A family's quiet cabin retreat turns into a tense standoff when four strangers arrive with an impossible demand.

What is Knock at the Cabin about?

Andrew, Eric, and their young daughter Wen are settling into a secluded vacation cabin in New Hampshire when four visitors show up at the door carrying homemade weapons and an unshakable sense of purpose. What follows is less a home-invasion thriller than a pressure chamber: the family is asked to make a choice that sounds absurd on its face, while the visitors insist they have no personal stake in the outcome. Director M. Night Shyamalan keeps most of the film contained to a single space, letting the cast's performances carry the mounting dread as television broadcasts outside hint that the visitors' warnings might not be empty. The tension comes less from what might happen physically and more from watching a family try to hold onto reason while the walls of their situation close in.

About the cast

Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge play Andrew and Eric, with Kristen Cui as their daughter Wen. Dave Bautista, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn, and Rupert Grint round out the group of visitors, all directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

Context & significance

Released in 2023 in the United States, Knock at the Cabin fits within Shyamalan's long run of high-concept thrillers built around a single unsettling premise rather than sprawling plot mechanics. It holds a 6.1 rating, with viewers split between those drawn in by Bautista's unexpectedly restrained performance and those who found the film's central dilemma too stripped-down for its runtime. The genre mix of horror, mystery, and thriller keeps the film's mood tense without leaning on gore or jump scares.

Watching Knock at the Cabin on Ktime

Knock at the Cabin is available on K-Time with Persian dub and Persian subtitles, letting Farsi-speaking viewers follow the film's dialogue-heavy tension without missing a beat. Signing up for a free K-Time account unlocks playback; the film's page, cast list, and synopsis are open to browse before you log in.