La cabane isolée

Parents Eric and Andrew take their young daughter Wen on a vacation to a remote cabin.

M Night Shyalaman always manages to offer something a little bit different, sometimes it works, sometime it doesn't, Knock at The Cabin I'd place as one of the better ones, I enjoyed it.

I expected something along the same lines as Strangers, some sort of slasher movie, I wasn't expecting a horror thriller with biblical overtones.

I'll be honest, I didn't care a great deal for it when I first saw it at The Cinema, but second time round, I rather enjoyed it, possibly because.i knew what I was expecting.

It's a truly quirky film, pretty much as you'd expect, it's fairly well paced, has a degree of tension, it just manages to be so different.

I always like to think about how I'd feel in the position of a film's central character, and seeing if from Eric's point of view, you'd surely be thinking it was a set up, and that someone from the past had set up an elaborate hoax, the alternative is too terrible even to contemplate.

It's well acted all round, but I have to give credit to Dave Bautista, who puts in an absolutely terrific performance, he's captivating.

Those BBC news articles made me chuckle, most presenters now have regional accents across the channel, here they all had those wonderful accents from the 1950's, all terribly posh.

This film is definitely worth seeing, even if you were a bit undecided first time round.

Just so you know where I'm coming from up front, I should preface this review by saying I'm not the biggest M. Night Shyamalan fan - in fact, I kind of like to tease and mock his movies when I watch them with friends. I think he often starts off with interesting ideas but, perhaps because of his early success with The Sixth Sense, always feels this need to cram in some kind of ridiculous twist (or multiple twists) at the end. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't - but he seems to rely on the surprise of the twist to win people over too much. It was a surprise to me then when this movie didn't have a twist at all. I kept waiting for it - but it never came.

That's not really a good thing though because the movie is very slow and plodding, never really going anywhere, and at 1hr 40min the premise just isn't engaging enough to sustain interest for the duration. It's not all bad though. Perhaps the most surprising thing is Dave Bautista, who delivers a nuanced understated performance as Leonard. I still remember when I used to assume a movie was going to be bad if Bautista was in it - but over the past few years he has really come into his own as an actor and is showing his ability to take on some interesting roles.

While I can't really recommend this movie I do have to give it a few bonus points just for Bautista.

I have watched most of Night Shyamalan's movies and some I like a lot. But to me his ability to make interesting movies decreases as time goes by. The last one I watched was "Old" where people on a beach aged at an accelerated rate.

This one I stared watching streaming on Peacock. A family of three, two dads and a little girl, about to turn 8, are vacationing in a secluded cabin in the woods, somewhere in Pennsylvania. Very shortly after the movie begins four strangers show up, they want to talk, but break down the doors when the parents lock themselves in.

The most frustrating thing is how S-L-O-W-L-Y the four strangers tell them why there are there and what they need. It absolutely is audience abuse. They tell them all kinds of other things but "this is why we are here and what we need from you" comes out at such a prolonged rate that I found myself thinking, "He is only doing this to make the movie longer."

Well they eventually tell the family that their mission is probably the most important mission ever in the history of humanity. And what they tell the family needs to be done makes absolutely no sense at all.

My wife, wisely, chose to skip this one. I wish I had too, I might never watch a Night Shyamalan movie again. Doing so is just mostly a waste of time. This movie is NOT entertaining and it doesn't make sense.

Knock at the Cabin ventures into the realm of suspense with a premise that initially sparks curiosity, earning it a 6 out of 10 stars. The film sets the stage with an isolated cabin in the woods and a mysterious knock that disrupts the tranquility, laying the foundation for an atmosphere of tension. As the plot unfolds, however, the execution struggles to maintain the level of suspense promised by the premise. While the film's pacing attempts to mirror the slow-burning tension characteristic of the genre, it occasionally results in drawn-out sequences that test the audience's patience.

The visual composition of the cabin's surroundings adds a sense of unease to the setting, utilizing dim lighting and carefully chosen camera angles to create an eerie ambiance. The gradual unraveling of the characters' emotions mirrors the mounting unease, contributing to the film's attempts at psychological depth. Nevertheless, Knock at the Cabin stumbles when it comes to fully fleshing out its characters' motivations and relationships, leaving the audience feeling detached from their fates. Despite its potential, the film's ultimately lackluster execution prevents it from delivering the impactful suspense it initially promises, resulting in a viewing experience that falls short of its intriguing premise.

I don't know why I keep on falling for it. I keep on watching movies by M Night Shyamalan, and continue to hope to walk away with the excitement and awe I felt when I watched movies like The Sixth Sense, Signs, and The Visit. Instead, I keep on walking away shaking my head, thinking about the lost potential and opportunity. He continues to have very interesting ideas with very poor execution. The concept of this movie is excellent. The directorial choices, the storyline, the decisions made by characters were to be honest with you kind of blah. I didn't care enough about any of the characters to really care what happened to them. For a director that's known for his plot twists, this movie sure could've used one.