After 2021's Old, M. Night Shyamalan looks to continue his surprisingly effective book adaptation trend with Knock at the Cabin. Based on Paul G. Tremblay's novel titled The Cabin at the End of the World, Knock at the Cabin is an apocalyptic psychological thriller that follows a family of three whose vacation turns into a nightmare when a group of four takes them hostage in their remote cabin. Claiming that only they can avert an imminent apocalypse, the group presents them with a choice. With its cast led by Dave Bautista, Rupert Grint, Jonathan Groff, and Ben Alridge, Knock at the Cabin already seems to be a promising addition to Shyamalan's magnum opus, especially as it signals the formation of a new trend in the filmmaker's oeuvre.
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After The Sixth Sense's success, M. Night Shyamalan became one of the few directors whose works can be marketed solely through the credibility surrounding their names. His unique take on the superhero genre with Unbreakable and the chilling quasi-documentary style in Signs further cemented his place as one of Hollywood's most talented directors. Unfortunately, Shyamalan's spree came to a critical standstill when his original films and adaptions like The Village, Lady in the Water, The Last Airbender, and After Earth could not live up to the high standards set by his earlier films. In recent years, however, M. Night Shyamalan has been making a comeback with scintillating franchise films, such as Glass, and book adaptions like Old.
Although its seems like M. Night Shyamalan is continually finding his feet, Old proves that his directorial forte has not burned out and only needs a change in direction. Despite receiving mixed reviews from viewers and critics, Old is arguably one of the best films directed by Shyamalan in recent years. While this can be partially attributed to how the director masterfully aligns the movie's supernatural terrors with real-world anxieties, the fact that Old is a book adaption also seems to work in the Shyamalan's favor. Since his new movie Knock at the Cabin is also treading a similar path, it will likely push Shyamalan's directorial career in a favorable direction.
Are Adaptations Better For M. Night Shyamalan's Movies Now?
A closer look at M. Night Shyamalan's career seems to suggest that direct book-to-screen adaptations — or films loosely inspired by written works — have always worked better for him. For instance, The Sixth Sense initially drew inspiration from The Silence of the Lambs (via Variety), which is also a book adaptation. Even the Unbreakable franchise was not exactly based on a particular comic book series but borrowed several tropes and references from existing comics to bring its own twist to the superhero genre. Knock at the Cabin harps on this recurring trend by adapting a critically acclaimed book, and it already looks it will add another success to Shyamalan's career redemption.
It is uncertain whether this holds entirely true since Signs, considered one of M. Night Shyamalan's best thrillers, is also an original movie. However, these adaptions make it evident that his distinctive vision as a director truly comes to light with psychological thrillers. For that reason, regardless of what M. Night Shyamalan decides to create — an original or an adaption like A Knock at the Cabin — it is bound to reflect his genius, so long as it sticks to his signature brand of horror.