Knock at the Cabin might seem like an obvious next film for the horror auteur M. Night Shyamalan, but it could prove to be his riskiest endeavor yet. The film is based on the book The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay, which has all the twisty hallmarks of a classic M. Night Shyamalan movie. The single-setting claustrophobia of Devil and Old; the supernatural intrigue of Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense; the religious undertones of Signs, and the eerie forest backdrop of The Village. Chuck in several twists and a shocking third act, and it might seem like the perfect addition to Shyamalan's repertoire. However, the source material might prove to be a challenge for the seasoned director.
The Cabin at the End of the World tells the story of a married couple, Eric and Andrew, and their adopted daughter, Wen, as they fend off four strangers who break into their holiday home. While initially a standard home-invasion horror, it soon turns apocalyptic and the four strangers – Leonard, Redmond, Adriane and Sabrina – lead the beleaguered family through an utterly bleak and bloody ordeal. What follows is cryptic, unsettling, and completely unexpected. Shyamalan has drawn together a talented and eclectic ensemble to portray the chaos, led by Dave Bautista as Leonard, the hulking ringleader of the intruders. Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge play the married couple and newcomer Kristen Cui stars as Wen. Rupert Grint is an arguably left field choice as Redmond, who could be considered the only real villain of the book.
Tremblay’s book goes to great lengths to make sure the reader is left guessing throughout. The intruders force Eric and Andrew to make difficult choices that may or may not prevent the actual end of the world. While initially a clearly ludicrous proposition, it becomes less and less clear with time what is true and what is not. While this all sounds like a story Shyamalan would be more than able to get his teeth into, the resulting chaos is not only harrowing but increasingly gory. While M. Night Shyamalan's name is synonymous with thrillers, it isn’t synonymous with gore, and his films often have a theme of hope threaded through them. Audiences have seen blood in The Happening and The Visit, but not the gore that is to be expected from a true adaptation of Tremblay’s book. Shyamalan will also have to get nihilistically dark to capture the end of The Cabin at the End of the World, something he hasn’t really done before, potentially making this his riskiest undertaking yet.
How Shyamalan Can Still Make Knock At The Cabin Faithful To The Book
While an adaptation of The Cabin at the End of the World is a risk, it can (and should) still be done, and Shyamalan does have some tricks up his sleeve that could help. While not being known for portraying absolute horror, he is an expert at drumming up unease. The Village's ending is a masterclass in soaking the screen in dread and creating an air of uncertainty. The same can be said for Signs. The audience is never quite sure what is going on, where the truth lies and what is going to happen next. These are all essential elements for a faithful adaptation of Tremblay’s book. Shyamalan can still use his iconic knack for suspense while carefully sidestepping the more gruesome scenes in the book.
It’s worth noting that Tremblay himself has said the events in the film won’t be exactly the same as those in the book. This gives M. Night Shyamalan wriggle room in Knock at the Cabin to not only put his stamp on the source material, but guide it in a direction that might be more in keeping with his past films. Whether or not this is a good thing is yet to be seen, and there may be some difficult, yet essential moments in the story that Shyamalan will be unable to avoid. One particularly atrocious scene involves a white mask and the final shot of the recent trailer indicates that this scene will be included in M. Night Shyamlan's Knock at the Door. Faithfully adapting this scene and the rest of the book is a risk for Shyamalan, but it’s seemingly a risk he’s willing to take.