Synopsis:
Evan Webber is a good, loyal family man. He works as an architect and has a loving wife and two children. Due to work commitments Evan stayed at home whilst his family went to the beach for the weekend. That same night, Evan is working alone at home. It starts to rain, there’s a knock at the door and he answers. Standing before him are two gorgeous young girls who are cold, wet, lost and in need of a phone.
Knock Knock is the latest film to have burst onto our cinema screens from the madcap director Eli Roth. Known for films such as Cabin Fever, Hostel and soon to be released The Green Inferno, Roth is once again entertaining audiences with a dark, twisted tale of seduction and bad moral judgement.
Filmed exclusively in ‘Chilewood’, Knock Knock plays homage to a 1977 film called Death Game. Incidentally, Colleen Camp who had one of the starring roles has a cameo in Roth’s version and she is one of the producers. Collaborating with the King of Madness are Guillermo Amoedo and Nicolas Lopez, both of whom he previously worked with on Aftershock and The Green Inferno.
Evan is played by none other than Keanu Reeves, (John Wick, Man of Tai Chi, The Matrix) along with their most royal gorgeousness Lorenza Izzo (Green Inferno, Aftershock) and Cuban born actress Ana de Armas (Sex, Party and Lies).
The casting of Keanu is a curious one because this role is unlike anything else you have seen him in. He is far removed from the Tiger Chen student and is quite frankly, an ordinary (albeit good looking) soft around the edges middle-aged bloke. Nonetheless, it’s always good to mix it up a little and to take actors out of their comfort zone. Because I am so used to seeing Keanu in a more alpha male role I was slightly frustrated seeing him so submissive. However, by the very nature of the story line it would be ridiculous to see him drop kick his way out of trouble.
Ana and Lorenzo are very much the beautiful gruesome twosome in the form of Bel and Genesis. Bel clearly has ‘issues’ for which we get a taste of half way through. I felt that there was a bit of a script tease going on because their back story is something which I would have liked to have seen explored further. I was left with a few unanswered questions at the end and I guess I was hoping for more.
When you watch this film, do not have any preconceived ideas that this is typical Eli Roth. Meaning, you will not be privy to scenes of intense torture or gore because Knock Knock is not like that. It is different to all others and it could sit quite comfortably within the genre of a thriller. It is an erotic feature that has been laced with dark menacing undertones, an element of horror and contained within that there flows a stream of twisted humour.
I found it deeply hilarious because it cuts quite close to the mark on more than one occasion and dares to tread outside of mainstream humour. There will be no spoilers but examples of which can be found with the ‘Monkey in the Middle’ game and the final interior design of Evans once beautiful home.
Knock Knock is a story with a warning and no doubt male cinemagoers will be left pondering that same moral dilemma, if it’s on the plate do you take a bite?
Words by Amanda Hunt @man_ders11
