We review Eli Roth's newest, Knock Knock.
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| Insert 'whoa' joke here. |
Love him or hate him, Eli Roth is something of a
renaissance man in Hollywood. After an
extended hiatus between Hostel: Part II and
his long awaited passion project The
Green Inferno, the maverick writer-director and part-time actor is back on
track, churning out movies at an even faster rate than before. Where quality control is open to debate, the
speed of his renewed output is undeniable which brings us to his newest title, Knock Knock: a kidnapping thriller
prominently featuring Roth’s most accomplished actor yet, Keanu Reeves. Completed during the distribution Hell The Green Inferno found itself in, Knock Knock opened quietly in limited
theatrical release on October 9, 2015 accompanied by a Video-on-Demand
rollout. With two heavy-weights like Roth
and Reeves, Knock Knock is a breath
of fresh air for the both of them as Reeves shirks his action-hero persona to
star in this odd yet startlingly lightweight Roth offering.
Though Keanu Reeves is undoubtedly the main star, Eli
Roth is clearly the real culprit and whatever flack the film will likely take
will be felt most by Roth. Whatever hang
ups you may have with Roth, Keanu Reeves manages to survive them with a
serviceable and profanity filled performance.
Also tapping into the father figure role, Reeve’s casting is ideal and a
role the actor likely had great fun with particularly with respect to the
rampant foul language. Who doesn’t love to swear? It would seem Roth’s wife Lorenza Izzo is
going to feature regularly in every forthcoming Roth picture now and and her acting is
perfectly adequate. “If the shoe fits”, right Eli? Not the first writer-director to cast his
spouse in a crucial role (Rob Zombie, anyone?) and certainly not the last, you
always have to wonder whether or not a director’s siblings are better left
behind the camera instead of in front of it.
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| "Do you think I'm sexy?" |
While Knock
Knock from the outset seems run of the mill for Roth, every twisted joke
and subversive action is clearly an evocation of his snarky personality and the
question of quality depends more on your appreciation for Roth’s humor than the
film’s solidarity. Most moviegoers love
his gore but can’t think their way around his characters and writing. And yet with Knock Knock the plot was clever and rich with pitch perfect pacing aided
by a main star who didn’t miss a beat. Visually
Knock Knock looks great with its
bipolar-like colors and sterile set design, providing a glimpse of the modern
California suburb. Edited down to a tee
by Diego Macho Gómez and elevated sonically by composer Manuel Riveiro, their
efforts almost outshine the movie’s central focus altogether and call attention
to themselves.
Score
-Andrew Kotwicki
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