Knock at the Cab puts a gay uple apolyptic jeopardy, for better or worse | M Night Shyamalan | The Guardian

Contents:

• THE MURKY GAY POLICS OF KNOCK AT THE CABIS M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S NEW FILM GOOD FOR THE GAYS?BY RICHARD LAWSONFEBARY 3, 2023UNIVERSAL PICTUR / AARON RICKETTSSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWARNG: PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRETY OF THE FILM KNOCK AT THE CAB IS SPOILED BELOW. ON PAPER, DIRECTOR M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S MYSTERLY GRIPPG NEW FILM KNOCK AT THE CAB ( THEATERS NOW) LOOKS LIKE SOMETHG QUIETLY REVOLUTNARY. IT’S A BIG STUD HORROR MOVIE OM A MAJOR DIRECTOR THAT STARS TWO GAY MEN, PLAYG GAY MEN. JONATHAN GROFF AND BEN ALDRIDGE ARE ERIC AND ANDREW, A MARRIED UPLE VATNG AT A RENTAL HOE WH THEIR YOUNG DGHTER, WEN (KRISTEN CUI). THE PROMOTNAL MATERIAL FOR THE FILM SUGGTS THAT KNOCK AT THE CAB IS SOMETHG RATHER NOTABLE: A WI-RELEASE PICTURE WHOSE LEADS— THAT CREAKY OLD PARLANCE—JT HAPPEN TO BE GAY. AS UNFOLDS, THOUGH, KNOCK AT THE CAB—WHICH IS BASED, WH SIGNIFINT ALTERATNS, ON PL G. TREMBLAY’S NOVEL THE CAB AT THE END OF THE WORLD—REVEALS THAT ERIC AND ANDREW’S GAYNS IS VERY MUCH AT THE CENTER OF THGS. OR, AT LEAST, CLOSE TO THE CENTER.A QUARTET OF MENACG, AND YET OVERWEENGLY IENDLY, STRANGERS BREAKS TO THE HOE. THEY TIE ERIC AND ANDREW TO CHAIRS, AND ANNOUNCE THAT THEY ARE ON A PERHAPS DIVE MISSN TO SAVE THE WORLD. IN ORR TO PREVENT THE APOLYPSE, ERIC, ANDREW, AND THEIR DGHTER MT MAKE A TERRIBLE CHOICE: ONE MT BE SACRIFICED AT THE HANDS OF THE OTHER. IT’S A PELLGLY DREADFUL SETUP, A TERRIBLE QUTN OF MORALY AND SELFLSNS—IF THE FOUR WEIRDOS ARE TO BE BELIEVED, ANYWAY. WHY WERE ERIC AND ANDREW CHOSEN? THEY DON’T OWN THIS B, WHICH HAS APPEARED THE FOURSOME’S END-TIM VISNS. SO WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO DO WH ALL OF THIS? ONE CLUE MIGHT LIE THE FACT THAT ONE OF THE PTORS, REDMOND (RUPERT GRT), IS EVENTUALLY INTIFIED AS THE MAN WHO GAY BASHED ANDREW AT A BAR SOME YEARS EARLIER. THAT EVENT TURNED ANDREW MEAN AND SPIC—HE BULKED UP AT A BOXG GYM, HE BOUGHT A HANDGUN FOR, ONE ASSUM, PROTECTN RATHER THAN OFFENSE. WHILE THE ASSAILANTS—JOG REDMOND ARE SCHOOLTEACHER LEONARD (DAVE BTISTA), NURSE SABRA (NIKKI AMA-BIRD), AND CHEF ADRIANE (ABBY QUN)—CLAIM THAT THEY HAD NO IA THAT A SO-LLED ALTERNATIVE FAY WOULD BE THE PEOPLE THEY FOUND THIS ALL-IMPORTANT B, THE MOVIE CERTALY DID. SO IS THIS THE STORY, AS ANDREW ANGRILY SISTS IS, OF RELIG OR OTHERWISE RADILIZED NUTS VLENTLY ATTACKG A GAY UPLE AND THEIR CHILD FOR THE O S OF BEG?READ OM A CERTA ANGLE, KNOCK AT THE CAB ULD BE DOG SOMETHG EVEN DARKER. AS THE FILM WEARS ON, TENSE EVEN S REPETN, BE CLEAR THAT THE DOOMSAYERS MAY ACTUALLY BE HARBGERS OF REAL DOOM. AFTER ERIC AND LEONARD REFE THEIR ASSAILANTS’ FIRST REQUT, A TSUNAMI STROYS THE PACIFIC NORTHWT. THE NEXT TIME, A TERRIBLE FLU, SEEMG TO