Early Reviews of M. Night Shyamalan's 'Knock at the Cabin' Praise Film

knock at the cabin
knock at the cabin
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M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film is a look into a disastrous vacation taken by a gay couple and their daughter — and it could be one of the best movies of his career.

Knock at the Cabin, which hits theaters on February 3, is the prolific and sometimes controversial director’s return to the big screen following 2021’s Old.

The movie follows a gay couple, played by Glee alum Jonathan Groff and Out cover star Ben Aldridge, and their daughter as they are taken hostage by four armed strangers while on vacation at a cabin in the woods. The strangers then tell them that they’ve been chosen for a globally important mission: the family must decide one of them to sacrifice or the world will come to an end.

It’s a lofty premise, but so far, early reviews are giving near-universal praise for the thriller.

Brian Davids of The Hollywood Reporter said the film is “one of the best films of M. NIght Shyamalan’s career” and that he hadn’t stopped thinking about it ten days after watching.

Movie critic Erik Davis tweeted that he was “happy to report that M. Night Shyamalan’s #KnockAtTheCabin is a real deal nail-biter – startling & captivating from start to finish. It’s lean & mean, and a perfect little edge-of-your-seat thriller for early February. A BIG win for M. Night, imo. Highly recommend.”

Another fan who saw an early screening said it’s the director’s best work since Signs, which was released over 20 years ago. While many of Shyamalan’s films have been loved by critics and fans (The 6th Sense, Signs, Split, Unbreakable), others haven’t been quite as successful (Lady in the Water, The Happening, The Village), and it’s good to know that the director is back doing what he does best.

Viewers are especially enthralled with Dave Bautista’s performance, calling it one of the best in his career. They call him “scary as hell,” “both affecting and terrifying,” and “an enthralling screen presence.”

Asyia Iftikhar, an entertainment reporter for PinkNews, said she was “floored” by the film and especially praised Ben Aldridge and Jonathan Groff’s chemistry as the couple at the center of it.

Knock at the Cabin comes out in theaters on February 3.

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