KNOCK AT THE CABIN is a thriller about a tight-knit family who are taken hostage by four armed strangers while vacationing at a remote cabin. The visitors, led by Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Dune), demand that the young girl and her parents make an unthinkable choice: to save their family or save humanity.
For in-depth thoughts on Knock At The Cabin, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Knock At The Cabin comes to Blu-Ray in a striking 1080p presentation in its original aspect ratio that impresses in high definition. This film is also available on 4K UHD Blu-Ray which was not made available to me for review. Shyamalan has developed a keen eye for aesthetics of the past several decades of filmmaking, and this extends to this feature for a gorgeous viewing experience. From the opening moments, this format provides immense clarity with subtle flourishes of the landscapes, production design and clothing coming through crystal clear.
Color saturation is lovely with the natural color palette beaming off the screen. Skin tones are natural to the lighting, and a lot of fine detail comes through in the form of stubble, scratches and more. The locations provide a lot of opportunity for vivid detail and the tactile nature to pop off the screen. Black levels are nice and deep, and they do not fall victim to any noticeable digital noise or nuisances of the sort. Highlights are also firm without a hint of blooming. While the 4K UHD Blu-Ray likely improves things to greater heights, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has pushed the Blu-Ray format to its limit.
Audio Quality
The Dolby Atmos track matches the virtually perfect presentation of the video quality. While this is not a barn burner in terms of powerful audio, this track provides consistent activity in this world which maximizes the effect of all of the speakers. The activity overhead in particular stands out as a way to make the environment feel more three dimensional and lived-in. These height channels are often used to complement with additional texture, but it takes on the full weight of certain moments at points.
This film features sporadic moments that can be a bit intense which allows things to dig slightly deeper. The low end kicks in at key points with no signs of weakness. Dialogue comes through clearly and never gets overshadowed by any sound effects or the score. All of the sounds have a distinct sense of direction within the mix with panning effects moving around the speakers in enjoyable ways. This mix is dynamic and immersive in a way that levels up the viewing experience. There are optional English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Deleted Scenes: Four scenes of unused material totaling nearly six minutes is provided here mostly consisting of character moments with Eric and Andrew, a longer sequence with Leonard and more.
- Chowblaster Infomercial – Extended: A minute-long extended version of the air fryer commercial featuring a cameo from Shyamalan.
- Choosing Wisely – Behind the Scenes of Knock At The Cabin: A pretty great 24-minute featurette which explores Shyamalan’s relationship to the book, what drew the cast to the material, what made Shyamalan perfect for this story, the ways in which the story diverts from the source material, the cast and characters, the themes of the film and more.
- Tools Of The Apocalypse: A five-minute look at some various unnerving and important props within the movie and what they mean for the journey.
- Drawing A Picture: A nearly four-minute piece which looks at the detailed storyboarding that Shyamalan does in order to prepare his vision for the screen.
- Kristen Cui Shines A Light: A four-minute look at the young actress at the center of this story and what her presence brought to the set.
Final Thoughts
Knock At The Cabin finds M. Night Shyamalan operating at the level we prefer to see him in, even if it does not all completely come together in the end. The movie is consistently engaging while challenging the audience to ask themselves what they would do in the same situation. The performances are top notch across the board with Dave Bautista continuing to build a case for why he is the most exciting wrestler-turned-actor in the business. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a really great A/V presentation and some fun special features. While not perfect, if you are a fan of Shyamalan or morally complex dramatic thrillers, this offers a good time. Recommended
Knock At The Cabin is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.