1,101 reviews
- mary-179-677383
- Sep 30, 2016
- Permalink
Directed by Eli Roth, Knock Knock is nothing other than a horrible home invasion story of torture and vandalism. It's enough to enrage all audiences and we demand a revenge sequel immediately! Keanu Reeves stars in the film as a hopeless victim of infuriating torture to leave you unsatisfied and angry at an extreme level. But what is good about the movie?
The fact that it's engaging enough to drag you out and supply you with horrible feelings is indeed fairly powerful, but Knock Knock would only be likeable if justice was included. Seriously, a sequel of justice and revenge is needed for the audiences without a single question. So unless you're feeling ready to spend 98 minutes watching an innocent man's life being ruined, simply avoid this one.
Although the power of this movie is appreciable, it's really unfair power. Knock Knock isn't at all a pleasurable movie, and due to the sympathy we'll have for the target of the torment, it's best left avoided for audiences entering the story already feeling angry.
If you liked this review, check out the full review and other reviews at aussieboyreviews.
The fact that it's engaging enough to drag you out and supply you with horrible feelings is indeed fairly powerful, but Knock Knock would only be likeable if justice was included. Seriously, a sequel of justice and revenge is needed for the audiences without a single question. So unless you're feeling ready to spend 98 minutes watching an innocent man's life being ruined, simply avoid this one.
Although the power of this movie is appreciable, it's really unfair power. Knock Knock isn't at all a pleasurable movie, and due to the sympathy we'll have for the target of the torment, it's best left avoided for audiences entering the story already feeling angry.
If you liked this review, check out the full review and other reviews at aussieboyreviews.
- Zac_La_Porte
- Jun 2, 2021
- Permalink
I can't believe Keanu made this movie and I doubly can't believe this script got the green light. I watched this for free and I want a refund.
- and_shove_it_up_your_butt
- Nov 3, 2020
- Permalink
- TheBarleyGuy
- Dec 17, 2015
- Permalink
I'm a Keanu Reeves fan and I like that he mixes up the types of movies he is involved with but this film is a disaster.
The girls are sexy and enticing (as their characters demand) but as good as Reeves is he can't convincingly do awkward.
And plausibility doesn't seem to be particularly important with this project.
Eli Roth...you just need to stop!
The film is predictable and disappointing.
Save your time.
The girls are sexy and enticing (as their characters demand) but as good as Reeves is he can't convincingly do awkward.
And plausibility doesn't seem to be particularly important with this project.
Eli Roth...you just need to stop!
The film is predictable and disappointing.
Save your time.
- damianphelps
- Oct 6, 2020
- Permalink
I pretty much never leave a review for a movie.
I also pretty much never stop a movie or book before I finish it.
This movie was so bad that both happened. It's complete trash. The characters are unbelievable, the situation is absurd, and the acting leaves a lot to be desired. It's incredibly slow and there's basically no story or reason to be invested.
Avoid.
I also pretty much never stop a movie or book before I finish it.
This movie was so bad that both happened. It's complete trash. The characters are unbelievable, the situation is absurd, and the acting leaves a lot to be desired. It's incredibly slow and there's basically no story or reason to be invested.
Avoid.
- megamelfina-995-947675
- Sep 11, 2017
- Permalink
Plot In a Nutshell: A family man (Keanu Reeves) gives shelter to two seemingly lost young women caught in a rainstorm, realizing too late they are not as innocent and helpless as they first seemed.
Why I rated it a '7': This movie will likely get under your skin. It might even aggravate you. But boy is it effective in doing that, and so credit must be given.
As mentioned, the family man (Reeves) finds himself in way over his head when two pretty young things come knocking. He tries to hold his own but is soon overwhelmed by their aggressive sexual talk and behavior, as probably 99% of guys would be. When he finally makes a stand and it seems his ordeal is over, we learn it's really just beginning.
What makes the film effective is that most of what we see seems believable. We don't know why the girls are acting this way, but we don't have to know. Why did that dude go shoot up the school in Uvalde? Who the heck knows? But we know he did it. People do evil things all of the time. This is life. This is reality. Life is not a fairy tale.