TARGET MOSTLY CHILDREN, FLAR UP AROUND THE GLOBE. THEN PLAN START FALLG OUT OF THE SKY. PRR TO EACH EVENT, ONE OF THE FOUR TRS IS KILLED BY THEIR PANNS, AS WAS REQUIRED BY WHATEVER CELTIAL MANDATE THEY RECEIVED. ANDREW AND ERIC’S ACTN IS TH THE PASSIVE E OF ALL THIS HORROR, BOTH IMMEDIATE AND FARAWAY. BEE THEY N’T PUT THEIR PETTY NEEDS BEHD THOSE OF BILLNS OF PEOPLE, THE WORLD SUFFERS. IN THE END, ERIC AGRE TO BE SACRIFICED, AND IS KILLED BY ANDREW. WHICH, A POSIVE TERPRETATN, IS A WORTHY MSAGE ABOUT A PLA AILG AT THE HANDS OF HUMANS. KNOCK AT THE CAB MIGHT BE SOMETHG OF A CLIMATE CHANGE ALLEGORY, ONE THAT POTS A FGER AT A SGLE BOURGEOIS FAY AND ASKS, WHAT ARE YOU WILLG TO GIVE UP TO SAVE THE WORLD? IN REAL LIFE, WE HOPEFULLY WON’T HAVE TO KILL ONE OF OUR OWN K TO AVERT FURTHER TASTROPHE. BUT MAYBE WE’LL HAVE TO GIVE UP SUAL AIR TRAVEL, OR GAS-GUZZLG RS AND TCKS, OR DIVT OM DTRI (LIKE MEAT) THAT E SO MUCH DIRECT AND ANCILLARY HARM TO THE ENVIRONMENT. THAT’S A MORE TERTG ANGLE OF ATTACK THAN, SAY, THE CLUMSY MEDIA SATIRE OF DON’T LOOK UP. A BRACG JOLT LIKE KNOCK AT THE CAB, WHICH SHOV OUR OWN PLICY, OUR NARROW AND SELFISH THKG, OUR FAC, IS PERHAPS WHAT IS NEED, EVEN IF DIVIDUALS ARE ULTIMATELY ONLY SO EMPOWERED TO LSEN HUMANY’S RBON FOOTPRT. ONE DO WONR, THOUGH, IF THERE IS SOMETHG SISTERLY POTED THE FACT THAT ’S THIS PARTICULAR FAY RECEIVG THIS MSAGE. ARE ANDREW AND ERIC, THIS WELL-OFF WHE GAY UPLE WH THEIR LAND ROVER AND THEIR DGHTER ADOPTED OM EAST ASIA, MEANT TO BE DAMNG EXAMPL OF HYPOCRIL, PROGRSIVE, ASTAL HEEDLSNS? I DON’T THK THAT’S REALLY HOW SHYAMALAN TENDS —AT LEAST I’M TSTG HE DON’T—BUT THE MOVIE ULD BE SEEN AS MAKG THAT SE ANYWAY. KNOCK AT THE CAB CLOSE TO DRAWG A LE NNECTG S FOUR PROPHETS—WHO ARE, OF URSE, EVENTUALLY REVEALED AS STAND-S FOR THE FOUR HORSEMEN—TO THE MYRIAD NSPIRACY THEORISTS AND TER-ZEALOTS CURRENTLY MAKG SO MUCH NOISE OUR WORLD. MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE DREDGED UP OLD TALKG POTS AND BURNISHED THEM TO NEW WEAPONS, AMONG THEM THE NOX IA THAT GAY PEOPLE AND TRANS PEOPLE ARE G CIVILIZATNAL LLAPSE BY -OPTG CHILDREN AND UPENDG THE TRADNAL NUCLEAR FAY—WHICH IS, THE PEOPLE’S OUTLOOK, THE BEDROCK OF HUMAN EXISTENCE. IT IS ONE THG FOR A MOVIE TO TANGLE WH WHAT THOSE PEOPLE ARE SAYG. IT IS ANOTHER TO, AT THE END, PRENT A SCENAR WHICH THEY’RE KDA, MAYBE, SORTA PROVEN RIGHT. MOST POPULARTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINOF URSE, LEONARD AND HIS HORT SIST THAT ANDREW AND ERIC BEG GAY HAS NOTHG TO DO WH THEIR ROLE ALL THIS. (IN FACT, LEONARD WONRS IF THEY WERE CHOSEN BEE THEIR LOVE IS “SO PURE”—A LTLE PATRONIZG, PERHAPS.) THAT SUGGTN IS THERE NOHELS, HANGG THE AIR OF THE FILM AS A NSERVATIVE SPECTER, ONE WE DON’T OFTEN TECT MASTREAM HOLLYWOOD FILMS THE DAYS. WHICH, I MT SHEEPISHLY ADM, MAK KNOCK AT THE CAB THAT MUCH MORE TERTG. AGA, SHYAMALAN IS, ALL LIKELIHOOD, NOT ATTEMPTG TO MAKE A CULTURE WAR METAPHOR THAT SIS WH THE