M. Night Shyamalan has been taking his time between projects lately. After a career defined by rapid-fire releases, the filmmaker is now gearing up for a supernatural romance starring Phoebe Dynevor and Jake Gyllenhaal, slated for a 2027 theatrical debut. That will arrive three years after his most recent feature, Trap, which marked his first collaboration with Warner Bros. following a decade-long partnership with Universal.
That Universal era, which began with the surprise hit The Visit in 2015, produced some of Shyamalan's most commercially successful work, including the blockbusters Split and Glass, which wrapped up his Unbreakable trilogy. But it also ended on a sour note with a film that, despite its modest budget, became his biggest box office disappointment in two decades. That movie is Knock at the Cabin, and it's currently streaming on Peacock in the U.S. — but only until September 1.
A Home Invasion With Apocalyptic Stakes
Knock at the Cabin is a claustrophobic thriller that traps a couple and their young daughter in a remote vacation home. Four strangers, led by a hulking figure played by Dave Bautista, break in and deliver a terrifying ultimatum: to avert the apocalypse, the family must sacrifice one of their own. Jonathan Groff, Rupert Grint, and Ben Aldridge co-star in this tense, philosophical horror that asks how far faith can push a person.
The film grossed $54 million worldwide against a reported $20 million budget, making it Shyamalan's lowest-grossing release since Lady in the Water in 2006. While that might sound like a failure, it's worth noting that the movie still turned a profit thanks to its lean production costs. Critically, it holds a 67% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus calling it "a thought-provoking chiller and upper-tier Shyamalan," even if it's "often less than scary" and has plot holes that don't hold up under scrutiny.
Why It Divided Audiences
Unlike Shyamalan's earlier comeback hits, Knock at the Cabin sparked sharp disagreement among viewers. Some praised its intimate, stage-like tension and Bautista's career-best dramatic performance, while others found the premise frustrating and the ending unsatisfying. It's a film that rewards patience but punishes those expecting a typical twist-heavy Shyamalan experience.
If you haven't seen it yet, now's your chance. The movie is leaving Peacock on September 1, and it's a perfect pick for fans of forgotten thrillers that still deliver chills. For those who prefer to plan their streaming, you might also want to check out other titles leaving streaming services this month.
Shyamalan's next project, the Dynevor-Gyllenhaal romance, is still a ways off, but it promises to be a departure from his usual genre fare. In the meantime, Knock at the Cabin remains a fascinating, divisive entry in his filmography — one that's worth a watch before it disappears from Peacock.