I see several comments on here complaining about the ending. They wanted Reeves to "get justice." Well, again, this is reality. Good does not always win over evil. Things do not always end "happily ever after." Sorry. In real life, sometimes the bad guy does win. Deal with it. If you want fairy tale endings, then go back to watching Disney films, and leave adult films for the adults lol.
P. S. Getting real tired of reading reviews where someone writes "this is the worst movie ever." That is pretty much the most pathetic, exaggerated, unimaginative comment you could make. Do better.
Why I rated it a '7': This movie will likely get under your skin. It might even aggravate you. But boy is it effective in doing that, and so credit must be given.
As mentioned, the family man (Reeves) finds himself in way over his head when two pretty young things come knocking. He tries to hold his own but is soon overwhelmed by their aggressive sexual talk and behavior, as probably 99% of guys would be. When he finally makes a stand and it seems his ordeal is over, we learn it's really just beginning.
What makes the film effective is that most of what we see seems believable. We don't know why the girls are acting this way, but we don't have to know. Why did that dude go shoot up the school in Uvalde? Who the heck knows? But we know he did it. People do evil things all of the time. This is life. This is reality. Life is not a fairy tale.
I see several comments on here complaining about the ending. They wanted Reeves to "get justice." Well, again, this is reality. Good does not always win over evil. Things do not always end "happily ever after." Sorry. In real life, sometimes the bad guy does win. Deal with it. If you want fairy tale endings, then go back to watching Disney films, and leave adult films for the adults lol.
P. S. Getting real tired of reading reviews where someone writes "this is the worst movie ever." That is pretty much the most pathetic, exaggerated, unimaginative comment you could make. Do better.
- Better_Sith_Than_Sorry
- Jul 4, 2023
- Permalink
I'm a rare poster here at IMDb. Good movies? They get enough praise without me joining in the chorus. Average films? There's usually enough people on each side to adequately debate the pros and cons. But a film this ridiculously bad has, if nothing else, crossed whichever threshold is required to motivate me to reset my long forgotten IMDb login details and hopefully save some poor souls the 90 odd minutes of their lives, and (god forbid) their hard earned on a ticket.
It's so hard to know where to begin, so, as a wiser person than me once suggested, I will begin at the beginning. The acting, from the get go, is so wooden, unbelievable and shallow that not only did I not feel any connection to the characters, they were actually making me angry! Keanu is has always been pretty one dimensional, but he takes it to a new level with his performance here. In this role as a supposedly doting father, it felt like he has never spent more than five minutes around any kid. The wife was equally unconvincing and the kids were so bad they wouldn't get a role on a home-brand cola commercial. I did however quite like the Boston Terrier playing the role of the family pet, 'Monkey', and I feel like he did his best to carry this stinker, but with limited screen time there was only so much he could do.
Enter the 2 mysterious young women...who continue what has become the well established, by now 20 minute old tradition of corny, unconvincing Knock Knock performances.
The direction is lousy. I'm no film buff, but I watch enough of them. When I saw Eli Roth was the director in the opening credits, I said to my wife 'I think he has done some cool stuff'. Half way through this stinker I looked him up, and realised that, no...no he hasn't done anything even remotely decent in his entire career. A bit of shock horror in Hostel, a tenuous claim to fame at best, and then nothing. And his lack of talent is glaringly obvious here. I think I had confused him with a hybrid of Tim Roth and possibly Elijah Wood? I dunno...but Eli Roth shall forever more be the huge red flag he rightly is.
The story...let's call it a "story" for the sake of this review anyway. There's so much that could be said, so I'll simply say that it sucked in ways that few things have ever sucked before. It pioneers new ways to suck that modern scientific research in sucking are yet to even discover.
And the final cherry on this s#!t cake, was, after breaking my spirit and will to live, to break my heart to. Using the Pixies classic Where is My Mind as the closing track. Which the Pixies must have authorise...which defies comprehension. They made great money off their last tours, and allowed it to be used to close that all time classic Fight Club.
And so ends my review of this diabolically bad film. If I save one person the price of a ticket, or an hour an a half of their precious existence, it'll have all been worth it.