RIGHT. HIS FILM ULD STILL BE TERPRETED THAT WAY, HOWEVER, SHOULD SOMEONE WISH TO. THE RISKS OF THAT—THE WAY KNOCK AT THE CAB, ACCINTALLY OR NOT, URTS AND EVEN V SYMPATHY TO ONE OF THE RIGHT’S MOST DANGERO SHIBBOLETHS—GIV THE FILM A SURPRISG, ALARMG, BUT NOT UNWELE EDGE. IT’S UNMON TO SEE A STUD FILM WHOSE POLICS—OR, AT LEAST, POLIL ALLNS—ARE SO MURKY AND OPEN SOURCE. THE MORAL AND SOCLOGIL NCLNS OF KNOCK AT THE CAB ARE, I’D IMAGE, CLEAR SHYAMALAN’S MD. THERE IS ROOM FOR THE VIEWER TO EXPLORE, THOUGH, TO WONR WHAT ’S REALLY GETTG AT. Y, ONE READ OF THE FILM LEADS TO SOME PRETTY BAD PLAC. BUT THAT THE FILM, RATHER THAN BEG DIDACTIC OR ANTISEPTIC, ALLOWS ROOM FOR THAT TERPRETATN DISTGUISH AS SOMETHG BOLD, SOMETHG DIFFERENT. I CERTALY DON’T WANT TO SEE A MOVIE THAT AGRE WH SOME OF THE CURRENT WORST OF HUMANY, THAT MANDS THAT A GAY UPLE AND THEIR ADOPTED DGHTER STROY THEMSELV TO SET CIVILIZATN BACK ON S TE URSE. AND YET, THE ELECTRIC CHARGE OF THE FILM, WHEN ONE PS AND THKS “WA, WHAT IS THIS MOVIE SAYG?,” IS GRIMLY VIGORATG. ONE PERHAPS OVERLY GENERO WAY TO LOOK AT KNOCK AT THE CAB IS THAT GIV GAY PEOPLE SOME GREE OF AGENCY OVER OUR POSN TODAY’S GHT DISURSE. IT DO NOT RENR ERT IOLOGIL CHS PIEC, NOR MERELY SILE AS RIGHTEO REPRENTATNAL HERO OUR OWN NICHE STORI. IT STEAD PUTS RIGHT TO THE MUCK OF MORAL (AND MORTAL) STGGLE, TO THE FIGHT OVER THE FUTURE OF HUMANY, GUNS AND FIRE POKERS HAND. COULD YOU LL THAT EMPOWERG? KNOCK AT THE CAB MAY SIST THAT S ALTERNATIVE FAY BATTLE AND NEGOTIATE ON THEIR AGGRSORS’ TERMS, BUT AT LEAST WE GET TO SEE THEM ACTIVE THAT WRTLG. THEY SEIZE THE WEAPON OF CHOICE—REALIZG THEIR PLACE NOT SO MUCH THE BURNG OF THE WORLD, BUT S TURNG. MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRPHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE ON HER “SURREAL” JOURNEY FROM FLEABAG TO INDIANA JONTHE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)RICHARD LAWSON
• KNOCK AT THE CAB PUTS A GAY UPLE APOLYPTIC JEOPARDY, FOR BETTER OR WORSE
• BEN ALDRIDGE PRAIS 'PROGRSIVE' GAY RELATNSHIP KNOCK AT THE CAB (EXCLIVE)
• M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S KNOCK AT THE CAB TRAILER HAS TIED UP GAYS — BUT NOT LIKE THAT
• MEET THE DREAMY GAY STARS OF M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S UPG HORROR MOVIE ‘A KNOCK AT THE CAB’
• 'KNOCK AT THE CAB’ PUTS GAY DADS THROUGH HELL AT THE END OF THE WORLD
• HOME VASN HORROR ‘KNOCK AT THE CAB’ FEATUR GAY DADS AND A HOT VILLA
• ‘KNOCK AT THE CAB’ TRAILER: M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN TURNS A GAY FAY VATN APOLYPTIC
• ‘KNOCK AT THE CAB’ REVIEW: IT’S GAY DADDI VS. THE WORLD SHYAMALAN’S HOME INVASN MSAGE MOVIE
• GAY DAD HORROR KNOCK AT THE CAB KNOCKS AVATAR FROM BOX OFFICE PERCH
• KNOCK AT THE CAB PUTS A GAY UPLE APOLYPTIC JEOPARDY, FOR BETTER OR WORSE
• MEET THE DREAMY GAY STARS OF M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S UPG HORROR MOVIE ‘A KNOCK AT THE CAB’

