Should I Bother Knocking at the Cabin?
A couple of weeks ago I found myself with a free Saturday evening, so me and my girlfriend checked to see what was playing in cinemas. None of the listings particularly grabbed our attention, including many of the awards bait films currently on offer. But one nearly tempted us out of the house: Knock at the Cabin, M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film. The premise seems intriguing, the cast is good, and the trailer wets the appetite without giving too much away. However, I’m hesitant to see this film. Which is an odd feeling for me because I usually give any and every film a chance. Why did I talk myself out of it?
It feels unfair, but the reason I’m hesitant to watch Knock at the Cabin is because of M. Night Shyamalan. I can’t deny he’s a talented writer and director. He has some fantastic films, which still hold up after over twenty years. At the beginning of his career, he made a name for himself as a master of delivering brilliant twists. He was able to completely pull the rug out from underneath the audience, leaving us thoroughly entertained and baffled. Obviously, the twists weren’t the only reason to like him, he’s a very talented storyteller in general, but the twists were a distinct selling point. Then something happened. Shyamalan’s filmography became strange. As he began releasing films which declined in quality, I found myself losing interest and losing faith in him as a writer. This eventually led me to where I am now, feeling apprehensive at the prospect of a new Shyamalan film.
There are two are noticeable turning points for M. Night Shyamalan, so please indulge me for a moment as we look at the timeline.
- The Sixth Sense (1999) - A fantastic way to break into the mainstream. Even once you know the twist, there’s still so much value to be found upon rewatching. This has become an iconic piece of pop culture, which people can quote on demand.
- Unbreakable (2000) - I’d argue this is even better than The Sixth Sense, although not everyone would agree. Either way, this is still a terrific film, and very much ahead of its time in terms of subverting comic books and the superhero genre.
- Signs (2002) - This doesn’t get spoken about as often as it should. By no means is it the best Shyamalan film, but it’s still solid work. It would have been easy by this point in his career to start buckling under the pressure and pandering to a wider audience, but Shyamalan was instead still taking risks.
- The Village (2004) - This might be my favourite Shyamalan film. A 12-rated horror, with a terrific premise and a twist which lands spectacularly. Again, even once you know the twist, you can still rewatch The Village and have a great time.
Turning Point #1 - I genuinely have no idea what happened. I don’t want to be too critical, but this is the point when M. Night Shyamalan started to make…questionable films.
- Lady in the Water (2006) - Thus Shyamalan’s filmography reached an abrupt and harsh brick wall. It’s like someone was playing a beautiful piano solo, then a comedically oversized Looney Tunes anvil dropped onto the piano. If you haven’t seen this film, you’re lucky.
- The Happening (2008) - I feel mean, because I don’t think anyone should actively look to criticise or mock someone’s creative expression. However, I can’t take this film seriously. It’s an interesting concept, but the way the story is constructed, up to and including the eventual reveal, is underwhelming. There’s also an air of self-importance, which doesn’t help the situation. If anything, this reads better as a parody of Shyamalan films.
- The Last Airbender (2010) - I don’t even need to say anything. Every criticism of this film has already been expressed thousands of times before. I’ve never met a single person who liked this film.
- After Earth (2013) - Another baffling film, which was seemingly sold on the fact Will Smith was acting alongside his son, Jaden Smith. That’s a cute novelty, but it’s not enough to sell an entire film, and it’s also not enough to make up for a tedious script and uninspired premise.
Turning point #2 - This is when many people would claim Shyamalan made a triumphant return. The rancid smell of The Last Airbender and After Earth have been wafted out, and we’re back to old school Shyamalan doing what he does best. Or are we?
- The Visit (2015) - I’m aware this is the film everyone claims brought back the Shyamalan of old, but I found it really frustrating. Not only could the twist be easily spotted within the opening minutes of the film, but the main characters are unbelievably annoying. More than anything, I was disappointed. I wanted this to be good, because I like to like things and I wanted my faith in Shyamalan to be restored. Sadly, no such luck.
- Split (2016) - Another film I know people will defend, but I still maintain it’s shoddy work. James McAvoy gives a great performance, however, it’s a performance based on a terrible script. A reductive and offensive depiction of DID (dissociative identity disorder) which thrives on turning a real-life condition into a gimmick.
- Glass (2019) - I’m fairly apathetic towards this film. I remember liking some of what it was doing, but I didn’t totally buy into it. It was at least a step up from Split, although that’s not difficult. Given the current craze for superhero films and comic book culture, I was disappointed this didn’t go further to subvert the genre. In fact, rather than subverting the genre, this film ultimately springs its own traps.
- Old (2021) - I will admit, I haven’t actually seen this yet, so I can’t cast judgement. I went through a similar feeling of uncertainty when the film released, and seeing multiple lukewarm reviews didn’t help. I still haven’t felt compelled to watch this.
Which brings us up to speed, with Knock at the Cabin releasing recently. I personally find the second turning point in Shyamalan’s career more interesting. Rather than being a fall from grace, it’s an attempt to reignite the flame. There’s something fascinating about filmmakers returning to familiar territory, both from a narrative and thematic perspective, because it’s the cinematic equivalent of trying to capture something which is potentially lost. I’m aware both Old and Knock at the Cabin are adaptations of existing works, rather than original ideas written by Shyamalan, so I wonder if this will have an impact. If nothing else, Shyamalan endeavours to take the audience to new places and doesn’t tread the same ground too often.
The point of writing this isn’t to say I’ve lost faith in Shyamalan completely or I’ve abandoned any notion of watching his new films. The main headline is it’s difficult to feel enthusiastic about a filmmaker you’ve lost faith in over the years. My thoughts and feelings about M. Night Shyamalan are similar to those I have about Tim Burton. They both reached a point in their career where the quality of their work declined and then stayed consistently low. They had made a name for themselves and built a solid following, but then a turning point occurred* and the glory days have yet to return. I think that comes down to the heart of the issue, because in the case of Shyamalan (and Burton) I know they can do better. I’ve seen them do better, and I want them to do better.
*Side note - In the case of Tim Burton, the turning point happened after ‘Corpse Bride’, which is a beautiful film. Every Burton film since (with the exception of ‘Big Eyes’) has been a disappointment.
In answer to the question posed in the title, I think I will watch Knock at the Cabin, but I’m not necessarily in a rush. My hesitancy stems from a good place. I’m not hesitant because I think it will be bad, but rather because I want it to be good. More importantly I want to shake off whatever bias I might be carrying. I don’t think we should ever give up on a filmmaker just because the quality of their work fluctuates. One bad film, or even a couple, isn’t sufficient justification to give up on a filmmaker. If we thought like that, then people would’ve given up on Scorsese, the Coens and Tarantino years ago. I would rather watch Knock at the Cabin when I’m in the right mood, and when my hesitancy has died down. Otherwise, I feel my judgment would be tainted, and I’d risk being unfair or biased.
In truth this has made me think about how much value we place on the names of filmmakers, and their respective filmographies. Someone’s track record doesn’t guarantee they’ll make a good film or a bad film. Filmmakers we once saw as good can turn bad, and others with a bad reputation could take us by surprise at any moment. So, with filmmakers in general it’s best to stay open-minded and refrain from letting biases cloud our judgement, especially with a director whose growing cannon of work is as varied and unpredictable as M. Night Shyamalan’s.
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