While Eli Roth‘s The Green Inferno seems to have been delayed indefinitely, he hasn’t stopped making films and it would appear his latest, Knock Knock, is going for more of a thriller route than the dull, gory trappings his films had fallen into as of late.
Starring Keanu Reeves as Evan Webber, a happily married family man whose world gets turned upside down as two young women (Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas) knock on his door one rainy night while Evan is home alone. As the official synopsis tells us, “Things get weird, and then dark, and then much, much, much darker. But this is no splatter film, so Roth keeps the horror nice and psychological as Evan’s life–and house–get ripped apart, piece by beautiful piece.”
Knock Knock premiered last night at the Sundance Film Festival as a midnight selection, check out the trailer and some additional pictures from the movie below. The film does not yet have distribution.
As for the Sundance premiere, a few reviews have hit the web, here are a few quotes:
“Roth has always made horror-comedies, the humor pitched between subversive and dark, and broad and gross. Knock Knock again aims for that sweet spot, but it’s often lacking visual texture, suffering from a flat, stilted aesthetic. As the absurdity of both the girls’ behavior and Evan’s reaction escalates, only Armas is able to match it, her knowing smile both sly and horrific throughout. It doesn’t help that the girls’ tactics are perhaps far too worn. Izzo and Armas’ chemistry as a gruesome twosome is real deal, but their characters’ giddy psychotics are familiar. They just never push as far as Roth has proven he’s willing to go, hindering any satire of grown men playing the victim–Reeves’ final rant, sure to be immortalized by the film’s fans quoting “free pizza” comes close.” [STYD]
“Roth cooks up some interesting role-reversal ideas along the way, including a rape scene that, if you’re a man, you’ll kind of understand how it could work. And he shades the film with humor, suspense, shock and horror — maybe not the kind we’re used to seeing from the Hostel director — that suggest a much better movie could have emerged here. As the notes said, this is “no splatter film,” owing much more to Funny Games or Fatal Attraction (both of which Roth acknowledged in the rambling Q&A session that followed).” [Mashable]
KNOCK KNOCK: Vengeance, funny games or loco evil? Maybe all three as Eli Roth & Keanu Reeves combine for home-invasion horror. #Sundance2015
— Peter Howell (@peterhowellfilm) January 24, 2015
With Knock Knock, Eli Roth spins the home invasion on its head & then some. Super messed up & entertaining. #sundance
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) January 24, 2015
It's fun to see Eli Roth and Keanu Reeves trying new things in Knock Knock, but sloppy writing undermines their efforts. #Sundance2015
— Brian (@gazuga_prime) January 24, 2015