THE MURKY GAY POLICS OF KNOCK AT THE CABIS M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S NEW FILM GOOD FOR THE GAYS?BY RICHARD LAWSONFEBARY 3, 2023UNIVERSAL PICTUR / AARON RICKETTSSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWARNG: PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRETY OF THE FILM KNOCK AT THE CAB IS SPOILED BELOW. ON PAPER, DIRECTOR M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S MYSTERLY GRIPPG NEW FILM KNOCK AT THE CAB ( THEATERS NOW) LOOKS LIKE SOMETHG QUIETLY REVOLUTNARY. IT’S A BIG STUD HORROR MOVIE OM A MAJOR DIRECTOR THAT STARS TWO GAY MEN, PLAYG GAY MEN. JONATHAN GROFF AND BEN ALDRIDGE ARE ERIC AND ANDREW, A MARRIED UPLE VATNG AT A RENTAL HOE WH THEIR YOUNG DGHTER, WEN (KRISTEN CUI). THE PROMOTNAL MATERIAL FOR THE FILM SUGGTS THAT KNOCK AT THE CAB IS SOMETHG RATHER NOTABLE: A WI-RELEASE PICTURE WHOSE LEADS— THAT CREAKY OLD PARLANCE—JT HAPPEN TO BE GAY. AS UNFOLDS, THOUGH, KNOCK AT THE CAB—WHICH IS BASED, WH SIGNIFINT ALTERATNS, ON PL G. TREMBLAY’S NOVEL THE CAB AT THE END OF THE WORLD—REVEALS THAT ERIC AND ANDREW’S GAYNS IS VERY MUCH AT THE CENTER OF THGS. OR, AT LEAST, CLOSE TO THE CENTER.A QUARTET OF MENACG, AND YET OVERWEENGLY IENDLY, STRANGERS BREAKS TO THE HOE. THEY TIE ERIC AND ANDREW TO CHAIRS, AND ANNOUNCE THAT THEY ARE ON A PERHAPS DIVE MISSN TO SAVE THE WORLD. IN ORR TO PREVENT THE APOLYPSE, ERIC, ANDREW, AND THEIR DGHTER MT MAKE A TERRIBLE CHOICE: ONE MT BE SACRIFICED AT THE HANDS OF THE OTHER. IT’S A PELLGLY DREADFUL SETUP, A TERRIBLE QUTN OF MORALY AND SELFLSNS—IF THE FOUR WEIRDOS ARE TO BE BELIEVED, ANYWAY. WHY WERE ERIC AND ANDREW CHOSEN? THEY DON’T OWN THIS B, WHICH HAS APPEARED THE FOURSOME’S END-TIM VISNS. SO WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO DO WH ALL OF THIS? ONE CLUE MIGHT LIE THE FACT THAT ONE OF THE PTORS, REDMOND (RUPERT GRT), IS EVENTUALLY INTIFIED AS THE MAN WHO GAY BASHED ANDREW AT A BAR SOME YEARS EARLIER. THAT EVENT TURNED ANDREW MEAN AND SPIC—HE BULKED UP AT A BOXG GYM, HE BOUGHT A HANDGUN FOR, ONE ASSUM, PROTECTN RATHER THAN OFFENSE. WHILE THE ASSAILANTS—JOG REDMOND ARE SCHOOLTEACHER LEONARD (DAVE BTISTA), NURSE SABRA (NIKKI AMA-BIRD), AND CHEF ADRIANE (ABBY QUN)—CLAIM THAT THEY HAD NO IA THAT A SO-LLED ALTERNATIVE FAY WOULD BE THE PEOPLE THEY FOUND THIS ALL-IMPORTANT B, THE MOVIE CERTALY DID. SO IS THIS THE STORY, AS ANDREW ANGRILY SISTS IS, OF RELIG OR OTHERWISE RADILIZED NUTS VLENTLY ATTACKG A GAY UPLE AND THEIR CHILD FOR THE O S OF BEG?READ OM A CERTA ANGLE, KNOCK AT THE CAB ULD BE DOG SOMETHG EVEN DARKER. AS THE FILM WEARS ON, TENSE EVEN S REPETN, BE CLEAR THAT THE DOOMSAYERS MAY ACTUALLY BE HARBGERS OF REAL DOOM. AFTER ERIC AND LEONARD REFE THEIR ASSAILANTS’ FIRST REQUT, A TSUNAMI STROYS THE PACIFIC NORTHWT. THE NEXT TIME, A TERRIBLE FLU, SEEMG TO TARGET MOSTLY CHILDREN, FLAR UP AROUND THE GLOBE. THEN PLAN START FALLG OUT OF THE SKY. PRR TO EACH EVENT, ONE OF THE FOUR TRS IS KILLED BY THEIR PANNS, AS WAS REQUIRED BY WHATEVER CELTIAL MANDATE THEY RECEIVED. ANDREW AND ERIC’S ACTN IS TH THE PASSIVE E OF ALL THIS HORROR, BOTH IMMEDIATE AND FARAWAY. BEE THEY N’T PUT THEIR PETTY NEEDS BEHD THOSE OF BILLNS OF PEOPLE, THE WORLD SUFFERS. IN THE END, ERIC AGRE TO BE SACRIFICED, AND IS KILLED BY ANDREW. WHICH, A POSIVE TERPRETATN, IS A WORTHY MSAGE ABOUT A PLA AILG AT THE HANDS OF HUMANS. KNOCK AT THE CAB MIGHT BE SOMETHG OF A CLIMATE CHANGE ALLEGORY, ONE THAT POTS A FGER AT A SGLE BOURGEOIS FAY AND ASKS, WHAT ARE YOU WILLG TO GIVE UP TO SAVE THE WORLD? IN REAL LIFE, WE HOPEFULLY WON’T HAVE TO KILL ONE OF OUR OWN K TO AVERT FURTHER TASTROPHE. BUT MAYBE WE’LL HAVE TO GIVE UP SUAL AIR TRAVEL, OR GAS-GUZZLG RS AND TCKS, OR DIVT OM DTRI (LIKE MEAT) THAT E SO MUCH DIRECT AND ANCILLARY HARM TO THE ENVIRONMENT. THAT’S A MORE TERTG ANGLE OF ATTACK THAN, SAY, THE CLUMSY