Knock at the Cabin | Important Motifs

In this section of our Colossus Movie Guide for Knock at the Cabin, we look at important motifs that help us understand the film. 

Cast

• Dave Bautista – Leonard
• Jonathan Groff – Eric
• Ben Aldridge – Andrew
• Nikki Amuka-Bird – Sabrina
• Kristen Cui – Wen
• Abby Quinn – Adriane
• Rupert Grint – Redmond
• M. Night Shyamalan – Writer, director, infomercial host

Important motifs in Knock at the Cabin

Violence

Various forms of violence in Knock at the Cabin illuminate and give weight to the themes and character journeys at hand. Some examples of violence we witness are: the weapons used by the Four Horsemen; the gun Andrew keeps in his truck; the sacrifice the Four Horsemen ask Eric, Andrew, and Wen to make; and the apocalyptic mayhem that consumes the world.

In general, the Four Horsemen represent the unfair pressure and fear Eric and Andrew face as same-sex parents in a discriminatory society. When these four strangers descend upon the cabin, their entry and presence is unwelcome—a painful, symbolic reminder of Eric and Andrew’s daily subjugation. The Horsemen’s weapons become symbols for what Eric and Andrew perceive to be animosity.

That perception of the Four Horsemen drives Eric and Andrew to become violent themselves. Their desperate disbelief in the incoming apocalypse allows pain and misery to infect the rest of the world. The all-encompassing violence that persists throughout the film can be traced back to a single truth: Eric and Andrew are unwilling to make a sacrifice; they’ll hurt everyone else before they hurt each other.

In this light, the violence becomes representative of the struggle to feel included in the world. When we fight for equality, when we fight for our rightful place in society, we often become angry or frustrated or—when none of those avenues produce results—violent. If pushed to the brink, members of society will respond to injustice with retaliation. Eric and Andrew respond to the Four Horsemen’s violence with their own violence. And Andrew, who had been personally attacked by people for his lifestyle, is willing to let the world suffer in the name of his family. The violence overall becomes reflective of the idea that hurt people are inclined to hurt other people.

Isolation

The cabin itself is a sort of symbol that represents Eric and Andrew’s escape from the world. They purposely isolate themselves in the woods, metaphorically removing themselves from civilization where they face discrimination regularly.

Ironically, the solitude they seek becomes representative of the very social isolation they experience on a daily basis. By attempting to remove themselves from hatred, they effectively remove themselves from the very society they’d like to become a more integral part of. It’s a form of self-flagellation that exacerbates the very problem they’re so eager to fix.

This all ties back to Andrew’s specific struggle with his past trauma. Redmond’s attack years earlier depressed Andrew and required him to attend therapy to cope. Andrew felt powerless in a world that didn’t accept his family or his lifestyle, and he internalized much of his pain. By isolating himself, he became detached from the rest of society.

From this perspective, you can view the apocalypse as a wake-up call. Andrew can ignore the world all he wants, but his self-enforced isolation is causing irreparable harm to everyone else—including his family. But you can’t hide for forever, as eventually the world will come knocking. The entire film could be viewed as Andrew’s resistance to reintegrate back into society.

What are your thoughts?

Are there more motifs you think should be part of the Colossus Movie Guide for Knock at the Cabin? Leave your thoughts below and we’ll consider them for the guide.