A spine-chilling thriller has earned acclaim from viewers as ‘gripping the whole way through’, and it’s screening on Film4 this evening.

Knock at the Cabin, which hit cinemas in 2023, follows a family’s holiday at an isolated cabin that takes a sinister turn when four strangers, spearheaded by Leonard (Dave Bautista), hold them captive, insisting they must make an unthinkable decision to prevent an apocalypse by sacrificing one of their own to preserve mankind, or witness civilisation’s demise.

Helmed by The Sixth Sense director M. Night Shyamalan, the picture delves into profound questions of faith, sacrifice, familial connections, and conviction, whilst the family wrestles with whether the strangers’ chilling ultimatum stems from genuine prophecy or madness.

The cast features Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn, and Harry Potter alumnus Rupert Grint, adapting Paul Tremblay’s 2018 novel, The Cabin at the End of the World.

Shyamalan notably departed from the source material’s conclusion, shifting the narrative focus towards themes of faith and sacrifice rather than the book’s original approach, reports <a href=”https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/outstanding-horror-film-people-cant-36615110″ rel=”Follow” target=”_self”>the Mirror</a>.

Despite a middling 67% rating on the Tomatometer, audiences have hailed it as ‘outstanding’ and ‘gripping the whole way through’.

One critic said: “I’ve been a fan of Shyamalan since I first watched The Sixth Sense at age 13. This is not his most exquisite work (Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs). But it is an excellent film nonetheless, that will keep you gripped, and guessing.

“It pulls off the remarkable feat of making us see the world through the eyes of ALL characters on both sides of the tussle. Empathising with, yet suspicious of, each and every person. We can’t be sure until the end if what the “prophets” say is true. It sure SEEMS true.

“The words, body language, actions and evidence support it. But are we being tested? Are the “prophets” experiencing group delusion?”.

“Are they tricking the family with pre-recording or deep fake news broadcasting, and targeting them due to a historic vendetta we learn of? Or is it neither of the options? Is Eric suffering psychosis due to his head injury in the bar.

“Will one of the family members kill their husband and we discover it was all in vain? There is a twist. Perhaps Shyamalan’s cleverest yet.”

Another added: “A relentlessly tense and thought-provoking thriller. Knock at the Cabin boasts incredible performances (Dave Bautista shines) and a story that will haunt you long after the credits roll. One of Shyamalan’s best. 8 out of 10.

“Such a great concept. Emotional and gripping the whole way through,” commented a third, while a fourth posted: “I thought it was outstanding. Dave Bautusta was beyond stellar.”

Yet another viewer praised it, saying: “There’s just something that makes me feel comfortable and drawn into the characters – all of them. Many films have great plots and story lines but you feel nothing for the characters which puts a distance between you and them.

“But even halfway through the movie I already felt in sync with everything. I watch A LOT of movies, especially thrillers. And this one might not be the thriller-of-the-year in terms of Oscar winning, but I would absolutely watch it again. It was memorable. High praise!”.

Knock at the Cabin airs on Film 4 on Tuesday 27 January at 9pm.