MEDIA SATIRE OF DON’T LOOK UP. A BRACG JOLT LIKE KNOCK AT THE CAB, WHICH SHOV OUR OWN PLICY, OUR NARROW AND SELFISH THKG, OUR FAC, IS PERHAPS WHAT IS NEED, EVEN IF DIVIDUALS ARE ULTIMATELY ONLY SO EMPOWERED TO LSEN HUMANY’S RBON FOOTPRT. ONE DO WONR, THOUGH, IF THERE IS SOMETHG SISTERLY POTED THE FACT THAT ’S THIS PARTICULAR FAY RECEIVG THIS MSAGE. ARE ANDREW AND ERIC, THIS WELL-OFF WHE GAY UPLE WH THEIR LAND ROVER AND THEIR DGHTER ADOPTED OM EAST ASIA, MEANT TO BE DAMNG EXAMPL OF HYPOCRIL, PROGRSIVE, ASTAL HEEDLSNS? I DON’T THK THAT’S REALLY HOW SHYAMALAN TENDS —AT LEAST I’M TSTG HE DON’T—BUT THE MOVIE ULD BE SEEN AS MAKG THAT SE ANYWAY. KNOCK AT THE CAB CLOSE TO DRAWG A LE NNECTG S FOUR PROPHETS—WHO ARE, OF URSE, EVENTUALLY REVEALED AS STAND-S FOR THE FOUR HORSEMEN—TO THE MYRIAD NSPIRACY THEORISTS AND TER-ZEALOTS CURRENTLY MAKG SO MUCH NOISE OUR WORLD. MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE DREDGED UP OLD TALKG POTS AND BURNISHED THEM TO NEW WEAPONS, AMONG THEM THE NOX IA THAT GAY PEOPLE AND TRANS PEOPLE ARE G CIVILIZATNAL LLAPSE BY -OPTG CHILDREN AND UPENDG THE TRADNAL NUCLEAR FAY—WHICH IS, THE PEOPLE’S OUTLOOK, THE BEDROCK OF HUMAN EXISTENCE. IT IS ONE THG FOR A MOVIE TO TANGLE WH WHAT THOSE PEOPLE ARE SAYG. IT IS ANOTHER TO, AT THE END, PRENT A SCENAR WHICH THEY’RE KDA, MAYBE, SORTA PROVEN RIGHT. MOST POPULARTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINOF URSE, LEONARD AND HIS HORT SIST THAT ANDREW AND ERIC BEG GAY HAS NOTHG TO DO WH THEIR ROLE ALL THIS. (IN FACT, LEONARD WONRS IF THEY WERE CHOSEN BEE THEIR LOVE IS “SO PURE”—A LTLE PATRONIZG, PERHAPS.) THAT SUGGTN IS THERE NOHELS, HANGG THE AIR OF THE FILM AS A NSERVATIVE SPECTER, ONE WE DON’T OFTEN TECT MASTREAM HOLLYWOOD FILMS THE DAYS. WHICH, I MT SHEEPISHLY ADM, MAK KNOCK AT THE CAB THAT MUCH MORE TERTG. AGA, SHYAMALAN IS, ALL LIKELIHOOD, NOT ATTEMPTG TO MAKE A CULTURE WAR METAPHOR THAT SIS WH THE RIGHT. HIS FILM ULD STILL BE TERPRETED THAT WAY, HOWEVER, SHOULD SOMEONE WISH TO. THE RISKS OF THAT—THE WAY KNOCK AT THE CAB, ACCINTALLY OR NOT, URTS AND EVEN V SYMPATHY TO ONE OF THE RIGHT’S MOST DANGERO SHIBBOLETHS—GIV THE FILM A SURPRISG, ALARMG, BUT NOT UNWELE EDGE. IT’S UNMON TO SEE A STUD FILM WHOSE POLICS—OR, AT LEAST, POLIL ALLNS—ARE SO MURKY AND OPEN SOURCE. THE MORAL AND SOCLOGIL NCLNS OF KNOCK AT THE CAB ARE, I’D IMAGE, CLEAR SHYAMALAN’S MD. THERE IS ROOM FOR THE VIEWER TO EXPLORE, THOUGH, TO WONR WHAT ’S REALLY GETTG AT. Y, ONE READ OF THE FILM LEADS TO SOME PRETTY BAD PLAC. BUT THAT THE FILM, RATHER THAN BEG DIDACTIC OR ANTISEPTIC, ALLOWS ROOM FOR THAT TERPRETATN DISTGUISH AS SOMETHG BOLD, SOMETHG DIFFERENT. I CERTALY DON’T WANT TO SEE A MOVIE THAT AGRE WH SOME OF THE CURRENT WORST OF HUMANY, THAT MANDS THAT A GAY UPLE AND THEIR ADOPTED DGHTER STROY THEMSELV TO SET CIVILIZATN BACK ON S TE URSE. AND YET, THE ELECTRIC CHARGE OF THE FILM, WHEN ONE PS AND THKS “WA, WHAT IS THIS MOVIE SAYG?,” IS GRIMLY VIGORATG. ONE PERHAPS OVERLY GENERO WAY TO LOOK AT KNOCK AT THE CAB IS THAT GIV GAY PEOPLE SOME GREE OF AGENCY OVER OUR POSN TODAY’S GHT DISURSE. IT DO NOT RENR ERT IOLOGIL CHS PIEC, NOR MERELY SILE AS RIGHTEO REPRENTATNAL HERO OUR OWN NICHE STORI. IT STEAD PUTS RIGHT TO THE MUCK OF MORAL (AND MORTAL) STGGLE, TO THE FIGHT OVER THE FUTURE OF HUMANY, GUNS AND FIRE POKERS HAND. COULD YOU LL THAT EMPOWERG? KNOCK AT THE CAB MAY SIST THAT S ALTERNATIVE FAY BATTLE AND NEGOTIATE ON THEIR AGGRSORS’ TERMS, BUT AT LEAST WE GET TO SEE THEM ACTIVE THAT WRTLG. THEY SEIZE THE WEAPON OF CHOICE—REALIZG THEIR PLACE NOT SO MUCH THE BURNG OF THE WORLD, BUT S TURNG. MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRPHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE ON HER “SURREAL” JOURNEY FROM FLEABAG TO INDIANA JONTHE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)RICHARD LAWSON

