Acclaimed filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan returns with a new horror movie of apocalyptic proportions in Knock at the Cabin, adapting the Paul Tremblay novel, The Cabin at the End of the World. Blending psychological terror with religious overtones, the film is Shyamalan at his most restrained and deliberate. Buoyed by an impressive cast, Knock at the Cabin leaves viewers thinking over its deeper themes and questions.

Parents Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge) vacation at a remote cabin in the woods with their young daughter Wen (Kristen Cui) when their idyllic vacation is abruptly interrupted by a quartet of strangers. Led by the soft-spoken Leonard (Dave Bautista), the group forces their way into the cabin, takes the family hostage, and demands they sacrifice someone to avert armageddon. As the standoff continues, violence erupts with bloody regularity, underscoring that Eric and Andrew are running out of time to make their impossible choice.

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Knock at the Cabin Dave Bautista and Rupert Grint

In many ways, Bautista's performance as Leonard is a clear personification of Knock at the Cabin's overall themes. As physically imposing as ever, there is a gentleness and sense of melancholy to his depiction of the character that highlights the film's penchant for understatement and tragedy beyond the characters' comprehension. Bautista carries the film, propelling the story into motion and dominating virtually every scene he appears in.

If Bautista brings a more controlled presence, Aldridge and, to a lesser extent, Rupert Grint's Redmond bring fire and fury. Aldridge's Andrew is filled with righteous anger, determined not to allow himself and his family to become victims to these odd cultists. Redmond is the most unpredictable in Leonard's group, making him the most dangerous. In contrast, Groff matches Bautista's tranquility, albeit from the victims' point of view, expertly bringing vulnerability and compassion to those persecuting him and his family.

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Jonathan Groff as Eric, holding his daughter Wen, in Knock at the Cabin

As a horror movie itself, Knock at the Cabin isn't particularly scary so much as it is tense and uncomfortable. Clocking in at under two hours, there isn't any filler in the narrative, moving briskly into its big home invasion sequence -- easily the highlight of the film -- before Leonard and his compatriots lay out the stakes for their captive audience. But Shyamalan is looking to captivate his audience, not repulse them. Some of the major violent beats take place off-screen, while the ones the audience does see are played to enhance the tension rather than being delivered for sheer shock value.

After middling returns with Old and Glass, Knock at the Cabin doesn't quite mark a complete return to form for Shyamalan, but it is a big step in the right direction. With the proceedings largely confined to the film's titular setting, the movie feels like a stage thriller, elevated by its cast to keep audiences riveted. The movie isn't as full of twists and turns as longtime fans of Shyamalan might expect. The prolific filmmaker has delivered one of his biggest surprises of all by telling a relatively straightforward thriller that places its characters in a fight for survival with wide-reaching implications.

Produced, directed, and co-written by M. Night Shyamalan, Knock at the Cabin opens in theaters on Feb. 3.