It's so hard to know where to begin, so, as a wiser person than me once suggested, I will begin at the beginning. The acting, from the get go, is so wooden, unbelievable and shallow that not only did I not feel any connection to the characters, they were actually making me angry! Keanu is has always been pretty one dimensional, but he takes it to a new level with his performance here. In this role as a supposedly doting father, it felt like he has never spent more than five minutes around any kid. The wife was equally unconvincing and the kids were so bad they wouldn't get a role on a home-brand cola commercial. I did however quite like the Boston Terrier playing the role of the family pet, 'Monkey', and I feel like he did his best to carry this stinker, but with limited screen time there was only so much he could do.
Enter the 2 mysterious young women...who continue what has become the well established, by now 20 minute old tradition of corny, unconvincing Knock Knock performances.
The direction is lousy. I'm no film buff, but I watch enough of them. When I saw Eli Roth was the director in the opening credits, I said to my wife 'I think he has done some cool stuff'. Half way through this stinker I looked him up, and realised that, no...no he hasn't done anything even remotely decent in his entire career. A bit of shock horror in Hostel, a tenuous claim to fame at best, and then nothing. And his lack of talent is glaringly obvious here. I think I had confused him with a hybrid of Tim Roth and possibly Elijah Wood? I dunno...but Eli Roth shall forever more be the huge red flag he rightly is.
The story...let's call it a "story" for the sake of this review anyway. There's so much that could be said, so I'll simply say that it sucked in ways that few things have ever sucked before. It pioneers new ways to suck that modern scientific research in sucking are yet to even discover.
And the final cherry on this s#!t cake, was, after breaking my spirit and will to live, to break my heart to. Using the Pixies classic Where is My Mind as the closing track. Which the Pixies must have authorise...which defies comprehension. They made great money off their last tours, and allowed it to be used to close that all time classic Fight Club.
And so ends my review of this diabolically bad film. If I save one person the price of a ticket, or an hour an a half of their precious existence, it'll have all been worth it.
- parkway-31497
- Dec 19, 2015
- Permalink
- qmasterworks
- Oct 19, 2015
- Permalink
- divergent-59727
- Sep 20, 2019
- Permalink
Simple film with eerie, Eli-Roth-like-atmosphere. Storyline: 2 young beautiful ladies appear in the front door of settled-down Keanu and then...
As a viewer, you already know where this is going after 15-20 minutes.
Pass the half hour mark and then the movie accelerates with some very creepy and funny moments.
I think that if another actor would have been casted instead, maybe the element of humor would have been absent, so you might enjoy seeing Keanu Reeves reacting in adverse situations.
Pros: unpredictability, good shots, good atmosphere overall and subtle comical moments.
Cons: pace slow at times, dialogue in the beginning seems a bit discouraging but it gets better later on.
Worth the time, 8/10.
As a viewer, you already know where this is going after 15-20 minutes.
Pass the half hour mark and then the movie accelerates with some very creepy and funny moments.
I think that if another actor would have been casted instead, maybe the element of humor would have been absent, so you might enjoy seeing Keanu Reeves reacting in adverse situations.
Pros: unpredictability, good shots, good atmosphere overall and subtle comical moments.
Cons: pace slow at times, dialogue in the beginning seems a bit discouraging but it gets better later on.
Worth the time, 8/10.
Listen, you either get his movie style or you don't. Reviewers here are taking this movie way too serious. This movie reminds me of when a group of friends got together and watched Scream, or Slither or any movie of that nature. It's fun, it's over the top, it's a dark comedy. At this point I think actors feel it's an honor and kind of like fad to be featured in his films. There are scenes/dialogues here that are just pure genius and can be discussed and quoted with friends just for grins. Keep up the this kind of movie style Mr. Roth, and I'll surely keep watching. It's definitely a breath of fresh air.
- cristobalrodarte
- Feb 14, 2024
- Permalink
Set on Fathers' Day weekend, successful architect Evan Webber (Keanu Reeves) prepares for a weekend of work while his wife and kids enjoy a weekend at the beach. On his first night home during a rainstorm two young women Bel and Genesis (Ana de Armas and Lorenza Izzo) arrive at his doorstep asking for help. After he allows them in the two seduce Evan resulting in a threeway. After Evan's infidelity, the two reveal their true intentions wreaking havoc on Evan's home and life and subject Evan to increasingly intense psychological and physical tortures which may culminate in his death.
