Dog’s Movie House: “Knock At The Cabin” Elevated By An Outstanding Performance From Dave Bautista!

M. Night Shyamalan has had a mixed career to this point. In many ways his first film, “The Sixth Sense” has become a curse. It’s his finest film, a perfectly constructed story with a whopper of a twist that never fails to engage the viewer even after repeated showings. When you get compared to Hitchcock after only one film, you already have a massive hill to climb. Thankfully, Shyamalan has been on the right track as of late, with “Glass” being his only gross misstep as of late. Shyamalan’s latest, “Knock At The Cabin” continues his recent winning streak with a straightfoward story that wrings it’s suspense from some wonderful performances and Shyamalan’s unique direction.

Everyone is good here, but Dave Bautista is a revelation as the conflicted yet resolute Leonard. Despite the fact that Leonard is a hulking monster of a man, Bautista infuses Leonard with a calm sureness along with a sense of real regret that is a sight to behold. He is technically the film’s villain, but his character is so well formed by Bautista’s performance that Leonard becomes just as sympathetic as the family he is forcing to make a terrible choice.

Aldridge is very good as the angry and disbelieving Andrew, a man who is facing trauma of his own, and Groff is his match as his quieter, more understanding partner. Combined with Cui’s commited performance as Wed and you have a trio of protaganists worth rooting for. Also good in smaller rolls are Leonard’s followers: Nikki Amuka-Bird as Sabrina, Abby Quinn as Ardiane, and Rupert Grint as Redmond (a role that will make you forget all about Ron Weasley).

Despite having an R rating, “Knock At The Cabin” features very little in the way of actual violence, most of which is performed off camera. It’s not terribly scary, but there is a good amount of suspense as you try to figure out what’s going on. It’s like a particularly good episode of “The Twilight Zone.” Overall, “Knock At The Cabin” is a tight, well acted thriller that more than satisfies current Shyamalan fans and is likely to add a few new ones to the mix. See it for Bautista and the wonderful camera work! 4 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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