Knock At The Cabin – REVIEW

Moviegoers be warned: after watching this horror thriller holidays in the secluded country may be something of the past, crowded seaside holidaying appearing to be the safer alternative.

A same sex male couple and their adopted young daughter are enjoying a holiday out in the wilderness when four intruders with evil intentions come knocking at their cabin door.

At this point it sounds like one of several hundred run of the mill horror flicks which have been produced over the years, but when the intruders announce why they are there the movie immediately stands out not only as original, but disturbing.

They must make the most horrendous decision that can be expected of a human being. One of them must be sacrificed to prevent the world from coming to an end and they themselves have to decide which family member shall be sacrificed.

The storyline surrounding this sacrifice saving the world may sound ludicrous but ultimately, it’s an effective horror film which works perfectly on creatively building the suspense element rather than utilizing continuous tacky jump scare moments and blood and gore, as traditionally used in this genre of movies.

Are these four intruders psychotic and delusional? Is this a scam and is this family being targeted by homophobes because they are a same sex couple?  More importantly, can the apocalypse be prevented?

The performance from the relatively unknown small cast is commendable, but Kristen Cui who plays the role of the young adopted daughter is the standout as she successfully evokes so many different emotions at such a young age throughout.

Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House are completely destroyed in the disaster scenes which generally aroused laughter from the audience.

This is a genuinely horrifying movie for mature audiences but ensure that your ‘reality meters’ are switched off before entering the cinema for optimum enjoyment.

★★★1/2

In Cinemas February 2