In this section of our Colossus Movie Guide for Knock at the Cabin, we answer questions you have about the movie. If you’re curious about plot explanations, meanings, themes, lessons, motifs, symbols, or just confused by something, ask and we’ll do our best to answer.
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
Knock at the Cabin | Questions and Answers
Why are Andrew, Eric, and Wen chosen?
Eric himself says he believes his family was chosen because their love was so pure. Only a family that loved each other this much could properly make a decision that determined the fate of humanity. An important thing to remember is that’s purely Eric’s spin to make logic of the situation. For all we know, this family could have been chosen randomly.
This leads to the true symbolic heart of the real answer: Eric and Andrew were chosen because they needed to make a decision. As same-sex parents, they faced discrimination from the rest of the world for their lifestyle choices. That discrimination had caused them to metaphorically isolate themselves in the woods away from the rest of the world. In an attempt to deal with the isolation they experienced, they had forced isolation on themselves—which isn’t a sustainable cure to their problem. They want each other and their daughter to become integral members of society.
Eric and Andrew wanted to run away from the world. But this decision forces them to consider the rest of civilization, to contemplate what life would be like if everybody else was gone. By choosing to sacrifice themselves and save humanity, they are choosing to allow their daughter to become part of the world. This, in turn, inspires them to fix the world instead of running from it.
Why are Leonard, Sabrina, Adriane, and Redmond chosen?
It seems as though these four are chosen completely randomly—and, in terms of the actual plot logic of the movie, that may be true. But for symbolic purposes, these four people are chosen because of what they represent to Eric and Andrew. As same-sex parents, they were hiding away from a discriminatory society, unable to cope with their social displacement. And when these Four Horsemen descend upon their cabin, Eric and Andrew felt threatened by the horsemen’s presence.
But their perspective was skewed in the wrong direction. They perceived these strangers to be threats because they perceived the rest of society as a threat to their existence. As gay men, they were constantly under attack from discriminatory practices and beliefs. But, as Eric points out towards the end of the movie, these people were chosen because they represented crucial aspects of humanity that Eric and Andrew needed to embrace. Yes, Redmond represents the malice of the world. But the amount of people who nurture, heal, and guide greatly outnumber such negativity. The horsemen showed Eric the extent and nuance of humanity—a level of optimism and hope that he then passed onto Andrew.
Why do the Four Horsemen knock before entering?
Logistically, it seems the Four Horsemen knocked because they were commanded to by whatever higher being brought them together. Their shared visions not only foresaw the apocalypse, but told them where to meet and how to find the cabin. We can assume, then, that these visions commanded them to knock before entering the house.
Symbolically, the “knock” represents reality for Eric, Andrew, and Wen. It wouldn’t make any sense for the Horsemen to immediately break in and hold everyone hostage. Part of Eric and Andrew’s journey is recognizing humanity for what it is—all the good, and all the bad. But for so long, they (especially Andrew) could only see the ugliness of the world. They were determined to shut everyone else. But the Four Horsemen are there to force them to reckon with society, to accept and confront the messy reality of the world. So the horsemen must knock, because Eric and Andrew must willingly accept to become part of this experience.
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