Summary
- M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin explores the events leading up to the end of the world, featuring the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
- Redmond, Adriane, Sabrina and Leonard embody reversed roles associated with the Horsemen, subverting expectations.
- Each of the Horseman's shirt color is representative of the color of the horse the rider travels on through the end times.
This article contains a discussion of suicide.
M. Night Shyamalan is certainly a polarizing director. He has released flops like The Happening and After Earth, but he has also created such gems as The Sixth Sense and the Unbreakable trilogy. No matter what, he'll always be a divisive filmmaker. Shyamalan has recently taken another crack at the big screen with Knock at the Cabin, based on author Paul Tremblay's 2018 horror novel, The Cabin at the End of the World.
In this 2023 movie, four strangers approach a gay couple, Andrew and Eric, at their cabin retreat, asking for a favor in order to prevent the end of the world. These sinister figures want the family to sacrifice one of its own, which includes their daughter Wen. However, despite what they may seem, Knock at the Cabin's Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse aren't as evil as they appear.
Updated on September 13, 2023, by Ajay Aravind: There are numerous post-apocalyptic movies out there, but not nearly as many films that discuss the events leading to the apocalypse. M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin attempts to capture the day before the end of the world, although the ending isn't as neat as it could have been. The four mysterious individuals in the story are eventually revealed to be the Biblical Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Each of them bears traits similar to the figures described in the Book of Revelations. As such, we've updated this feature with some more information.
Redmond Is A Sympathetic Spin On War
As they hold the family hostage, Rupert Grint's hot-headed Redmond grows impatient. He later bags his head up, allowing the three other cultists to beat him to death. It turns out that once they're sacrificed, each of them releases a "plague," commencing with a tsunami off the coast of Oregon. While Eric starts to think that the cult might be right, Andrew believes Redmond is a bigot who gaslit everyone online to force them into this death pact. Knock at the Cabin reveals that Andrew was assaulted in a bar years back, and he believes Redmond is the perpetrator. It's why Eric later deems Redmond as "malice" — a reflection of Andrew's own temper and bitterness toward a world that hated them.
Eventually, they find Redmond's ID that says he's Rory, with flashbacks hinting he's the guy who assaulted Andrew. That said, when Redmond dies, he's repentant and begging for salvation, which is why Eric thinks he's an inversion of the Horseman of War. Further, the Book of Revelations describes the Horseman of War as sitting on "a red horse," and tasked with "tak[ing] peace from Earth." Redmond's actions in the past have certainly taken a lot of Andrew's peace of mind, and this is also the reason that the character's shirt, hair, and name have connections to the color red.
Adriane Trades Famine For Nourishment
Adriane is the second Horseman to go in Knock at the Cabin, but before she dies, she begs the family to make the right choice. She's got a young son, so she desperately wants him to live. In fact, she's compassionate and kind, even wondering if Redmond was indeed manipulating them. Notably, she feeds Wen, referencing how she looks after her own. Her connection to food is viewed as the opposite of the Horseman of Famine. Sadly, the X9 virus hits England, South Africa, and the United States after her death.
It's a COVID-19 pastiche, with news reports mimicking the pandemic, further breaking Eric after his concussion from an initial scrap with Redmond. Still, Eric is cognizant enough to think Adriane is the Horsemen meant to teach them about "nurturing" and paving the way for the next chapter of the world. In the New Testament of the Bible, the Horseman of Famine rides a "black horse," which is indirectly referenced by Adriane's black shirt.
Sabrina Deviates From Death's Role
In Knock at the Cabin, Sabrina's a nurse who doesn't want her family to die. Her compassion shines through when she helps Eric with his concussed head. She also refuses to kill Andrew when he fights her off to get a gun from his truck, which has Eric believing that she's the Horseman of "healing." This flips the death trope, made even more ironic by Andrew shooting her, much to Eric's chagrin.
Weirdly enough, Leonard (the leader) still smashes her dead body, releasing the other plague -- "pieces of the sky falling down." This actually turns out to be planes all over the world crashing, with Leonard predicting the exact words and cadence used by a live news reporter. This reinforces to Eric that the cultists did indeed get visions in Knock at the Cabin. The Horseman of Death supposedly rides a "pale horse," and Sabrina's top can best be described as a pale cream color.
Leonard Is A Far Cry From The Horseman Of Conquest
Leonard is the most compelling of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Knock at the Cabin. Played by Dave Bautista, who many know as Marvel Studios' Drax, he's a gentle giant. Even when he's attacked, he refuses to hurt people. Leonard merely wants the children of the world to survive, as he's grown attached to the sports team he coaches. Thus, he has no problem slitting his throat, which results in lightning striking all over the world and the sky growing dark and ominous.
Leonard, despite his size, is the opposite of the Horseman of Conquest. He simply doesn't believe that victory or strength make better people — but their heart in the face of adversity. In fact, he cites how his team loses a lot but still has fun, which is the most important message. Eric calls Leonard "guidance," which convinces Andrew the cultists are right, setting them up for the climax's tough choice. Leonard's white shirt represents the "white horse" associated with several Biblical figures, including the Horseman of Conquest, but also Jesus Christ, the Antichrist, and the Holy Spirit.
Knock at the Cabin is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.