Horror and drama seem to go together and that’s why I want to talk about these two movies in my double feature review.
In this Double Feature Review we’ll take a look at two movies with some strong performances. They are M. Knight Shyamalan’s Knock on the Cabin and Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. These movies are finally available to stream, both these movies are based on pre-existing stories and I guess that sort of relates them. So let’s talk about them.
Knock on the Cabin
This thriller stars Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge and Rupert Grint and was directed M. Knight Shyamalan. It is based on a book called The Cabin at the End of the World By Paul G. Tremblay. It follows a family on vacation that’s suddenly thrown into the deep end when they are taken hostages by four strangers who demand that one of them be sacrificed to avert the apocalypse.
This is a really entertaining movie and it has a lot of great qualities. Dave Bautista delivers an excellent performance in a thought provoking story. The movie itself is great, I just wished they amped up the horror a little more and that we got to see more of the impending apocalypse.
The movie mostly takes place in a single location, which adds to the story. It definitely keeps you captivated and it is one of Shyamalan’s best movies in years. Unfortunately it didn’t have his signature twists, but at least there was a kind of a happy ending. I also do like the first act a lot.
My Rating: 7.5 out of 10 – Good
The Whale
This Darren Aronofsky film stars Brendan Fraser and Sadie Sink. It is based on a play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter. The movie follows a morbidly obese and reclusive English teacher who tries to mend his relationship with his teenage daughter.
Let’s just get this out of the way, Brendan Fraser killed this performance. So you can definitely believe the hype. It is definitely Oscar-worthy performance and one of his best roles to date. He really went all out to bring Charlie to life. Hong Chau and Sadie Sink as Liz and Ellie, respectively, were fantastic as well.
Unfortunately the story does feel lacking. The performances keep the movie afloat. It does explore meaningful and thought provoking themes, but it isn’t handled great. And I know a lot of people won’t agree with the shared themes. I personally only love the performances, but felt let down by the movie itself.
My Rating: 6 out of 10 – Could’ve Been Better.
