Knock Knock (2015) - Eli Roth's Knock Knock

I was just browsing through some film data on IMDb and stumbled upon the page for *Knock Knock*. It’s one of those movies that really sticks in your mind, even if you have mixed feelings about the direction it took. Looking back at the cast, seeing Keanu Reeves paired with Lorenza Izzo is such an interesting dynamic. He brings that specific intensity to his roles, and watching him navigate a psychological thriller like this is always a trip. I remember reading some discussions about how people reacted to the tension levels—it definitely leans into that uncomfortable, claustrophobic feeling that Eli Roth is so good at crafting. It’s funny how certain films become touchstones for debate. You have your fans who love the raw, gritty edge, and then you have the critics who wish it had leaned more into a different kind of suspense. But regardless of where you stand, you can't deny the performances. There’s something about the way the story unfolds that keeps you hooked, even when you know exactly where the dread is coming from. It makes me wonder how modern audiences view these kinds of home-invasion thrillers compared to when it first dropped. Does the psychological aspect hold up, or does it feel like a product of its time? Either way, it's a fascinating piece of cinema to revisit!

The original title was Knock Knock.
Director: Eli Roth | Genre: Horror, Thriller
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana de Armas
Runtime: 99 minutes | Released: 2015 | Country: USA | Movie Poster
POST START: 11/12/2015

So, the upcoming theater trailer looks like this:

Knock Knock is a nerve-wracking thriller where Keanu Reeves, playing the role of Evan Webber, faces the absolute darkest moments of his life. It only takes one single night—one incredibly intense, whirlwind night—to nearly tear his entire world apart.

Honestly, that movie just isn't worth a trip to the AMC Theatres. The acting is absolutely disastrous, the script feels totally aimless, and the direction is just incredibly shallow. There are certain scenes that are so poorly executed and overacted, it’s almost hard to believe they actually put them in the final cut. It fails to be scary on every level; instead, you're just left with a terribly written plot and a story that feels completely unbelievable.

If you absolutely have to see this, I’d suggest sticking to a small screen at home. Honestly, I can’t wrap my head around how a movie like this even gets a theatrical release. It feels like the distributors thought they could just throw in a few gratuitous nudity scenes to manufacture "success" during those awkward gaps in the schedule when there isn't anything better playing. If you're currently torn between watching this or doing absolutely nothing—trust me, doing nothing is definitely the better option.

I mean, Keanu Reeves really does end up filming some pretty weird stuff sometimes.

briskbison55 said:I mean, Keanu Reeves really does end up filming some pretty weird stuff sometimes.

Honestly, his Tai Chi and John Wick were disasters, but this is even worse.

You can even notice quite a few things lifted from the great movie Hard Candy (2005), but the execution is just poor. It lacks any real thriller elements; everything is totally predictable and feels as unrealistic as one of those B-movies you'd find on a cheap streaming service.

It really feels like it’s finally time to see a remake of Knock Knock! I was just sitting here thinking about how much certain classic thrillers can be reimagined for a modern audience, and that one keeps popping into my head. There's just something about that tension that would work so well with a fresh perspective and some updated twists. Honestly, I could spend all afternoon debating what direction they should take with it! I was just sitting here thinking about those old-school thrillers, and I couldn't help but drift back to the 1977 classic, Death Game. It’s one of those films that really sticks in your mind, isn't it? There's just something about that era of filmmaking—the atmosphere, the pacing, the way they built tension without relying on the flashy CGI we see in everything today. I remember seeing a similar vibe in some of the older suspense films I watched growing than when I was younger, and it always sparks such a nostalgic feeling! It’s definitely a standout from that decade for me. I have to say, I am absolutely obsessed with John Wick! There is just something about those action sequences that gets me every single time. 🙂

I mean, I thought watching John Wick was actually pretty fun... I guess they could have leaned into the absurdity a bit more, you know? Like, make it even wilder? But honestly, compared to this, even that Tai Chi stuff—man, that was a total masterpiece. 😁

Keanu Reeves 🤦
It doesn't even start out bad, it just sort of morphs into straight-up trash halfway through, I guess.
That last scene where he hits the like button 🤦

black Keanu

It’s been a long time since I’ve sat through something this bad...

