As a horror movie directed by Eli Roth and starring Keanu Reeves, Knock Knock was far off of my radar. That being said, the film did not build a strong case for me to pay much attention to any of these three in the future.
When Evan Webber’s (Keanu Reeves) family goes to the beach for a long weekend, he is left home to complete his latest architecture project. In typical horror movie fashion, a big thunderstorm brings with it trouble for Evan in the form of two young women (Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas) in need of shelter, dry clothes and a ride to a friend’s party.
Evan reluctantly lets them into his home, allowing the pair to tear him down psychologically over the course of the long weekend. On the first evening, Genesis and Bel coerce the visibly uncomfortable Evan into a threesome with them, which he willingly participates in. The two young women turn the tables on Evan the next morning and threaten to blackmail him when he tries to call the police.
This cat-and-mouse game is played through the rest of the film, but unlike other films the “victim” isn’t particularly sympathetic. Perhaps this is due to Keanu Reeves performance, where he reprises his stoic, cold, humorless role for the umpteenth time. I found myself instead rooting for Genesis and Bel. That is, until they take things a bit too far. As more is revealed to the audience about the pair, the less likeable they become.
However, Ana de Armas and Lorenza Izzo do an admirable job transforming themselves from helpless young women to ruthless, manipulative masterminds. Lorenza Izzo steals the show when the two force a captive Evan to play a twisted version of Family Feud, where Izzo is the host.
Knock Knock has a dark sense of humor that, when coupled with the mind games, becomes groan-worthy as the film progresses. The more tortured Evan became, the more tortured I felt, nearly exclaiming “Oh, come on,” as the films twists piled up. The script, from Roth, Guillermo Amoedo and Nicolás López, shows the natural progression of conversation which actually makes Knock Knock an interesting watch from a purely craft perspective.
In the end, Knock Knock was entertaining but outside of the 99 minute running time, I don’t find myself turned on to other films in the genre. Maybe watch this one with some friends in a place where you can openly poke fun, but otherwise, you’re not missing much.
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