A big movie buff like myself was all excited to have a double feature at the local multiplex. Both movies even have some of the same actors. Take Aaron Burns for instance who appears in both. He's the student activist that get's it the worst in THE GREEN INFERNO. So when you see him show up in KNOCK KNOCK you kinda feel sorry for him and glad he is alive! Long story short, these two films would play great back to back.
When it comes to the films of Eli Roth you pretty much know what to expect. Gore, torture, sheer terror, and laughs. And his new move KNOCK KNOCK is no exception. Except maybe the gore? Yes, for what the film lacks in blood and guts Roth makes up for it with terror and suspense. I have thought Eli has always been a talented filmmaker but since his films are known for their gore, the rest of his talents don't get the proper attention (HOSTEL: PART II is an amazing film).
In the film Keanu Reeves plays Evan, a loving husband and father of two. He's an architect and his wife does sculptures. It's Fathers Day but Evan is really busy on a project, so the wife and kids go away for the weekend without him. During a rainy evening he gets a knock on the door and it's two lovely girls that are soaking wet and lost. Turns out they got bad directions to a party they are supposed to be at.
The girls ask if they can come inside from the pouring rain. From this point on you can see Evan's reluctance, and Keanu really sells it. So he let's the girls in and they get warm and dry off. Small talk ensues and Evan is always smart and keeps his distance. But no matter how hard he tries Genesis and Bel persistently stay close to him. A Uber driver is called to pick them up, but when it arrives it's too late. Evan has been overtaken by the girls.
In the morning Evan wakes up thinking it was all a nightmare and that the girls have left. But no, turns out this wasn't just a night of casual sex. These bitches be crazy! He wakes up to find them having breakfast in the kitchen raising all sorts of hell. What has Evan gotten into! He asks them repeatedly to leave. Finally the waking nightmare seems to end when Evan drives them to anywhere but his home.
So far this has been a weekend that Evan would like to forget. After cleaning up the mess he goes back to his project. But is interrupted by a noise and gets knocked out. Genesis and Bel have returned and proceed to rape, torture, and terrorize Evan.
I love KNOCK KNOCK! With this being a Eli Roth film I was worried the movie was just going to be torture leftovers from his 'Hostel' films. Thankfully that is not the case. Here Roth trades in his knack for gore with surprisingly good suspense. Watching the girls' get closer and closer to Evan was a delight, and probably the best scenes in the film.
It's during the third act of KNOCK KNOCK that I noticed the film loosing a lot of it's steam. The motives of the girls' start to be unclear. Clearly they are crazy! There is no doubt, but why they are doing this to Evan (and apparently other married men) never seemed clear to me. I may have missed that part? It's probably just some of the juvenile hysterics that Roth is known for getting in the way. And I don't have a problem with that at all!
I highly recommend KNOCK KNOCK to horror fans, especially those on the fence about director Eli Roth. This is something different from him with the exception of his sense of humor. That hasn't changed. So if you're not a fan of that then you should probably pass.
And if you watch this movie with your wife or girlfriend expect to have a pretty big conversation when the movie is over!
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