Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Knock Knock’ On Netflix, An Erotic Thriller Starring Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas

The erotic thriller is a hard nut to crack, and one rarely attempted these days. Classics like Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, and Body Double have set the bar high, and the few who make an effort usually don’t come anywhere near reaching it. Enter Knock Knock, an erotic thriller from Eli Roth (Hostel, The Green Inferno) based on the 1977 film Death Game. Though the flick was released in 2015, it’s now finding new life on Netflix. Does Knock Knock deserve a place among the greats? Or is it a knock better left unanswered?

KNOCK KNOCK: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Architect Evan (Keanu Reeves) is a dedicated family man who adores his artist wife Karen (Ignacia Allamand) and two young children. It’s Father’s Day, and the kids surprise him with chocolate cake and a gift in bed. Their celebrations together are short-lived, however, as Karen and the kids head off to the beach while Evan stays behind to finish a big project and undergo physical therapy for a shoulder injury. Things start out pretty mellow; Evan throws back wine, chips away at a project, and blasts some music. He’s just about to light up a bowl when he hears a series of knocks on his front door. He answers it and meets rain-soaked Bel (Ana de Armas) and Genesis (Lorenza Izzo), two young women who claim they’ve gotten lost looking for a house party. Ever the gentleman, Evan invites them in and allows them to dry off and use his internet to get in touch with the party host. He calls them an Uber, but it’s 45 minutes away, so the girls get to thinking up ways to pass the time (much to Evan’s discomfort).

Things start out on a relatively mundane note; Evan agrees to put their wet clothes in the dryer and offers them robes and hot tea, and they listen to some sweet vinyl while he reminisces about his time as a DJ. By the time the Uber arrives, however, the girls have cooked up something steamy in the bathroom, where they attempt to seduce him. While Evan initially tries to convince them to leave, he can’t help but give in, and the trio have a wild night together. The pleasure of the night is short-lived, however; by the next morning, the girls have more than made themselves at home. They refuse to leave no matter what Evan says, and eventually, things escalate. What began as a night of sexy fun soon turns into something much more sinister. Who makes it out alive? What do Genesis and Bel really want? The answers to these questions may surprise you.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?:Knock Knock strikes a unique balance between home invasion movie and erotic thriller, evoking other flicks like Funny Games, The Strangers, and The Boy Next Door.

Performance Worth Watching: This was Ana de Armas’ breakthrough English-language role, and it’s not hard to see why. Even in her character’s most infuriating moments, she’s totally dazzling. She does a lot with a pretty weakly written role (and lackluster direction), fully embracing Bel’s maniacal nature while also managing to fill the shoes of “good cop” when the scenario calls for it.

Memorable Dialogue: Dialogue is certainly not Knock Knock‘s strong suit, but I have to admit I was delighted by Louis dropping his polite demeanor to show the girls he sees right through them: “Bitch, you barkin up the wrong fuckin’ tree!”

Sex and Skin: Well that’s what we’re all here for, isn’t it? Knock Knock does not skimp on the sexy stuff. The first time we meet Evan, he’s about to get into some sexytime with his wife Karen, and that’s only the beginning. After Bel and Genesis arrive, there’s lots of sex talk and touchy-feely stuff, and then, the big threesome that starts in a steamy bathroom. From there, things only get more twisted, and the rest of the sexual encounters in Knock Knock can’t be described as consensual.

Our Take: Knock Knock had so much potential. It could have fully embraced camp and produced something juicy and wacky, or leaned totally into the horror of it all and made something darkly sexy and deranged. But it doesn’t quite know what to do with itself, both script and direction-wise. It’s a strange little movie; it seems to try to go down one road or the other, but it quickly gets lost, which produces a weird mixture of camp and drama (and in this case, it’s not a good combination). Because of the tonal inconsistencies, stilted script, and weak direction, Bel and Genesis never quite work as the villains they should be. Instead, they’re agitating, and not in the way that makes it fun to watch this kind of movie. There is so much juicy stuff the filmmakers could have done with these two roles – really let them let go and venture to some wild places – but instead, they’re relegated to some kind of half-crazy/sexy/daddy issues box that doesn’t allow for much depth or excitement.

Despite these character and script issues, Izzo and de Armas make some BIG choices with their performances, and some of them are memorable (and might make you squirm!). But Reeves feels like he’s in an entirely different movie. I’m not really on the Keanu Reeves-can’t-act-train like many others seem to be, but Knock Knock does not help his case (and that isn’t really his fault!). He does the best he can with what he’s given, but with a series of lines that simply involve him insisting he is a good father/good man and calling the demented duo crazy “bitches”, “whores”, and any other insult you can drum up for two young women, he doesn’t have much room for Oscar-worthy acting.

It’s almost frustrating how quickly Knock Knock flushes its potential down the drain. I kept thinking of all the other interesting ways they might have let Bel and Genesis have their fun, and what a boring protagonist Evan is. The biggest problem with Knock Knock is that we’re given absolutely no one to root for; Bel and Genesis don’t hit the height of twisted and maniacal they should for us to side with them in this situation (the direction makes us hate them and Evan), Evan is about as sympathetic as wet newspaper, and Karen and the kids have such little chemistry with the man who is allegedly their husband and father that we don’t really care what the consequences are.

Despite the Knock Knock‘s lean 90-minute runtime, I found myself checking how much more I had to sit through. What an unfortunate instance of wasted potential. It’s a film that has likely racked in its high number of streams if only for the fact that Keanu Reeves has a threesome with a very naked Ana de Armas. That’s all fine and good if that’s your thing, but Knock Knock could have been so much more.

Our Call: SKIP IT. Knock Knock begins with a sinister, sexy premise, but its tonal inconsistency and misguided direction never quite let the film find its feet.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.

Stream Knock Knock on Netflix