It’s a big stud horror movie om a major director that stars two gay men, playg gay men. The promotnal material for the film suggts that Knock at the Cab is somethg rather notable: a wi-release picture whose leads— that creaky old parlance—jt happen to be gay.

KNOCK AT THE CAB PUTS A GAY UPLE APOLYPTIC JEOPARDY, FOR BETTER OR WORSE

Tremblay’s novel The Cab at the End of the World—reveals that Eric and Andrew’s gayns is very much at the center of thgs.

BEN ALDRIDGE PRAIS 'PROGRSIVE' GAY RELATNSHIP KNOCK AT THE CAB (EXCLIVE)

One clue might lie the fact that one of the ptors, Redmond (Rupert Grt), is eventually intified as the man who gay bashed Andrew at a bar some years earlier.

So is this the story, as Andrew angrily sists is, of relig or otherwise radilized nuts vlently attackg a gay uple and their child for the o s of beg?

Are Andrew and Eric, this well-off whe gay uple wh their Land Rover and their dghter adopted om East Asia, meant to be damng exampl of hypocril, progrsive, astal heedlsns? Many of those people have dredged up old talkg pots and burnished them to new weapons, among them the nox ia that gay people and trans people are g civilizatnal llapse by -optg children and upendg the tradnal nuclear fay—which is, the people’s outlook, the bedrock of human existence.

