Is Knock at the Cabin Based on a True Story or a Book?
M. Night Shyamalan is a household name, thanks to his expertise in the psychological thriller, supernatural horror, and suspense genres. He has made a name for himself by crafting exciting stories with unexpected plot twists and incorporating supernatural elements into his characters. Shyamalan’s latest film, “Knock at the Cabin,” set to be released on February 3, is no exception to his signature style and will explore similar themes as his previous works. Shyamalan is also not known for adapting real-life events, but his upcoming movie’s premise sounds just believable enough for people to wonder, is Knock at the Cabin based on a true story or a book?
Knock at the Cabin is not based on a true story but on a novel written by Paul Tremblay called The Cabin at the End of the World. The book was highly successful when it came out, and the deal for it to be adapted was signed back in 2017. Even though some changes will inevitably be made, the movie’s original premise faithfully follows the book’s events.
Now that you know that Knock at the Cabin is not based on a true story but rather on a highly thought-provoking book with much symbolism attached to it, it’s time to explore it in a bit more detail. If you’re interested in our analysis, keep reading!
What is Knock at the Cabin about?
“Knock at the Cabin” is a gripping psychological horror-mystery-thriller film that centers around a family who goes on a vacation to a remote cabin in the woods. However, their trip takes a dark turn when they are suddenly confronted by a group of strangers who claim that the end of the world is near and demand that the family makes certain sacrifices to prevent it. This creates a frightening and suspenseful situation, particularly given the isolated setting of the cabin in the woods, which adds to the feeling of danger and urgency. The concept of the movie promises to be a nerve-wracking experience for audiences.
The movie was directed by M. Night Shyamalan, with Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman helping out with the script. The movie sees Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, and Ben Aldridge in starring roles.
The horror genre is no stranger to movies based on true stories, especially the psychological horror genre, and while there are plenty of movies based on true events set in the cabins and in the woods, Knock at the Cabin is not one of them. The movie was based on a book in the same genre.
The movie’s brief synopsis also reveals a supernatural aspect, with the apocalypse involved, but we’re yet to see how this will play out.
Was Knock at the Cabin based on a book?
Besides real-life stories, some of the best horror movies of all time were based on books. Konock at the Cabin was based on a horror novel, The Cabin at the End of the World, written by Paul Tremblay. M. Night Shyamalan changed the title of the movie; however, possibly for it not to be confused with a movie with a similar premise released in 2011 called “The Cabin in the Woods.“
So now that we know that the movie was based on a book, we can use the original inspiration to see more detail about the premise itself.
Knock at the Cabin follows Andrew, Eric, and their adopted 7-year-old daughter Wen. The family decides to venture into a New Hampshire wooded area to spend some quality time together when Wen is approached by a strange man called Leonard, who seems apologetic throughout the interaction and apologizes for “what he has to do.”
Wen runs to warn her parents, but the family is ambushed by Leonard and three other people who are sporting oddly looking ritualistic weapons. The people introduce themselves. They are led by Leonard, and they claim that they have no connections between them whatsoever. The group of four was allegedly brought together by the visions that anticipate the end of the world, with Leonard predicting that the oceans will rise, plagues will infect humans, and darkness will descend upon the world.
The group of four seems guilt-ridden and apologetic, but they explain to the family that in order to prevent the apocalypse, they need to kill one of their number as a sacrifice. Andrew and Eric do not buy this for a minute. They have a feeling this attack is rooted in prejudice and homophobia and has nothing to do with some mystical apocalypse. They refuse to choose the sacrificial lamb, and in turn, the group of four beats up one of their own with their ritualistic weapons. Now the media has started reporting devastating events and tsunamis coupled with what they just witnessed; Eric starts breaking under pressure. The only sane part of the family remains to be Andrew, who even attempts to escape, resulting in their daughter Wen’s death. Her death still hasn’t stopped the apocalypse from coming because her death was accidental and not a willing one made of free will. But I’m going to stop before I accidentally spoil the whole movie.
As you can see by the movie’s synopsis and the book, we’re in for another suspenseful thriller with supernatural elements thrown in. Even though the movie was not based on true events, it won’t take away from the terrifying aspect of the whole situation, coupled with the remote, isolated setting and unhinged individuals. To check out the whole movie and see to what extent it was faithfully adapted from the book, we’re going to have to wait for February 3, when the movie officially hits theaters.