Directed by Eli Roth Knock Knock is an uncredited remake of 1977s Death Game (though the original director and stars are executive producers). Knock Knock hits all the beats from the original while also updating the premise with references to contemporary society and technology. I honestly didn't like Death Game when I saw it because I found the plot repetitive and the characters annoying, but I did give it props for being a well made attempt by an inexperienced director and having a chilling performance from Sondra Locke. Knock Knock is certainly more polished of a product in terms of film making in comparison to its more grind house level predecessor, but while the package has been glossed up the content is considerably lesser this time around.
The opening 40 minutes are easily the best part of Knock Knock as we establish Evan's sexual frustration and hectic family situation that build up to the seduction. It's honestly really well told and is much better here than it was in the original 1977 film where the wife and kids were basically non entities for much of the original film's runtime. The film is also well shot with great looking establishment shots of the house.
Unfortunately beneath the coat of polish that's been applied many elements have been downgraded in terms of quality despite a supposedly more experienced director, Roth, helming the remake of a film that was made by an amateur. Keanu Reeves is a good actor, but only if given the right material. Reeves in Knock Knock does have a fun brief shining moments such as scene midway through the movie where he's trying to rebuke the advances of the seducers, but it feels like the role was written with someone like Nicolas Cage in mind and they just shoehorned Reeves into the role because they couldn't get him. Reeves still sporting his John Wick doo just doesn't sell it as a workaday family man and doesn't sell a role that he just doesn't fit into.
Ana de Armas and Lorenza Izzo start off well enough as the seducers when they first arrive in the movie, but around the halfway point where they reveal their true intentions they become absolutely insufferable to listen to. Not only do they act like oversexed brats with middle school level vocabularies, they have this unearned sense of "holier than thou" moral superiority that makes them extra aggravating. While movies with killers with prideful moral superiority complexes can work, such as Kiefer Sutherland as The Voice in Phone Booth or Tobin Bell as The Jigsaw Killer in Saw, those movies at least had some level of self awareness that their killers were hypocritical scum doing ex post fact justifications of their actions. Knock Knock is more confused and feels like it muddled its intentions much like Nicolas Cage's Wicker Man remake where they replaced the Paganism/Christianity dynamic with a fundamentally confused masculinity/femininity dynamic. Roth tries to update the very 70s counterculture girls with updated equivalents for the digital age, but it comes off more as an excuse for Roth to amp up the annoyance of characters who were already pretty grating to begin with.
Knock Knock is Roth at his worst. While it's not as bad as his worst movie, Hostel Part II, by virtue of at least being unintentionally fascinating in some confusing choices it's still an unnecessary remake of a very flawed movie that is not approved upon save for technical details. It's not completely without merit thanks to some decent cinematography and brief moments of good acting, but if you have a choice between this and the original, stick with the original, for all its flaws it at least had the excuse of an inexperienced director.
Directed by Eli Roth Knock Knock is an uncredited remake of 1977s Death Game (though the original director and stars are executive producers). Knock Knock hits all the beats from the original while also updating the premise with references to contemporary society and technology. I honestly didn't like Death Game when I saw it because I found the plot repetitive and the characters annoying, but I did give it props for being a well made attempt by an inexperienced director and having a chilling performance from Sondra Locke. Knock Knock is certainly more polished of a product in terms of film making in comparison to its more grind house level predecessor, but while the package has been glossed up the content is considerably lesser this time around.
The opening 40 minutes are easily the best part of Knock Knock as we establish Evan's sexual frustration and hectic family situation that build up to the seduction. It's honestly really well told and is much better here than it was in the original 1977 film where the wife and kids were basically non entities for much of the original film's runtime. The film is also well shot with great looking establishment shots of the house.
