of eerie films, starting with Unbreakable. In more recent times he has touched horror and psychological quests in Split and Glass.

This particular cabin is out in the woods, surrounded by beautiful trees, summer weather. Little girl, almost 8, Wen, is catching grasshoppers playfully. (Kristin Cui use remarkably convincing performance.) And then, Leonard suddenly appears, a huge man (played very effectively by Dave Bautista), but gently spoken, wearing glasses, catching grasshoppers with her. But, she has been told not to talk to strangers. And this stranger demands that he and his friends come into her house and meet her fathers.

What seems at first like home invasion, the four visitors starting to smash their way in, Wen and her fathers, Eric and Andrew (Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge), fearful, defensive, but overwhelmed. But this is not a robbery – Leonard announces that he and his companions have had visions, and the end of the world is nigh, and to save humanity from absolute destruction, they have received a message that disaster will be averted only by this family, and their deciding that one of them must be killed as a sacrifice.

Apocalyptic themes have been very popular in recent years, all kinds of motivations, climate change especially, but it is not clear why this particular apocalypse should happen.

The film becomes more eerie as the family refuses the offer to sacrifice one of them – and television sequences indicate the beginnings of world disasters, huge tsunamis, and planes falling from the sky, infections and plague… And, as the family refuse, successive members of the group die. With their backgrounds of teaching, cooking, nursing, protection, they are interpreted as variations on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

The writers and director have decided to enhance feelings of apprehension by inserting a number of flashbacks during the terror, as each member of the family thinks back to past events – which is the opportunity for the filmmakers to give some background to the other principal theme, the same-sex marriage, the two fathers’ parenting their adopted child, the experience of family alienation, some homophobic brutality. And then back to the present and the terror.

Of course, the filmmakers are wanting to frighten audiences, not just with the terror, but with the challenge of asking what we would do if this situation arose, sacrifice a member of the family for the good of humanity, or preserve the family unity – even if it meant wandering the earth alone forever.

Which means then that given this scenario, there has to be a willing suspension of disbelief in the theme, and, for the very rationalist audiences, a willing suspension of scepticism.

But, that is what most of M. Night Shyamalan films ask of their audiences. (And in the Hitchcock tradition, he makes a cameo appearance in each of his films, here a television personality in an informercial.)

1. The title? The eerie tone? Expectations from the director and his previous films?
2. Apocalyptic themes, their popularity in popular media, films, reasons for the Apocalypse? No clear reason given here? Leaving it to audience imagination? Leaving it to audience religious beliefs and expectations?
3. The setting, the holiday home, the cabin, exterior, interiors, the woods around?
4. The television clips, the cartoons, then the disasters, tsunami, plague, planes falling from the sky, then the re-establishing of normality?
5. Suspension of disbelief, suspension of scepticism?
6. The tone of the opening, Wen, age, catching the grasshoppers, bottling them, the encounter with Leonard, not talking to strangers, his friendly tone, catching the grasshopper? Then demanding to enter the house?
7. The family situation, the two fathers, the adopted daughter – and the flashbacks illustrating the situation, Eric and his parents and their wariness, the adoption sequence, the bar, Eric and Andrew and their discussion, the attack by O’Bannon? These flashbacks inserted within the terror, interrupting the terror, breathing space, then returning to the terror?
8. The mystery of the four characters, the explanation, Leonard as being a teacher in Chicago, the photo, enjoying teaching children? Sabrina, a nurse? Redmond, his explanation of himself, his false name? Adrienne and her love of cooking?
9. Outside the door, the four, the terror inside, uncertainties, barring the doors, closing the windows? The knock at the door, the bashing, the breaking of the windows? Redmond and his intrusion, the fight with Eric, Eric’s injuries, concussion, Sabrina caring for him? The family overcome, the two men tied up?
10. Explanations, each of the four introducing themselves, their background, motivations? Seeing the visions, sharing the visions online, the coming together, their mission, to save the world, the time deadlines?
11. The reaction of Eric and Andrew, disbelief, Andrew and his psychological background, belief, motivations? The violence, tied up, trying to get free?
12. The explanation of the situation, the refusal to consent, the effect on Wen, Redmond, the first to be sacrificed, Leonard killing him, removing his body, Sabrina clearing the blood? The continued refusal, the anguish of the fathers, Wen and her fear, the flashbacks?
13. Adrienne, the explanation, her death?
14. The television episodes, the disasters, the television treatment? The men and the suspicion that these were pre-recorded?
15. Wen, escaping the house, hiding in the woods, captured by Leonard? Back in the house? Andrew getting out of the house, the car, Sabrina following him, slashing the tires, his getting the gun, shooting her?
16. Leonard, overpowering and again, the gun, the clashes and fights? Andrew and his being wounded?
17. The deadline, the family refusal, Leonard killing himself? The weather, the lightning, the change in the weather, the news on the television, everything coming back to normal?
18. The effect on Eric, believing them, his emotions, the concussion and the consequences, love for Andrew and Wen, the decision that he would give his life? His death?
19. The audience challenged about what they would do in similar circumstances?