Knock at The Cabin

 

    Co-written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this is a thought-provoking thriller that asks a great philosophical question. Would you sacrifice a member of your family to save the rest of the world?

     Jonathan Groff stars as Eric and Ben Aldridge stars as Andrew, two dads who with their adopted Asian daughter Wen (played by the adorable Kristen Cui) are on vacation at a cabin deep in the Pennsylvania woods. A literal knock at the door introduces them to Leonard and his three companions who have had shared visions of the apocalypse and need their help to avert it.

     Leonard is played by Dave Bautista, very much against type but still a physically scary presence. His friends, Sabrina, played by Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn as Adriane, and Rubert Grint as Redmond all have very distinct personalities which come to light late in the film, if not already guessed by the audience.

      The entire film plays out in and around the cabin, pausing at times show relevant images on the cabin's flat screen TV. The four visitors have tied up the two men and have explained that they must sacrifice a member of their family within the next 24 hours to save the world. The claustrophobic setting tightens the suspense but don't expect to be scared. It's not that kind of thriller. 

       As the story progresses, it seems obvious that a simple solution will play itself out but being Mr. Shyamalan, there is always one final twist in store.

       
"The Sixth Sense" was Mr. Shyamalan's masterpiece and most of his films have never reached that level with some better than others. This one is better than average only due to the thought-provoking question it raises that may have you discussing it, long after the credits roll.