Knocking

The summary of Knocking I read promised to, “keep you guessing until the very end.” And for me at least, it did. Good job, Knocking!

Knocking is a psychological thriller about a woman named Molly. Molly has suffered the loss of her female partner and has been in psychiatric care. The movie begins with her leaving the facility and moving into an apartment. But soon after she moves in, she begins hearing knocking in her walls and ceiling and occasionally cries of pain. However, none of the other tenants claim to have heard anything like Molly describes. Subsequently, Molly’s mental state continues to unravel. The knocking becomes more frequent and she believes that there may be a Morse code message. However, despite frequent pleas to the police, the source of the knocking is not discovered and Molly becomes an increasingly less reliable narrator.

Okay, so admittedly, your mileage may vary if Knocking keeps you guessing. Realistically, in a story like this, there’s only a few options. Molly is imagining all of it, all of it is real and she’s being gaslit or some of it is real and some isn’t. There’s not exactly infinite possibilities for how this plays out. Whether or not you do end up predicting how this goes, quality directing means that Knocking still offers a solid presentation of this type of thriller.

Aside from using editing and camera angles to create a successful thriller feeling, Frida Kempff also succeeds at offering emotional depth. Knocking is a tragic tale. The film has a lot of empathy for its lead character. The stakes of this movie are not just if Molly solves this mystery. The film also draws you into her as a character and makes you care for her well being. She’s suffered a huge loss and Knocking doesn’t forget about that as the film progresses.

A major standout element in the film is its sound. A sudden music sting of unsettling sound effects really drums up the tension and creates a sense of atmosphere. This would be a great film to watch as an example of the importance of sound in a movie and in setting tone.

The final thing that makes Knocking a success is Cecilia Milocco’s performance as Molly. She absolutely anchors this film with a truly engaging performance. Even in scenes when Molly is alone, Milocco draws you in. With a lesser performance, this film would have been way more dull by comparison. With Molly in such heavy focus as a main character, much falls on the actor to make this a performance worth watching and a character worth caring about. Cecilia Milocco knocks it out of the park.

My main critique of Knocking is that it ends pretty abruptly. I would have liked maybe five minutes more resolution. But I also respect the hell out of the film for being a scant hour and 18 minutes long. With a simple concept thriller, the best choice is absolutely to veer on the side of it being short. Knocking never overstayed its welcome. It got in, offered a competent take on a classic psychological thriller and ended far before I felt bored. Good job, Knocking!

Overall rating: 7/10

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