Unfortunately beneath the coat of polish that's been applied many elements have been downgraded in terms of quality despite a supposedly more experienced director, Roth, helming the remake of a film that was made by an amateur. Keanu Reeves is a good actor, but only if given the right material. Reeves in Knock Knock does have a fun brief shining moments such as scene midway through the movie where he's trying to rebuke the advances of the seducers, but it feels like the role was written with someone like Nicolas Cage in mind and they just shoehorned Reeves into the role because they couldn't get him. Reeves still sporting his John Wick doo just doesn't sell it as a workaday family man and doesn't sell a role that he just doesn't fit into.
Ana de Armas and Lorenza Izzo start off well enough as the seducers when they first arrive in the movie, but around the halfway point where they reveal their true intentions they become absolutely insufferable to listen to. Not only do they act like oversexed brats with middle school level vocabularies, they have this unearned sense of "holier than thou" moral superiority that makes them extra aggravating. While movies with killers with prideful moral superiority complexes can work, such as Kiefer Sutherland as The Voice in Phone Booth or Tobin Bell as The Jigsaw Killer in Saw, those movies at least had some level of self awareness that their killers were hypocritical scum doing ex post fact justifications of their actions. Knock Knock is more confused and feels like it muddled its intentions much like Nicolas Cage's Wicker Man remake where they replaced the Paganism/Christianity dynamic with a fundamentally confused masculinity/femininity dynamic. Roth tries to update the very 70s counterculture girls with updated equivalents for the digital age, but it comes off more as an excuse for Roth to amp up the annoyance of characters who were already pretty grating to begin with.
Knock Knock is Roth at his worst. While it's not as bad as his worst movie, Hostel Part II, by virtue of at least being unintentionally fascinating in some confusing choices it's still an unnecessary remake of a very flawed movie that is not approved upon save for technical details. It's not completely without merit thanks to some decent cinematography and brief moments of good acting, but if you have a choice between this and the original, stick with the original, for all its flaws it at least had the excuse of an inexperienced director.
- IonicBreezeMachine
- Mar 26, 2021
- Permalink
I read through lots of the reviews, and thought these guys are being harsh, it can't possibly be that bad can it?.....well the answer is yes.
In brief, Keanu Reeves plays Evan, an architect and former DJ, seemingly with the perfect life, he's successful, he has a beautiful wife and two kids. On the morning of his birthday his family go off to the seaside leaving him alone. He's hard at work when he gets a knock at the door, two rain soaked teenage girls, claiming they're lost, looking for a family. Reluctantly he takes them in, they flirt with him, and end up seducing him and sleeping with him. Next morning they've trashed the kitchen, and refuse to leave, behaving rather oddly. The girls claim they were under 15, leaving him guilty of rape, he manages to kick them out. Not done with him they later break in and tie him up, and then the real torture starts (more so for the viewer then Keanu.)
There are times when the acting becomes rather woeful, the scene with the neighbour, is like something out of a budget horror movie, it was shambolic. The torture game show part too, just horrendous, I mean could he not have overpowered them?
Evan says the following 'I'm so f***ing stupid,' he wasn't wrong.
There aren't many good points unfortunately, I believe when they thought of this film, someone fantasised about breaking in and seducing Keanu, then made a bad film around the one concept. One of the main problems is that there isn't a single likable character in the film, who really cares what happens to any of them. It's a shame are there was lots of potential.
Fair play to Keanu, he's playing a character of 43, I had to google his age, playing this he was fifty, he doesn't even look 40. He's ageing very well, there i've found a positive.
The film flopped badly in the UK cinemas. The moral of the story is believe the reviews on IMDb!!
In brief, Keanu Reeves plays Evan, an architect and former DJ, seemingly with the perfect life, he's successful, he has a beautiful wife and two kids. On the morning of his birthday his family go off to the seaside leaving him alone. He's hard at work when he gets a knock at the door, two rain soaked teenage girls, claiming they're lost, looking for a family. Reluctantly he takes them in, they flirt with him, and end up seducing him and sleeping with him. Next morning they've trashed the kitchen, and refuse to leave, behaving rather oddly. The girls claim they were under 15, leaving him guilty of rape, he manages to kick them out. Not done with him they later break in and tie him up, and then the real torture starts (more so for the viewer then Keanu.)
There are times when the acting becomes rather woeful, the scene with the neighbour, is like something out of a budget horror movie, it was shambolic. The torture game show part too, just horrendous, I mean could he not have overpowered them?
