Some Scandinavian crime fiction has a tendency to focus on mundane day to day activity.  The stories are often equivalent to kitchen sink dramas.  ‘Knocking’ is no different.  The film has a very bland colour palate throughout and is more or less set in Molly’s neighbourhood, so the same set pieces feature over and over as the story progresses. 

Whilst viewing the film, I couldn’t help feel that I’d seen this story unfold hundreds of times before, most recently (and with better execution to boot) in ‘Fear of Rain’.  I’m all for a simple story, well told, but ‘Knocking’ dragged for me, and at a scant 78 minutes, I don’t think I should have felt that way. 

There are attempts to liven things up a little, with some good stunt work and experimental camerawork, and I appreciated what the director was trying to do, but I didn’t really feel invested in any way. 

Cecilia Milocco gives a strong performance as our lead, but I was bored.  I appreciate that I am perhaps spoiled with bigger budget movies or that culturally I didn’t “get” what the filmmakers were going for, or that I’m not the intended audience – I think the director wanted to make a horror movie about the place of women within society and how they are treated, but it was so one note throughout that it didn’t challenge me, or make me feel the emotions one would expect to.  

The film did come to a swift and satisfying conclusion, but I was glad my ordeal of watching it was over rather than feeling glad that Molly had a resolution. 

This felt far too similar to many recent films such as ‘The Woman in the Window’ and there were shades of ‘Saint Maud’ and ‘Relic’ throughout, but there are far better Scandinavian thrillers available to watch.  I don’t think I’ve been this disappointed with one since ‘The Snowman’.

Phil Davies Brown

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Knocking is a twisty, claustrophobic and gut-wrenching thriller streaked with horror, from director and Cannes Palme D’Or winner Frida Kempff (Winter Buoy), with a fierce and soul-baring central performance from Cecilia Milocco (Involuntary).

Synopsis:

A woman (Molly) who has just experienced a traumatic incident is unnerved by a haunting knocking sound from upstairs in her new apartment building. As the noises become more desperate and increasingly sound like cries for help, she confronts her neighbours, but it seems no one else can hear them. In an unsettling quest for truth, Molly soon realizes that no one believes her, and begins to question if she even believes herself – a realization that is perhaps even more chilling.

Signature Entertainment present Knocking on Digital Platforms 15th November

Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins

horrorscreamsvideovault.co.uk

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