I suppose it’s perfectly fine for a one-time watch—it isn't a boring film, and I guess it manages to hold your attention right through to the end...

I guess Eli Roth is supposed to be some kind of big name in the horror genre...??? To me, this just feels like some teen-focused, sexy trash thriller made for a direct-to-video release!

This movie is an absolute disaster.

Personally, I thought the movie was absolute garbage, but I'll throw this out there just in case 🙂 some of you might actually find it useful... it would be a waste to let those tickets go to waste 😵

Basically, there's a giveaway happening right now in partnership with AMC Theatres where they're giving away two sets of 2x2 movie tickets for Knock Knock, and all you have to do is drop a few sentences explaining why you want to see it...

Here’s the link if you want to check out the details - LINK nagradna igra

I just finished watching... I actually liked the story, but the acting was honestly terrible 😢

I honestly didn't think I’d be this shocked by Keanu Reeves' acting—mostly because I never really expected much from him to begin with. But man, this? This is straight-up bottom-of-the-barrel trash... Even the women in this thing did a way better job with their roles than he did.

It’s just bad. Honestly, it could have been so much better, but there wasn't a single coherent blueprint to follow during production. It’s not like we’re dealing with a Roth - Haneke collaboration here; if they were aiming for that nihilistic, unsettling vibe found in Funny Games, then they completely missed the mark.

Eli Roth simply isn't capable of subtlety, though I suppose expecting it would be a mistake. This isn't Cabin Fever or Hostel, where he can just lean on his usual toolkit of mindless brutality to get by. The real issue lies in the tone; the film never manages to be serious enough to deliver any actual message—no matter how banal or misplaced that message might be—yet it fails to embrace being irreverent enough to pass for pure, unapologetic trash cinema. It ultimately settles in this awkward middle ground, disintegrating before our very eyes, leaving us with nothing to remember once the credits roll.
Knock Knock is a film that is beyond saving. It leaves you with the distinct impression of a poorly told, mediocre joke. Someone else might have managed to salvage it, but certainly not Eli Roth. One can only hope his talents lie elsewhere—perhaps he finds his true groove when working under the direction of Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez, given that his short films and trailers within their projects are absolute masterpieces. As a producer, there is still a glimmer of hope that he might stumble upon something actually worthwhile, much like he did with The Sacrament back in 2013. As far as directing goes, I get the feeling he showed us exactly what he was capable of with Hostel, and everything since then has simply been unnecessary filler.

više na:
I recently sat down to watch *Knock Knock*, and I find myself grappling with what exactly Eli Roth was trying to achieve here. On paper, the premise offers a certain voyeuristic tension—a man’s domestic sanctuary being violated by two opportunistic women—but the execution feels remarkably thin. It attempts to play with the psychological discomfort found in films like *Funny Games*, yet it lacks the intellectual bite or the unflinching cruelty required to make that comparison stick. Instead, we are left with a narrative that feels less like a descent into madness and more like a series of increasingly improbable escalations. Keanu Reeves carries the heavy lifting, playing the role of Evan Webber with a weary, almost pathetic vulnerability that serves the plot well enough. He manages to convey the desperation of a man whose life is unraveling in real-time, which is perhaps the only element keeping the viewer tethered to the screen. His chemistry with Lorenza Izzo is functional, providing the necessary friction to drive the conflict, though one can't help but feel the script leans too heavily on shock value rather than genuine suspense. The film struggles to decide if it wants to be a gritty thriller or a heightened dark comedy, and in its indecision, it settles for being neither particularly scary nor particularly funny. While some might argue that the direction mirrors the chaotic energy seen in works by directors like Robert Rodriguez, it lacks that specific stylistic cohesion. It is a polished production, certainly, but there is a hollowness to the tension. If you are looking for a deep dive into the darker impulses of the human psyche, you might find this experience somewhat superficial. It is an okay way to pass an evening at AMC Theatres, provided you aren't expecting anything profound.