Evan says the following 'I'm so f***ing stupid,' he wasn't wrong.
There aren't many good points unfortunately, I believe when they thought of this film, someone fantasised about breaking in and seducing Keanu, then made a bad film around the one concept. One of the main problems is that there isn't a single likable character in the film, who really cares what happens to any of them. It's a shame are there was lots of potential.
Fair play to Keanu, he's playing a character of 43, I had to google his age, playing this he was fifty, he doesn't even look 40. He's ageing very well, there i've found a positive.
The film flopped badly in the UK cinemas. The moral of the story is believe the reviews on IMDb!!
- Sleepin_Dragon
- Oct 11, 2015
- Permalink
- filmtravel101
- Nov 16, 2017
- Permalink
- devinbrown-19091
- Apr 19, 2019
- Permalink
There are already ...261 (!) reviews for this B (or maybe C?) movie that came out only 2 months ago and that means something, i think.
First of all this is a remake of the movie "Death Game (1977)" starring Sondra Locke and Colleen Camp. The 2 women are serving as producers in the 2015 version while Colleen Camp also stars in a minor role.
This is Camp-y movie (pun intended!) with a lot of torture horror and a couple (mild in my opinion) erotic scenes. The 2 main actresses Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas look crazy enough but Keanu Reeves's performance leave a lot to be desired. Maybe we have used to see him as a hero (from the Matrix to John Wick) and we cannot accept to watch him being lame and weak.
There is obviously a moral here, but the question "who could resist" is also strongly present.
As a movie it's OK and you might have some fun watching it, but if you can't stand movies where the "hero" does all the wrong moves maybe you should avoid it. The direction of photography is bright and that's a plus, but if you are a careful viewer you will find a lot of goofs including numerous continuity errors which could ruin some of the fun.
In the end you might want for the movie to last a couple of minutes more to see the outcome or even the true motives of what just happened...
Overall: Not as bad as most of the other 261 reviews might want you to believe. (Some of them compare Keanu Reeves's recent choices to those of Nicolas Cage, so they might be driven by some hate). See it if you want a light campy thriller for the evening.
First of all this is a remake of the movie "Death Game (1977)" starring Sondra Locke and Colleen Camp. The 2 women are serving as producers in the 2015 version while Colleen Camp also stars in a minor role.
This is Camp-y movie (pun intended!) with a lot of torture horror and a couple (mild in my opinion) erotic scenes. The 2 main actresses Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas look crazy enough but Keanu Reeves's performance leave a lot to be desired. Maybe we have used to see him as a hero (from the Matrix to John Wick) and we cannot accept to watch him being lame and weak.
There is obviously a moral here, but the question "who could resist" is also strongly present.
As a movie it's OK and you might have some fun watching it, but if you can't stand movies where the "hero" does all the wrong moves maybe you should avoid it. The direction of photography is bright and that's a plus, but if you are a careful viewer you will find a lot of goofs including numerous continuity errors which could ruin some of the fun.
In the end you might want for the movie to last a couple of minutes more to see the outcome or even the true motives of what just happened...
Overall: Not as bad as most of the other 261 reviews might want you to believe. (Some of them compare Keanu Reeves's recent choices to those of Nicolas Cage, so they might be driven by some hate). See it if you want a light campy thriller for the evening.
The Good: When I first saw Knock Knock, I recognized it as being a very bad, if not fun and frankly, titillating movie. It was "so stupid," and ridiculous that I couldn't help but find enjoyment from it. I still think this is the case: this movie is both intentionally and unintentionally funny. It has some awful dialog and questionable performances. There are a ton of logical issues (more on this later) that take away from it.
And yet, Knock Knock is fun as heck. Eli Roth knows how to direct a movie and the entire opening is a masterclass of efficient (if awkward) storytelling. When Bel and Genesis (dumb names, I agree) show up, the entire sequence is so well done. I love how gradually Evan (Keanu) loosens up and begins to realize the seduction taking place. I'm going to say out loud what most heterosexual men watching this probably thought: Armas and Izzo are incredibly sexy and do a fantastic job. At the climax (hehe) of the scene, we get an explosion of sex and lust that's good enough to go toe to toe with erotic thrillers of years before.