M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S KNOCK AT THE CAB TRAILER HAS TIED UP GAYS — BUT NOT LIKE THAT

But wh the three characters jeopardy a gay uple and their adopted dghter, the film morphs aga to somethg else, the horrors of realy forcg their way to the agile idyll of ’s a strange, at tim strangely not very good, movie (the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw lled all “eply ridiculo”), but one that’s strangely fascatg for reasons might not always be gnisant of, existg a polil space that feels dly advertent and majorly glacially paced crease visibily for gay characters at the multiplex (om ongog blk-and-you’ll-miss- tokenism recent blockbters like Thor: Love and Thunr and Jurassic World: Domn to hard-to-miss centre stagg box office bombs like Bros and Spoiler Alert) has still, predictably, e wh veats and limatns. Box office ncerns, fear of alienatg the straights, tmp ’s somethg quietly monumental then about Shyamalan, a proud mercialist, turng his eye toward Pl Tremblay’s 2018 novel The Cab at the End of the World, an uneven yet eerie ltle nightmare that centr a gay uple and their adopted dghter. The uple assume, as many queer people would, that the vasn is a homophobic attack, that the zealots have crafted an elaborate scheme orr to punish them for their sexualy.

MEET THE DREAMY GAY STARS OF M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S UPG HORROR MOVIE ‘A KNOCK AT THE CAB’

Regardls of tentn – and I genuely don’t believe that the film is g om a place of bigotry – there’s somethg almost il about the first ever glossy, wi-releasg stud thriller to centre gay characters hged on the ia that if they don’t rip apart their fay, God will punish all. We see the wav risg and ski fallg via news reports, each time they refe to do the unimagable, and the ntrast between two privileged gay men choosg their own safety and happs over the fate of the world be creasgly absurd, as if we have no choice but to root for their stctn. Along wh beg warned of “a lonely life” ahead or dangers over sexual health, a tired piece of fx ncern trotted out by homophob is that same-sex relatnships will ultimately lead to the end of the world, blogil differenc g a cimatn populatn (as if there would ever be enough gay people for that to be a ncern).

A tweet over the weekend scrib a showg at which a woman “cheered when bad thgs happened to the gay characters and loudly sang hymns through the creds” film is a more overtly relig tale than the book (a scene tailg how the four strangers are fact the four horsemen of the apolypse is one of many clunky new addns) and also mak the gay fay more obvly rponsible for the thoands of liv that are lost while they make their choice.

'KNOCK AT THE CAB’ PUTS GAY DADS THROUGH HELL AT THE END OF THE WORLD

The book is some ways grimmer – the dghter gets killed accintally – but the film is more nclive: the stctn stops when the gay fay is no more (one dad is forced to shoot the other at the end).

HOME VASN HORROR ‘KNOCK AT THE CAB’ FEATUR GAY DADS AND A HOT VILLA

Cocintally, the film arrived jt days after an ter-breakg episo of HBO’s The Last of Us that broke off om the show’s ma narrative to tell of a gay uple also faced wh the end of the world (their story ends wh a double suici). His gay characters are too thly veloped and far too muted to be seen as people we should re that much about let alone buy as a uple (notably spe the R ratg, we don’t even get a kiss om the pair). The most proment piece of rmatn om their backstory is that one of them was vlently queerbashed a bar years earlier which led to the purchase of a gun, a red meat red flag that seems to smugly suggt that given a ltle ph, even those pearl-clutchg gay liberals will learn to appreciate a rightwg way of life.

‘KNOCK AT THE CAB’ TRAILER: M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN TURNS A GAY FAY VATN APOLYPTIC

As someone who has craved more gay characters genre films, ’s a thrill to see them ont and centre, tryg to survive a suatn of high-stak jeopardy rather than dyg of Aids or providg advice to a straight women (I did get a thartilly gleeful kick om seeg one of the dads efficiently beat up one of the trs). This uld be seen as eher good (lns happy to see a gay-led thriller) or bad (lns happy to see a gay-led thriller where the gays are tortured) be nice to see queer characters ontg a sexy urtroom thriller or a glossy slasher not que so punishgly related to sexualy?

Watch: Ben Aldridge on the LGBT+ reprentatn Knock at the CabBen Aldridge says the portrayal of a gay relatnship new thriller Knock at the Cab is "nicely progrsive" how the character's sexualy is not the centre of their film, directed by M Night Shyamalan and adapted om a novel, follows a gay uple — played by Aldridge and Haton star Jonathan Groff — as they attempt to fend their dghter om home vars. Aldridge's character ially thks their motiv are homophobic, but soon be clear that the myster group believe they are on a csa to stop the end of the more: Tom Hanks on whether he uld do Philalphia role nowThe star said that, while the characters' sexualy affects their view of the world and their experience of danger, isn't the centre of the Aldridge (left) plays a parent tryg to protect his child M Night Shyamalan thriller Knock at the Cab.

