my thoughts on.... 'Knock Knock' (an original Creepercast site review)

“Why can't people in Hollywood come up with an original idea anymore?”
That's the question many people seem to be asking recently. Why, you ask? Because remakes are everywhere these days. No matter what your opinion on them, you can't ignore their existence or look at them as lesser films because they're a re-telling of someone's elses original story. Perhaps there are more of them now, than in the past, but remakes have always existed. What's ironic about them is that, when it's a film, it's not okay, but when it's a song or a cartoon, it's accepted and even applauded. Really, what's the difference? Take the music of Mozart, for example, how many times and how many orchestras have redone his various pieces of music? Why doesn't this logic apply to films too? Case in point, Eli Roth's 'Knock Knock', a modern take on Peter Traynor's 1977 film 'Death Game'. Times have changed pretty drastically, since the 70's. Now with the era of cell phones, social media and a new mentality for the modern youth culture, you take something that was dated and make it relevant again. Not unlike swapping out one conductor for another, to re-shape the music and make it something new again. Granted, it may be the same basic story as before, but it feels entirely different and becomes something you can fall in love with all over again. It doesn't happen all the time. There are some directors and studios who are in it for the cash grab. The ones who just want a quick and easy way to make a buck. Those are few and far between, as sequels are the better option for the ones who only worship the almighty dollar. I truly feel that most of the directors who take on the remake or re-imaging, have a genuine desire to pay homage to the original and want to put their own stamp on it. To give it something unique that maybe share something they felt that was missing or that would enhance the original story line. Rob Zombie, Alexandre Aja, and many other well respected directors, have taken something old and made it new again. Now, you can add Eli Roth to that ever growing list.

It's been a big year, so far, for Mr. Roth. As a matter of fact, I already shared my thoughts on his cannibalistic tour de force, 'The Green Inferno'. It took two years for that one to hit the theaters and in the meantime, he hopped back into the director's chair to helm 2015's 'Knock Knock'. He'd taken quite a hiatus, prior to these films, and I was beginning to wonder if he'd ever come back to his roots. He's a man that helmed the next generation of horror masters and brought gore back to the mainstream, where it'd gone missing ever since the self aware 90's. He's someone that never stops moving and always seems to have something going on creatively. Whether it's hosting 'Shark Week' on the Discovery channel or acting in the underrated film 'Aftershock'. (Which he also co-wrote, with Nicholas Lopez.) Eli Roth is a man of many hats. He was born to entertain and never misses the opportunity to do just that. Say what you will about the quality of his work or the method in which he brings it to life, the man's films are never dull. I'm a fan, so I may be a little biased. However, he must be doing something right, as he's worked with some of the biggest and brightest in Hollywood and hasn't stopped working since 'Cabin Fever' was released in 2002. (That film garnered two sequels, both of which had a certain charm on their own, but without him in the director's chair.) 'Knock Knock' stands out among his body of work as a bit of an anomaly. It has all of the earmarks of an Eli Roth joint, but with some restraint in the gore category. You can feel the same tension and not so subtle allegory that he's working to show you, it's just told in a bit more slick and streamlined fashion. Nothing wrong with an artist showing growth in their work. The minute you stop growing and changing, is the moment you hang up your hat and move on to reality television.
The film begins with a tranquil scene of family life. A man, his wife, their 2 kids and Monkey, the French bulldog all waking up to quiet, suburban life. However, you can quickly see the cracks in the foundation, as we're introduced to the fact that things aren't quite what they seem. It's subtle, but still painfully obvious that Evan Webber (played by Keanu Reeves) and Karen Alvarado (played by Ignacia Allamand) are having issues in their marriage. It's even suggested that it wasn't the first time things have been a problem. Soon, his wife and kids are off and he's left alone for the weekend. Then comes the dark and stormy night, not unlike the beginning of oh so many horror stories, when 2 lost girls come knocking on the door. It starts out innocently enough. A man, doing the right thing and helping them to dry off and call them a car to come and pick them up. However, during the 45 minute wait for their ride, there's a shift in the conversation. From innocent to not so innocent to flat out dirty. Evan is flirty, at first, but in a way that most people would react when attention from the opposite sex is shown. Flattered and feeling vital for the first time in a while, he encourages the attention. When they push things past the point where he feels comfortable, he tries to calm things down. He does everything he can, but they refuse to take no for an answer. In a role reversal to most films in this genre, the girls become the predator and the man becomes the prey and once things have gone past the point of no return.... all bets are off. The next morning, Evan finds that they're not in bed anymore. He wanders into the kitchen where they've all but destroyed it while making breakfast. Things turn from bad to worse, as the girls won't leave. After doing everything he can to end this night of terror, they agree to leave. He drops them off and thinks it's over. He ends up being wrong and that's where the real horror begins. What happens from that point forward, has to be seen to be believed. I won't spoil it for you, as part of the fun is the ride itself. If you can call it fun? It's truly a terrifying thing, to know that no matter what you do and how you try and handle a situation, if it's out of your control.... there is nothing you can do. Nothing.

At it's core, 'Knock Knock' is a home invasion film. It also shares a lot of similarities to all of the other films of Eli Roth. From it's slow opening set up, complete with beautiful music playing and very pretty bits of scenery all around. Something to establish what beauty is, before the ugly sets in. Beautiful women and beautiful foreign women, Eli can't get enough of them. All of the tension that illuminates every one of his other films, is ratcheted up in this one, mainly because of the antagonists. You're not quite sure how far they'll go and you also don't know if they are underage or just young looking. It causes you to feel very conflicted and mentally ties your hands as to what you can do to get rid of them, if you were in his shoes? Where things start to separate themselves from his earlier work, is in the gore department. 'Knock Knock' is light on the blood, guts, gore and icky stuff. However, it still feels every bit like an Eli Roth creation. As the story progresses, the film ends up being less of a horror film and more of a psychological thriller, with some horror on the side. It's as if he saw this as an opportunity to turn exploitation films upside down. Make the women the villains and the man the victim. It's very effective, but could be taken as a negative by some. It leaves you wondering if the women are serial killers, girls on some kind of a mission or perhaps just flat out sicko's. It causes Keanu's character to have a weird fit of spastic rage, that is one of the few weak spots in the film. Keanu isn't designed for that kind of outburst, in my opinion. Also, the ending feels right for a film made in the 70's, but sticks out like a sore thumb in a modern film. Is it all a joke or just a game or will this continue to go on for as long as they don't get caught? At the end of a long day of kidnapping, 'Knock Knock' falls into the 3 out of 5 star range. There are far too many plot holes, missing motivations and a script that needed a modern punching up to make this a 4 star film. It doesn't make it a bad film, just less than I expect from a man who's built a solid reputation and is a reason I love horror like I do. Watch it and judge for yourself, just don't let any stranded girls in from the rain, unless your Dieter Laser.... but that's another film.

If you like this, check out some other, intense, home invasion films: 'The Strangers', 'Ils' aka 'Them' or 'Funny Games' (1997 or 2008)