Frankly, Armas and Izzo (whom I thought were awful the first time I saw this thing) were actually pretty excellent. You can't really tell what they're deal is and they come off as completely unhinged, if not particularly scary. And yes, I cannot deny there's a bit of a sexy eye candy and a point or two for the nudity. Whatever, I'm a dude.
I think as a man, this movie really does speak to us in a different way. This isn't a movie to watch with your girlfriend or wife next to you, because let's be honest, uncomfortable questions arise. And, I think the film does a good job with the sexual politics: is Evan truly "wrong" here? Could anyone really resist this "free pizza?" (I think the movie kind of reveals its position on the question with this scene and the ending, btw) If no man can resist a moment of weakness when faced with temptation, are there truly any good men out there? I like thought provoking movies, and while this one is about as subtle as a sledgehammer, it's something to think about.
I also want to highlight Keanu Reeves here. Let's be honest: he's not a good actor. He seems like a fantastic human being, but there isn't going to be a "get Keanu his Oscar" campaign anytime soon. And while he's quite bad in portions of this movie, when he's campy, it's FANTASTIC. The aformentioned "free pizza" rant is possibly the best performance he's ever done. The end scene is so visually strange and complemented by his manic performance, that it had me in tears. This movie isn't meant to be taken all that seriously and if you can enjoy it on that level, it works.
The Bad: That isn't to say I can't understand why people flat out HATE this movie (more on that later). There are A LOT of logical inconsistencies here and unrealistic moments. Why would Evan believe the two of them are minors? Seriously? Where is everyone in this neighbourhood? You're telling me he can't overpower these two 100 lb girls? Really?
And, as much as I praised Izzo and Armas before, I can't deny they're masterful actors in isolation. Them, in combination with Reeves, create some truly hilarious moments of bad acting. Eli Roth isn't known for great dialog either and um...yes, that criticism stands.
The Ugly: Knock Knock is fun. It's a guilty pleasure, for sure, but I don't think the hate it gets is warranted. I suspect a lot of people dislike Eli Roth, for one, and American audiences tend to be very sex negative. A movie that explores psychosexuality, the male lust for young women, the morality of "free pizza" etc. Is not going to be a mainstream film.
But, I'd say give it a chance and I'm sure you'll be entertained. Just...maybe give it a pre-watch yourself before watching it with anyone else.
And yet, Knock Knock is fun as heck. Eli Roth knows how to direct a movie and the entire opening is a masterclass of efficient (if awkward) storytelling. When Bel and Genesis (dumb names, I agree) show up, the entire sequence is so well done. I love how gradually Evan (Keanu) loosens up and begins to realize the seduction taking place. I'm going to say out loud what most heterosexual men watching this probably thought: Armas and Izzo are incredibly sexy and do a fantastic job. At the climax (hehe) of the scene, we get an explosion of sex and lust that's good enough to go toe to toe with erotic thrillers of years before.
Frankly, Armas and Izzo (whom I thought were awful the first time I saw this thing) were actually pretty excellent. You can't really tell what they're deal is and they come off as completely unhinged, if not particularly scary. And yes, I cannot deny there's a bit of a sexy eye candy and a point or two for the nudity. Whatever, I'm a dude.
I think as a man, this movie really does speak to us in a different way. This isn't a movie to watch with your girlfriend or wife next to you, because let's be honest, uncomfortable questions arise. And, I think the film does a good job with the sexual politics: is Evan truly "wrong" here? Could anyone really resist this "free pizza?" (I think the movie kind of reveals its position on the question with this scene and the ending, btw) If no man can resist a moment of weakness when faced with temptation, are there truly any good men out there? I like thought provoking movies, and while this one is about as subtle as a sledgehammer, it's something to think about.
I also want to highlight Keanu Reeves here. Let's be honest: he's not a good actor. He seems like a fantastic human being, but there isn't going to be a "get Keanu his Oscar" campaign anytime soon. And while he's quite bad in portions of this movie, when he's campy, it's FANTASTIC. The aformentioned "free pizza" rant is possibly the best performance he's ever done. The end scene is so visually strange and complemented by his manic performance, that it had me in tears. This movie isn't meant to be taken all that seriously and if you can enjoy it on that level, it works.
