Opened: February 3, 2023

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Starring: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn & Rupert Grint

Though the plot feels like a familiar ethics game you’ve probably played before, Knock at the Cabin is a harrowing psychological horror film that is elevated by its performances.

While on a family trip, Eric (Jonathan Groff), Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and their daughter Wen (Kristen Cui) are visited by four strangers who claim they have seen the apocalypse. They’re given the impossible task to choose a family member to sacrifice to save humanity.

This is the Trolley Problem – do you kill one person to save numerous others? – with a deeply emotional twist.

Dave Bautista is unnerving as the leader of the strangers, while Groff and Aldridge play different sides of the same coin. The way the film is shot allows you to be more intimate with the characters and really experience their feelings.

Final say: Don’t have to knock twice. ★★★★☆