M. Night Shyamalan puts the fate of the world in the hands of one family

M. Night Shyamalan loves nothing more than to bully America and Americans. Knock At The Cabin, presented at the closing of the Gérardmer Festival, is a successful variation in this field. A homosexual couple and their young daughter see four strangers come knocking on the door of the isolated cabin they have rented for the holidays. The latter have an unacceptable proposal to make to them.

“The story I’m telling is more about faith than religion,” Mr. Night Shyamalan told 20 minutes. My characters are more or less skeptical which seemed to me to constitute an exciting suspense dynamic. “Dads and their daughter must agree to sacrifice a member of their family. With each refusal, millions of people will die and if they do not end up obeying, they will remain alone on a devastated planet and totally depopulated by their selfishness.

A gripping and accomplished work

“Are they dealing with mad conspirators or do they have the fate of the world and its people in their hands? This is the question I would like viewers to ask themselves before wondering how they would act if they were faced with the same case of conscience. As he knows so well, the director of signs and Glass confronts ordinary people with choices that are not, in the face of a possible apocalypse. Dave Bautistaseen in particular in Guardians of the Galaxyreveals an imposing talent as the chief actor of the menacing gang.

M. Night Shyamalan has chosen to keep the violence in all its forms out of frame, leaving only a few particularly disturbing images to be seen. It places the viewer in the position of the threatened family with palpable jubilation. “These parents and their child were chosen because of their unconditional love of great purity, insists the director. The fact that they are a homoparental family only comes into play to evoke the homophobia they may have suffered during their lives and the way in which it influenced their reactions. »

The playful spirit of M. Night Shyamalan sparks in this very well-executed suspense that is all the more gripping as all the protagonists are endearing. It’s been a long time since the director gave us such a finished work.

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