Hi all!
Today I am reviewing the new-release, horror film: Knock at the Cabin. It hit cinemas in Australia this month, allowing me the pleasure of seeing it on the big screen. I already mentioned in a previous post that this was one of my most anticipated movie releases of 2023, so you can imagine how excited I was to finally watch it. This is based off of Paul Tremblay’s novel: The Cabin at the End of the World. While vacationing at a remote cabin in the woods, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand they make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. Confused, scared and with limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost. I’m going to make this spoiler-free, so don’t worry about me spilling the beans. Without further ado, here are my honest thoughts!
WHAT WORKED:
Out of everything, I was most impressed by the casting choices. Every single character played their part to perfection. The standout performances for me were from Kristen Cui, Rupert Grint, Jonathan Groff and Dave Bautista. I also appreciated the signature cameo from M. Night. As expected, the cinematography was beautiful. I was mesmerised by the trees, grass, lake and wildlife from the moment the film began. I found the story itself to be very confronting and disturbing. It left me with a lot to think about. The tension building was a 10/10. I was squirming in my seat, dreading what was coming next. It made me want to read the novel and compare the two. What would you do in the same situation? Let me know in the comment section!
WHAT DIDN’T WORK:
My main issue with the film was the slow beginning and lacklustre ending. It took a little too long to reach the crux of the story. I thought the strongest parts were in the middle. I am used to M. Night’s movies having a shocking twist but unfortunately, the screen adaptation didn’t really deliver on that front. I kept expecting something to come out of left field and blow me away, but nothing did. I also wouldn’t say Knock at the Cabin was super scary. It was more of a thriller, with some horror elements. I feel that if the ending had been more ambiguous, it would’ve scored a higher rating.
OVERALL STAR RATING:
I gave it 4/5 stars. It was worth seeing at the cinema!
Thank you so much for reading! Let me know if you’ve watched this film. Did you like it?
Peace & Love xoxo
I was so excited to see your review. I’m looking forward to seeing it – I didn’t know about the book. I think I’ll see the movie first. It exists, and I usually do them movie-book in that case so I don’t decide the casting is wrong.
Thank you! Apparently the book is quite difficult to the movie, especially the ending. I’ve heard a lot of people say watch the movie first then read the book
I saw it at the cinema too, I agree with your thoughts. 😀
I didn’t know M Night was in it! 😀
Yay! Yes he was on the television selling a product with another woman haha
Oh really? Hahaha, that’s funny. 😀 Thank you for telling me. 😀