Starring: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge
A fair statement to make would be that my expectations were not too high heading into the latest production from M. Night Shyamalan. The filmmaker seems to be a very hit-and-miss director these days and still hans't managed to quite reach the highs he hit in the 90's. But having said that, he is still very capable of entertaining an audience.
Initially, the film sets up an exciting and interesting premise. I didn't know too much about the story before entering the cinema doors but what I did know was enough to entice me enough to the point where it was worth paying £6 and giving an hour and 40 minutes of my time towards seeing it.
One of the key factors that did hook me in from the get-go, was the small run time. This usually tends to be the case with Shyamalan's films of late, and if it is a film that you are fairly on the fence about seeing or not, hearing the fact that a film is three hours long is the last thing you want to hear.
But fortunately, this wasn't the case.
The storyline within this movie is simple but effective. I am a huge fan of seeing a group of characters at the start of a film, then going on this crazy journey with them, small or large, and then seeing them at the end of the movie, a changed person. And this is exactly what M. Night does with Knock At The Cabin.
The writers of the film hit everything they need to cover within the one hour and 40 minutes run time, and don't leave a minute to waste as the audience members are dropped right into the story from the first minute. Timewasting if the enemy of an already dis-interested audience, and the crew behind this film do a brilliant job of avoiding this.
Not to say that the film isn't interesting - to me it certainly was. However, I can see how certain audiences that aren't die hard cinema lovers or M. Night Shyamalan fanboys could have some struggle finding enjoyment out of this film, at least from the outside looking in. Hence why the sort run time plays a vital role in determining the financial success of this production.
I personally feel that if cinema goers were to give this movie a chance, they would leave the audience satisfied with the experience they have just witnessed and feel as thought they have witnessed a whirlwind of emotions throughout.
It goes without saying that there are dark themes throughout this movie: murder, religion, abuse, hostage scenarios, the list goes on. But then again if you have seen any Shyamalan film ever, you knew what to expect.
But I feel as though, despite all of the dark themes clearly on show in this movie, they are all just a cover for the true meaning at the centre of this story, and that is a family that is willing to do anything to keep one another safe.
Especially if it means watching the rest of the world crumble to pieces.
This film is just another modern day example that Dave Bautista is an extremely capable actor. over the past few years, we have seen Bautista take on a variety of roles that really express the range that this man possesses. Each performance is just further proof that he isn't just a good actor inside of a wrestling ring, but also in front of a camera.
Bautista is the forefront of this movie, but it must be mentioned that there isn't a glimpse of a bad performance throughout the ensemble. Some characters we see very little of, but even the actors in those type of roles do a solid job of convincing the audience. We even see Rupert Grint put down the wand and pick up an axe in this film - and do a brilliant job of doing so.
Officially, this film is described as a Mystery/Horror, but that really didn't feel like the case for me. If Shyamalan and his co-writers had any intention of psychologically scaring the audience throughout this film, that is one area in which they miserable failed in. Sure it is tense, and sure you see people do things that nobody wants to see, but at no point throughout the film did I feel scared for what I was seeing.
Maybe this wasn't their intention, maybe they just wanted us to move slightly to the edge of our seat and force us through some tense moments in this movie. If so, they achieved that. But if you are going into a screening of this film hoping for some major jump scares you will find yourself utterly disappointed.
All in all, for what it's worth, Knock At The Cabin is a simple and easy storyline to keep up with and if all it takes you back is £6 and 100 minutes of your time, it is certainly worth a watch.
Like I said originally, M. Night Shyamalan tends to be a hit-and-miss director these days, but with this movie he seems to strike the ball so well it ends up in the crowd.
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