“Knock at the Cabin” is the latest suspense movie of 2023. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this film proves that he still doesn’t fail the audience by keeping us on the edge of our seats. Here is why — warning, there are spoilers ahead!

Life Changing Question

“Knock at the Cabin” is based on the novel “The Cabin at the End of the World” by Paul Tremblay. Shyamalan brought the novel to life on screen with an amazing cast. We are introduced to a lovely couple Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Eric (Jonathon Groff), who are on vacation at a remote cabin in the woods with their eight-year-old adopted daughter Wen (Kristen Crui).

The film begins with young Wen capturing grasshoppers outside when a stranger approaches her. The stranger’s name is Leonard (Dave Bautista), and he is gentle and kind to Wen although she is very cautious and confused about why Leonard is out at her cabin. She asks Leonard this, prompting him to reveal that his “heart breaks for what he has to do today.” Wen gets understandably spooked out and runs back towards the cabin when she sees three more strangers heading towards her and Leonard.

A hysterical Wen tells her dads there is a group of strangers outside. The couple thinks that Wen is joking until they hear a knock on the door. Andrew and Eric take a look outside the windows to see Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Adriane (Abby Quinn), Redmond (Rupert Grint) and Leonard asking to be let in. The movie escalates when the group breaks in after the couple denies their request, leading to a struggle where the couple ends up getting tied up.

The four explain to the family that they were led to the cabin for one reason — the family has to make a difficult choice. They must kill a member of their own to save the world, or the world will end in a series of tragic events and disasters. The film escalates into the history of Andrew and Eric, Wen, the four strangers and the final result of the family’s decision.

Symbolism

Throughout the film, I couldn’t help but notice the heavy symbolism of religion. In the first scene with Wen and Leonard, Wen is outside catching grasshoppers. In some religions and cultures, grasshoppers hold many views and meanings. Many see grasshoppers or locusts as a sign of fortune, good luck and a leap of faith. However, others see the closely-related locust as a sign of destruction or a sign of plague, which is one of the mentioned world-ending disasters in “Knock at the Cabin.”

The quartet — Sabrina, Adriane, Redmond and Leonard — potentially symbolize the four horsemen. Leonard is a teacher. Sabrina is a nurse, Adriane is a chef and mother, and Redmond is a gas company employee. The four represent the four horsemen of guidance, healing, nurture and malice. We see this symbolism become concrete towards the end of the movie, when Eric has this realization about the four.

One thing that I found to be particularly interesting is the moment is when Leonard first knocks on the door of the cabin. He knocks seven times exactly, and the number seven in the Christian bible has a few significant meanings. For example, there are seven seals that God protects with his right hand. Also, seven represents the completion of the crucifixion, where Jesus spoke seven statements on the cross. It is quite apparent there were many clues and double meanings of religion sprinkled throughout the film.

My Personal Take

Although I am not a “film bro,” I do enjoy movies that have double meanings or make me emotional. That was what “Knock at the Cabin” did exactly. Toward the end of the film, Eric makes the selfless decision to have Andrew kill him for the sake of the world. He tells Andrew that he is at peace with his decision, has a vision of Andrew and Wen in the future and says his goodbyes. The scene was intensely emotional, especially heightened when Andrew goes to get Wen out of a treehouse and she only sees Andrew return. I couldn’t help but shed a few tears. The movie is quite suspenseful but still pulls the strings of your heart.

What would you do if you were met with a questioning knock at your secluded cabin?

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