Early social media reactions of writer-director M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming psychological thriller, Knock at the Cabin, praise the film’s ratcheting tension and outstanding cast, callling it a return to form for the filmmaker. Based on Paul G. Tremblay’s award-winning 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World, Shyamalan’s film follows Andrew (Jonathan Groff) and Eric (Ben Aldridge) while on vacation with their daughter Wen (Kristen Cui) in a secluded cabin in the middle of the woods. However, their relaxing trip is cut short when four strangers take the family hostage and attempt to force them to make a horrific decision that may save the world from certain doom.
With a week to go until the film’s premiere, audiences are taking to social media to praise the apocalyptic Knock at the Cabin after attending early screenings. Many call the film Shyamalan’s best movie in decades, praising the film’s relentless tension and suspense while lauding the performances of the cast, specifically Dave Bautista who portrays Leonard, the leader of the strangers. Check out what people are saying below:
What The Knock At The Cabin Reactions Are Saying
Although Shyamalan already had two films on his résumé, the director rocked the world with his 1999 suspenseful ghost story The Sixth Sense. He followed the film up with Unbreakable and Signs, two lauded, twist-filled psychological thrillers, but his career hit a rough patch with critics with films such The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth. Shyamalan recaptured some of his initial success with his unnerving found-footage film The Visit, after which he has continued making tense movies at relatively smaller budget levels. The approach has certainly paid off, as Knock at the Cabin early reactions are comparing it to Shyamalan’s well-received early films.
Although audiences are in agreement that it is not his new best — a tough feat — it is reminiscent of the movies that made the director a household name. Shyamalan himself recently compared Knock at the Cabin to Signs, another thriller that centered around a family within a house as a world-ending event occurs around them, and that appears to have borne out for audiences. Bautista has been particularly singled out for his performance, but other viewers have stated that both Aldridge and Groff were also exceptional.
Can Knock At The Cabin Become A Box Office Success?
Although an official budget for Knock at the Cabin has yet to be revealed, the contained thriller set in one location with a limited cast probably did not break the bank. With the exception of Lady in the Water, every one of Shyamalan’s films post-The Sixth Sense scored a profit. Although his previous film, Old was released in theaters during a pandemic-restricted industry, the film still managed to pull in $90 million against its $18 million budget. Knock at the Cabin is set to premiere in theaters February 3, where it will almost surely find financial success to join this early approval from audiences.
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