On the twenty-sixth day of Halloween: KNOCK KNOCK (2015)

Evan Webber (Keanu Reeves) is the perfect husband and father. He puts his family first in all things. That is, until he’s home alone on Father’s Day and two bedraggled young women knock knock on his door in the middle of the night, storm stranded in the suburbs. This is not a treat, it’s a trick in Knock Knock (2015).

At first Bel (Ana de Armas) and Genesis (Lorenza Izzo) seem like perfectly straightforward temptresses, who work their wiles on Evan into a wild night of drugs and debauchery. But the next morning, when they refuse to leave, the women begin systematically dismantling not just Evan’d life and home. But also everything he believed about himself to be true.

Directed by Eli Roth, this harrowing character study puts Evan through a ringer that would stun even John Wick. For Keanu fans this is a hard watch. Evan is categorically not Mr Wick and his torture is prolonged and intense. My eyes water so much watching Evan’s descent.

What’s funny is that if Keanu wasn’t in the victim role, this might be one of my favorite movies. I love me a good female rage explosion, especially when it reveals a perfect family man on the surface is anything but. However when it’s beloved Keanu on the receiving end of the extreme violence, the entire narrative structure lands in a different way. Anyone else playing this character I would have zero empathy to offer. Act like a piece of shit and you get what you deserve. But with Keanu’s Evan, I can’t revel in the girls’ violent lesson teaching. Director Eli Roth really challenged this kind of narrative with this important casting choice.

This one requires a strong stomach. Not as much as required for The Neon Demon. But gird your loins, regardless. It gets really uncomfortable up in here.

✨Monkey/5 stars. Highly recommend not cheating on your wife with two strangers.✨