‘KNOCK AT THE CAB’ REVIEW: IT’S GAY DADDI VS. THE WORLD SHYAMALAN’S HOME INVASN MSAGE MOVIE

It plac a sgle-sex parent fay at the centre of the film, but Night treats them like the normal fay they should be treated like, " Aldridge told Yahoo Entertament add: "I thk adds a really tertg element to the film and there's tertg tail there, but isn't the cx of more: Keke Palmer prais reprentatn Lightyear"They jt happen to be this fay wh gay dads. One mute, you’re like, “Why are there no big-budget horror movi starrg gay people? Tremblay, is a horror film centered around two whe gays and their adopted dghter.

Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge play the gay dads, while Dave Btista, Nikki Ama-Bird, Abby Qun, and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grt) are the apolypse-foreeg kidnappers who tie up the uple.

Look, I know a lot of gay guys want Dave Btista to tie them up — but not like that, Shyamalan. Knock at the Cab Has Tied Up Gay Guys — But Not Like That.

GAY DAD HORROR KNOCK AT THE CAB KNOCKS AVATAR FROM BOX OFFICE PERCH

But, over the weekend, was revealed that the film will be an adaptatn of horror novel The Cab At The End Of The World om thor Pl Tremblay, which— a twist no one saw g—tells an awful lot about the Shyamalan project, cludg the fact that stars Groff and Aldridge will actually be playg a gay uple! What we do know—and what has here at Queerty most exced—is that Knock At The Cab has self a pair of hunk, gay leads! Raised an evangelil Christian, Aldridge ma headl when he me out 2020, eventually clarifyg to Attu that he is, ed, gay.

‘Surf Girls Hawai’i’ is the Real-Life ‘Blue Csh’ We’ve Waed 21 Years ForOffEnglishBased on Pl Tremblay’s 2018 novel The Cab at the End of the World, Knock at the Cab ncerns the untry-home vasn of gay uple Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Eric (Jonathan Groff). Leonard reveals that he and the other three—Sabra (Nikki Ama-Bird), Adriane (Abby Qun), and Redmond (Rupert Grt)—all experienced visns that make them certa of the impendg doom and the terfay murr that mt occur to stave than you n say “QAnon, ” Andrew lls this for what very well seems to be: a homophobic mass ln. “We don’t have one homophobic bone our bodi, ” claims Sabra, a nurse who straddl the le between enactg enough force to ensure Andrew and Eric subm and then tendg to the wounds that she creat.

What if the ntuatn of humany really did pend on the stctn of this fay, and oh look, jt happens to be a fay which the parents are gay men? Knock is the rare example of a genre movie featurg gay characters as s prcipal leads, and punish them wh an agonizg choice that will rip their fay apart, permanently alterg their llective inty.

KNOCK AT THE CAB PUTS A GAY UPLE APOLYPTIC JEOPARDY, FOR BETTER OR WORSE

That is hardly a cince, and ’s so morally slimy that ma me wish the villas (and by extensn, movie) were jt straightforwardly homophobic—unabashed bigotry as an antidote to the hand-wrgg pretensn of the movement to supprs LGBTQ+ people orr to “save” children. Though the sexual orientatn of s protagonists is portrayed the movie’s trailer as matter-of-fact, their gayns is anythg but. If you’re the kd of person that se a gay uple and thks, “Which one is the woman?

” His reasong is rooted his experienc wh homophobia, but the film’s rolutn suggts he’s too selfish, too radil. In the horror film Knock at the Cab, a gay uple and their young dghter are vatng at a remote b when four strangers arrive and take them hostage. As part of what seems to be a growg wave of queer horror reprentatn Hollywood, this film will center around a gay fay un.

There was also the recent psychologil horror film Hypochondriac, which was pletely centered on a gay man of lor. And let’s not fet the forthg Hellraiser film on Hulu starrg trans actrs Jamie Clayton as Phead and the return of the Chucky tv seri which has a gay protagonist and a gay creator/ wrer Don Manci. Wh all this queer reprentatn, diversy and (dare we say) “villa eye ndy”, ’s a good time to be a gay horror fan!

MEET THE DREAMY GAY STARS OF M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S UPG HORROR MOVIE ‘A KNOCK AT THE CAB’

Night Shyamalan's latt film is a look to a disastro vatn taken by a gay uple and their dghter -- and uld be one of the bt movi of his at the Cab, which hs theaters on Febary 3, is the prolific and sometim ntroversial director's return to the big screen followg 2021's movie follows a gay uple, played by Glee alum Jonathan Groff and Out ver star Ben Aldridge, and their dghter as they are taken hostage by four armed strangers while on vatn at a b the woods. 2022 may go down history as the year of the big gay rom-, but so far remas hard to predict what kd of year 2023 will be for LGBTQ+ films.