“The Cabin at the End of the Woods” by Paul G. Tremblay was a popular hit novel released in 2018, known for winning the Horror Writers Association’s Bram Stoker award. This makes it no surprise that the box office movie “Knock at the Cabin” based off of Tremblay’s book has been insanely successful as well, being one of the most worthwhile watches in theaters today.
The movie was highly anticipated, not only because of the source material it comes from, but also because of the director being none other than M. Night Shyamalan, a renowned director in the film industry.
The movie also stars many famous actors and actresses that are well known for their skills shown in other movies. Dave Bautista, who plays Leonard, is well known for his roles in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Blade Runner 2049.” Jonathan Groff is known for his roles in “Frozen” and “Hamilton” with his role as Eric in “Knock at the Cabin” being his most recent addition to this list. This all contributes to the massive predetermined audience that the movie had before its release on Feb. 3, 2023.
The film depicts the plight of a tight knit three member family consisting of two dads, Eric and Andrew, and their young adopted daughter, Wen, as they are taken hostage during their vacation at a remote cabin in the woods and are forced to choose between killing one of each other, or risking a world ending apocalypse that will wipe out all of humanity except for them.
The family is held hostage by Leonard, Redmond, Adriane, and Sabrina, all of which symbolically represent the four horsemen of the apocalypse and each of which will die every time the family says no to making a decision. As the family struggles to come to terms with their newfound circumstances, the four horsemen struggle to explain them. The movie follows the two groups as they both fight for their lives while trying to protect those that they love, keeping the viewer on edge about who prevails until the very end.
Even if you already know the ending from previously reading the successful novel, the story being retold in the movie still provides the audience with a gripping sense of suspense and consistent surprises that make it a compelling watch in its own right.
One of the most applauded points of the film, though, is the cinematography. Many viewers have praised the work of Jarin Blaschke and Lowell A. Meyer on the movie, and for good reason. The way that they captured the contrasting emotions of each character and the scenic imagery of the forest and the cabin is nothing to take lightly. The way they managed to make the beautiful sunlight and calming woods look despairing and full of horrors is a talent that not many other people possess.
Another high point of the movie is the characterization and uniqueness of each character, even if they aren’t on screen for a long amount of time. Each horseman has motives for what they’re doing and different personalities and perspectives that are explored throughout the movie. While it does go by quickly and may not be as in depth as it was in the novel, it is still admirable how the writers and directors managed to make each character so different from the next one, ensuring that all of them stood out in their own ways and had their own important moments in the movie.
There are some glaring issues within the film that may take the viewer out of the movie’s story, though. One of these issues is the clunky and sometimes out of place dialogue. Some of the interactions between characters can seem forced and not as coherent as other scenes. While some are beautifully put together with the emotions pulling at your heartstrings, others will have you laughing at the absurdity of the dialogue and how bizarre it can sound.
Another issue is that the big twist at the end of the movie, while still well done, is easily predictable from the very start of the movie and differs from the ending in the book. The emotions are still portrayed perfectly, but it is easy to tell the direction that the movie is heading in once it has already started, making the twist less of a twist and more of an expectation. There are also some points in the movie in which you believe something greater will come of the scene, like when it is revealed that Redmond is actually the same man that assaulted Andrew in a bar, but nothing ever comes of that. It can throw the viewer off and make them focus on the wrong aspects of the movie.
Despite these issues, the movie is still a well done film both as a standalone and as a remake of the original book. So, it is more than worth your time to purchase a ticket to see the movie and experience the suspenseful and heart wrenching storytelling that it has to offer for yourself.