Jamie Turner80 said:Eli Roth simply isn't capable of subtlety, though I suppose expecting it would be a mistake. This isn't Cabin Fever or Hostel, where he can just lean on his usual toolkit of mindless brutality to get by. The real issue lies in the tone; the film never manages to be serious enough to deliver any actual message—no matter how banal or misplaced that message might be—yet it fails to embrace being irreverent enough to pass for pure, unapologetic trash cinema. It ultimately settles in this awkward middle ground, disintegrating before our very eyes, leaving us with nothing to remember once the credits roll.
Knock Knock is a film that is beyond saving. It leaves you with the distinct impression of a poorly told, mediocre joke. Someone else might have managed to salvage it, but certainly not Eli Roth. One can only hope his talents lie elsewhere—perhaps he finds his true groove when working under the direction of Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez, given that his short films and trailers within their projects are absolute masterpieces. As a producer, there is still a glimmer of hope that he might stumble upon something actually worthwhile, much like he did with The Sacrament back in 2013. As far as directing goes, I get the feeling he showed us exactly what he was capable of with Hostel, and everything since then has simply been unnecessary filler.

više na:
I recently sat down to watch *Knock Knock*, and I find myself grappling with what exactly Eli Roth was trying to achieve here. On paper, the premise offers a certain voyeuristic tension—a man’s domestic sanctuary being violated by two opportunistic women—but the execution feels remarkably thin. It attempts to play with the psychological discomfort found in films like *Funny Games*, yet it lacks the intellectual bite or the unflinching cruelty required to make that comparison stick. Instead, we are left with a narrative that feels less like a descent into madness and more like a series of increasingly improbable escalations. Keanu Reeves carries the heavy lifting, playing the role of Evan Webber with a weary, almost pathetic vulnerability that serves the plot well enough. He manages to convey the desperation of a man whose life is unraveling in real-time, which is perhaps the only element keeping the viewer tethered to the screen. His chemistry with Lorenza Izzo is functional, providing the necessary friction to drive the conflict, though one can't help but feel the script leans too heavily on shock value rather than genuine suspense. The film struggles to decide if it wants to be a gritty thriller or a heightened dark comedy, and in its indecision, it settles for being neither particularly scary nor particularly funny. While some might argue that the direction mirrors the chaotic energy seen in works by directors like Robert Rodriguez, it lacks that specific stylistic cohesion. It is a polished production, certainly, but there is a hollowness to the tension. If you are looking for a deep dive into the darker impulses of the human psyche, you might find this experience somewhat superficial. It is an okay way to pass an evening at AMC Theatres, provided you aren't expecting anything profound.

But, what makes the whole thing even more frustrating is that the first half of the movie actually works brilliantly. 🙂

Eli Roth has a massive issue when it comes to his characters and how they actually talk... it's just painful

I actually really dug this movie! I haven't seen the original version before, but man, this was such a blast to watch. It honestly reminded me so much of one of my all-time favorite horror flicks, Funny Games.

Honestly, the only thing that was really missing was just a bit more grit—you know, like, way more brutality and blood to really spice things up? It feels like it needed that extra kick to make it pop, but hey, even without the extra gore, it’s still a solid watch.

I caught this on FOX last night—talk about a rough watch. Honestly, the movie feels like a direct insult to anyone's intelligence, and Keanu Reeves was such a massive miscast here. ☕ As far as the plot goes, it’s not just aimless; it’s borderline absurd and completely nonsensical because the script is so incredibly shallow. Man, the guy had a hundred obvious chances to just get out of that house and run. 🤣

I actually sat through at least one whole minute of it 😁