Knock at the Cabin

M. Night Shyamalan is back – again! Despite turkeys like The Last Airbender, his devotion to producing independently minded and endlessly varied genre movies is admirable beyond its mixed results. They’re event movies in their own way, crying out for communal big-screen viewing; but perhaps I’ve had rose-tinted glasses ever since Old, an absurdly enjoyable and compelling thriller that had me grinning all the way through.

The trailer of this new film, while hiding its inevitable Shyamalan twist, recalls apocalyptic events of The Happening as well as Peele’s Us. A couple and their young daughter are holidaying in a forest cabin, but the peace is suddenly disrupted by an ambush (led by a terrifically threatening Dave Bautista). The gang talk of disasters going on in the world, and appear to have bigger-scale salvation on their minds – only possible if the family make sacrifices. There’s horror in store, we are sure… but who can be trusted?

Max King