M. Night Shyamalan has been in the film industry, making a name for himself as a chief craftsman of thrillers for years, and he has succeeded on multiple levels. With devices such as cryptic plots and twisted storylines, he bends the imagination to the unfathomable, invoking terror. His two most recent projects in film and television, Old and Servant, speak to his talent. According to Collider, the feature film Old was so successful that it bought in $90 million worldwide, a big payoff for a project with a budget of $18 million. And, with the news of the upcoming release of the film Knock at the Cabin, fans can be assured that he is far from done entertaining the masses.
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Knock at the Cabin, Shyamalan’s newest project, will mark number fifteen of his features. While the film will bear his imprint, unlike Glass, Unbreakable, and Split, this movie will be loosely based on the work of another. For those unaware Unbreakable, Split, and Glass were entirely conceived in the mind of M. Night Shyamalan. There was no specific literary piece from which it was sourced, although comics did serve as a muse.

But, Knock at The Cabin is predicated on a 2018 novel by Paul Tremblay entitled The Cabin at the End of The World.Nevertheless, mining from a source of inspiration does not mean it will completely align with the original. As CNBC affirms, Knock at the Cabin will be different. In his sit down with CNBC, the author, Tremblay, noted, “Like most adaptations, there will be story changes and differences compared to the book, so readers will still be surprised by the film.”

Be Careful of Strangers

Shyamalan is a master of captivating puzzlers. He shines in setting up compelling stories. The second Knock at the Cabin trailer bears witness to the mastery of this technique. The trailer starts with a shot of a solitary log cabin in the woods; a little girl sits carefree in a sea of grass. It is bucolic bliss. But the euphoria is short-lived.

Related:The Scariest Moments from M. Night Shyamalan Movies, Ranked

The appearance of a lumbering man breaks the golden serenity of the scene. “Can I talk to you for a minute,” he says to the unsuspecting child. Thus begins the introduction of the characters. The camera pans the natural surroundings as crass and foreboding music serves as an underscore, indicating what follows is ominous. The trailer builds suspense as the camera once again pans, settling on the approach of three others. Tools and instruments for the job ahead encumber their hands.

We follow the little one as she goes home. She is frantic and desperate to bend the ear of her fathers to tell them what she has seen. Her intent is to whisper a word of warning. And thus, the atmosphere is set both bleak and beautiful.

A Home Invasion to Save Humankind

The trailer then takes the viewers deeper into the plot, introducing the conflict and tipping us to the pivotal decision point. Like most children, little Wen’s warnings fall on deaf ears. She is reprimanded for what appears to be a habit she has developed of embellishing the truth. But the discourse between her and her fathers is disrupted by a knock at the door.

Related:M. Night Shyamalan Explains Dave Bautista’s Casting in Next Film Knock at the Cabin

A simple and foreboding request follows, “Can you open the door, please.” There is something sinister and non-assuring in the calm but stern timbre of the voice behind the door. What comes next, filmgoers recognize. It’s pure terror. The viewer can feel it through the score and the rapid cut-away scenes. And given the spliced footage of frantic engagement, what is underway is nasty work.

Finally, at the point of climax, we are thrown the hook. At this point, it is not too presumptuous to assume the four who have come knocking are the four horsemen of the apocalypse. In lore, it is these who herald the coming of the end. But interestingly, these messengers are four ordinary beings given the task of divulging the unthinkable.

Making a Choice to Save Humanity

The Knock at the Cabin trailer expertly pulls in its audience. One of the ways this is done is by bating with existentialism. Shyamalan does this well. His work often poses existential questions, prodding viewers to wonder what if? Viewers have seen it in Split, Signs, Unbreakable, and Old. And Shyamalan keeps very close to the formula in his Knock at The Cabin trailer. He throws out the golden carrot triggering a hunger that entices viewers to take the bait. He poses, what happens when fate comes knocking? What if the world’s future is in your hand? And what if you have no choice but to make a damnable choice? Think! What if the consequence of inaction is the extinction of humanity? However, there is no way to know how this particular family will choose unless the filmgoer commits to a watch.

For fans of all things Shyamalan and horrifying apocalyptic thrillers or those who want answers, Knock at The Cabin premieres February 3 in theaters worldwide.