‘A Knock At The Cabin’ - Only in theaters
It's Like A Long Pseudo-Religious Lecture.
Many critics have noticed that M. Night Shyamalan's films have a messianic, religious-but-not-specifically-about-any-one-religion aspect to them. "The Man Who Heard Voices" was the title of the book on the making of Lady In The Water. "Visionary" and "oddity" have always been kissing relatives, especially for a filmmaker as lauded and reviled as M. Night Shyamalan.
Asking simply the big questions bypasses all the foolish little questions, minor slings, and Seinfeldian insights that, are the majority of what makes it fascinating. After a promising start, A Knock At The Cabin devolves into an ensemble group arguing about whether a tree that falls in the forest actually makes a sound.
The film begins with a girl gathering grasshoppers in the wilderness. A massive man appears, and at first, he appears soft and friendly. Bautista wonderfully represents that inviting/dangerous mix, his tattoos, and bulldog neck always clashing with his dewy eyes and scalp wrinkles. It's difficult not to like this guy. The man assists this little girl in catching grasshoppers, but when she asks why he appears sad and he responds, "Because my heart is bleeding for what I have to do today,".
Bulldog Dave and a few friends have arrived at this home in the woods to deliver an ultimatum to tiny Wen and her two gay fathers. The family must agree to kill one member or the Biblical(ish) apocalypse will occur, and everyone on Earth will perish.
A good single-location film helps you forget you're watching one. A Knock At The Cabin largely makes you wonder why you'd want to consider the same subject that so many exciting action films have before you from the confines of a not-particularly-visually-interesting cabin.
Post by Bryan C.