The Bad: That isn't to say I can't understand why people flat out HATE this movie (more on that later). There are A LOT of logical inconsistencies here and unrealistic moments. Why would Evan believe the two of them are minors? Seriously? Where is everyone in this neighbourhood? You're telling me he can't overpower these two 100 lb girls? Really?
And, as much as I praised Izzo and Armas before, I can't deny they're masterful actors in isolation. Them, in combination with Reeves, create some truly hilarious moments of bad acting. Eli Roth isn't known for great dialog either and um...yes, that criticism stands.
The Ugly: Knock Knock is fun. It's a guilty pleasure, for sure, but I don't think the hate it gets is warranted. I suspect a lot of people dislike Eli Roth, for one, and American audiences tend to be very sex negative. A movie that explores psychosexuality, the male lust for young women, the morality of "free pizza" etc. Is not going to be a mainstream film.
But, I'd say give it a chance and I'm sure you'll be entertained. Just...maybe give it a pre-watch yourself before watching it with anyone else.
- ryanpersaud-59415
- Jan 8, 2022
- Permalink
This was really suspensful and I kept hoping it would take a more favourable turn for the main character.
Sure Keanu acts like Bill and Ted but thats expected right?
Essences of Hard Candy but still enjoyable. The me too crowd will blame Keanu for his predicament and maybe so but all men are pigs, we get that, so why not show a little sympathy? The punishment should fit the crime. Intrigued? Give it a whirl if you enjoy Eli Roth direction.
Sure Keanu acts like Bill and Ted but thats expected right?
Essences of Hard Candy but still enjoyable. The me too crowd will blame Keanu for his predicament and maybe so but all men are pigs, we get that, so why not show a little sympathy? The punishment should fit the crime. Intrigued? Give it a whirl if you enjoy Eli Roth direction.
- livingstone100
- Apr 24, 2021
- Permalink
Please do not waste any time on this movie. The story line is in one word, disgusting. Awful. Despicable. Words cannot describe. It starts with a deceptive nice story and a character played by Mr. Keanu Reeves. And then soon everything goes to hell. Simply unacceptable. As much as I am a fan of Mr. Reeves, I believe he should not agree to do such films. The only reason he would do such a thing is to give a platform to the two girls in the movie. Still.
On a sarcastic note, his unhinged rant by the end of the movie was hilarious. Eli Roth is crazy and this is not even horror. What is the genre, Cringe-worthy? Disaster.
- sowhatnowthennext
- Jul 13, 2019
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- stevenroman-16968
- May 13, 2023
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- shinsrevenge
- Apr 25, 2016
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Despite the warnings from negative reviews and low IMDb rating i watched it anyway... I've always liked Eli Roth mainly for his near show stealing appearance as 'The Bear Jew' in Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds and his movies, though never groundbreaking for me, offered playful b-movie fun. His efforts here seemed to diminish after the initial creation of suspense. Once we move to the second act the script loses any credibility and little is left for creation of further suspense. It's almost as if the idea was to get Keanu to behave somewhat like Nicholas Cage in OMG mode. That idea i couldn't shake and ironically it became what kept me entertained, imagining cage instead of reeves, which wasn't too hard as Keanu seemed to channel the spirit of the rage cage as if he were possessed by him. Don't let my mention of cage fool you, the acting in this movie is sub par, if Keanu isn't The Wicker Man he's the wooden man and the girls act like female villains in a made for TV batman movie. In summary; I found a few things Keanu said in a serious monologue quite laugh out loud funny and the use of a popular pixies track at the end credits reminded me of a student movie using cool music to be cool. All it did was remind me of it's already iconic use in one of my favorite movies. The movie was just bad enough to enjoy it's shitness or i'd have not sat through it. Avoid this if you get offended by crap movies but I'm almost recommending you to watch this for the points I mentioned for your own curiosity. The movie stuck in my mind enough for m to waste time writing this review, i wonder if that was Roth's intention for the audience or he actually took this movie seriously.
- neilcarlin
- Nov 18, 2015
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