Adaptation is hard. Shifting a piece of art that worked in one medium into a new medium requires a discerning eye and a functional mastery of both forms. A simple change can rob the story of much of its best material. M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin does some things very well, but it also hacks Paul Tremblay's Cabin at the End of the World to bits from time to time.
Shyamalan has apparently moved into the adaptation phase of his career. Everyone and their cat has dunked on his work while reflecting on his previous successes, it's perhaps the single piece of film criticism most people could name. Today, his works have entered an interesting period of controversy. Rather than each of his films being a gamble on the film's quality, they're an open question posed to the audience.
Knock at the Cabin is, primarily, yet another new spin on the classic home invasion horror movie. Happily married couple Eric and Andrew bring their adopted daughter Wen on a lovely vacation to a remote cabin in the woods. Four strangers emerge from the forest, dressed in matching color-coded shirts and armed with handmade siege weapons, and demand entry. After forcing their way in, gentle giant Leonard, well-meaning nurse Sabrina, frantic cook Adriane, and overbearing jerk Redmond explain their purpose. Eric, Andrew, and Wen have to willingly sacrifice one of their own. If they refuse, the strangers explain, the world will come to a violent end.
The atmosphere of Knock at the Cabin is oppressive and powerful. Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, best known for his collaborations with Robert Eggers, does incredible work with the small space that contains most of the film. There are a lot of extreme close-up shots that feel claustrophobic and deeply personal. The camera swings and floats around and through the cabin, often capturing glimpses through windows and doors. The film's main conflict is often awkward in a way that is reminiscent of Shyamalan's lesser works (there's a lot of Happening residue in this film) but the visuals make it much more effective. It all looks great, except for some dodgy CGI. It also sounds great. Y: The Last Man composer Herdís Stefánsdóttir seems to incorporate the last forty years of horror scores into this film, and it does a lot to heighten the tension.
The element of this film that will earn near-universal praise is the acting on display. Shyamalan has pulled some truly inspiring performances out of his casts in the past, but this may be one of his greatest triumphs to date. The standout, as everyone has already noted, is Dave Bautista as Leonard. The world is slowly waking up to Bautista as a serious performer, but Shyamalan is happy to push him to his limits and see how great he is under the right circumstances. Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn, and Rupert Grint are also all note-perfect in their roles, delivering textured performances even when they aren't given a lot to do. Johnathan Groff and Ben Aldridge have a lot on their shoulders, both in the main plot and multiple flashbacks, and they completely sell their characters as individuals and as a couple. The cast is giving %110 across the board and there isn't a bad choice among them. Even newcomer Kristen Cui carries herself like a pro.
As an adaptation, Knock at the Cabin is extremely strange. Those who've read the book will have a very different experience from those who didn't. In the film's first two acts, long sections of dialogue and carefully considered writing choices are preserved with staggering attention to detail. Things start to change in the second half of the film, and they keep changing as the story goes on. Without wishing to spoil either Knock at the Cabin or Cabin at the End of the World, they do not end in the same way. The changes made will likely be infuriating to fans of the extremely well-received novel and frustratingly familiar to those who've experienced a lot of Shyamalan's work. It's clear that the film is his take on the material, as he rewrote the script when he took over as director, but elements of the adaptation deeply wound the source material.
A lot of talent and heart went into Knock at the Cabin. It's clear that the story spoke to most of the people involved. Tremblay's novel was notable for its openness, and its careful devotion to the audience's freedom to interpret. Shyamalan decided on an interpretation and stuck with it. On the bizarre grading curve applied to M. Night Shyamalan's work, Knock at the Cabin is one of his best. But, the film often feels like it's fighting against its own script. As a tense home invasion thriller with a few twists, Knock at the Cabin is oppressively tense and impressively atmospheric. It's well-acted, well-shot, and well-scored, but it's hard to shake the feeling that it could've been so much better. Audiences interested in seeing some great performances in a strange film will have a decent time with Knock at the Cabin, but if you want the better version of this story, ignore the knock and read the book.
Knock at the Cabin
M. Night Shyamalan's thriller, Knock at the Cabin, tells the story of a family who is approached by four strangers while staying in a remote cabin and given an impossible ultimatum. When Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge) take their daughter Wen (Kristen Cui) to a remote cabin for a family getaway, their stay is interrupted by the arrival of Leonard (Dave Bautista), Redmond (Rupert Grint), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), and Adriane (Abby Quinn), who tell them that one of the family must be sacrificed in order to stop the impending apocalypse.