So we just moved the sofa back against the wall (where it belongs), having just emerged from watching the terrifying ‘Knock Knock’…
It’s an episode that, if Mary Whitehouse was still alive, would have had her penning one of her harshest letters directed at the BBC - and as any Doctor Who fan of a certain age will know, this can only be a good thing! :)
The run of high quality, entertaining Doctor Who stories that Series 10 has produced thus far continues in fine form here, and Mike Bartlett expertly manages to compress a horror movie into Doctor Who’s 45-minute time slot. There’s something very Moffat-esque about his script, and with Moffat himself stepping down at Christmas, we hope that Chris Chibnall [incoming showrunner] will bring Bartlett back to continue Steven's tradition of turning everyday objects into scary plots.
As far as scary Doctor Who stories go, this is up there with the likes of The Empty Child and Midnight - perhaps even scarier than those two serials. The sound team have done a fantastic job with the FX - and that’s even without us having the binaural version, which will also be available to viewers who choose to wear headphones. Murray Gold deserves a nod here for his fantastic score that accompanies the story, giving it a haunting undertone, throughout.
The basic plot involves Bill and her friends looking for a place to rent, with very little luck, until a stranger overhears their dilemma, offering the perfect solution; a spacious house with room enough for all of them. The house, however, is hiding a chilling secret, and the trade-off for cheap rent may result in the tennant's paying with their lives!
There are so many elements that pull together to make this story a success, but it is David Suchet, whose unannounced peppering in the plot, that is the real star of the show. Whilst his role in the story is villainous (from a certain point of view), he plays it straight up and with sincerity, dripping with creepiness. There’s something very human to him, though, and you end up feeling for the character by the end of the story.
Knock Knock is an instant classic that will have you fearing any building with wood panelling and one that will be rightfully putting the kids (and the grown-ups) back behind the sofa!
5 Things To Look Out For:
1) ”Regenerated?”
2) High Pitch.
3) ”Basically, this is the bit of my life that you’re not in.”
4) Are you my mummy?
5) The Vault opens…
Fun Fact: The character of Harry is actually the grandson of Harry Sullivan (companion to the 4th Doctor), but this isn't included or referenced in the final broadcast version.
+ 10.4: Knock Knock airs This Saturday at 7:20pm on BBC One.
[Source: DWO]
