1 Detail Hints At Why Wen Was Chosen In Knock In The Cabin’s Apocalypse

Knock at the Cabin’s family is mysteriously chosen to make a difficult decision, with one subtle detail about Wen supporting why they were picked.

WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Knock at the Cabin’s ending!One subtle detail about Wen from the beginning of Knock at the Cabin hints at why her family was chosen to decide the fate of humanity. In Knock at the Cabin, Wen, Eric, and Andrew are confronted by a group of four intruders who give them a choice: Willingly sacrifice one of themselves and save mankind, or fail to choose and the apocalypse will destroy the world. Although the intruders Leonard, Sabrina, Redmond, and Adriane give no concrete reason for the family’s selection other than that the four of them were compelled to come to the cabin by strong shared visions, Eric ultimately sacrifices himself to save his husband, their daughter, and humanity.

Knock at the Cabin’s characters often speculate about the reasons why Eric, Andrew, and Wen were given the impossible choice to sacrifice one of themselves to save the world. Both Eric and Leonard come to the conclusion that they were picked on account of how pure their love was for one another, as they all chose to be together despite the cruelty of the world that tried to tear them apart or keep them down. While this is certainly part of the reason why Knock at the Cabin’s family was chosen, there may be another reason for Wen’s involvement that relates to Knock at the Cabin’s broader themes.

Related: Why Knock At The Cabin’s Big Sacrifice Worked (Thanks To Wen)

Wen’s Age Connects To Knock At The Cabin’s Biblical Themes

In Knock at the Cabin’s opening scene, Wen tells Leonard she’s almost eight years old, meaning she’s still only seven when the apocalypse begins. Knock at the Cabin’s apocalyptic story is filled with religious allegories, conversations about faith, and even references to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from the Bible. Wen being seven years old is another subtle connection to the Bible and its warnings of the apocalypse, as the scripture is filled with references to the number seven. If Knock at the Cabin’s higher power is really related to the Bible, then Wen being seven years old can’t be a coincidence.

For example, some notable uses of the number seven in the Bible include the Seven Deadly Sins, the number of days it took God to create the universe, and the seven bowls, seals, and angels related to the apocalypse. Knock at the Cabin also features only seven characters and Dave Bautista’s Leonard teaches seven-year-olds in his second-grade class, so this number has a hidden significance in Knock at the Cabin’s story. The number seven is understood as indicating completeness or the fulfillment of a divine mandate, so Wen being seven years old contributes to the completion of the higher power’s mandate for Eric to sacrifice himself.

Wen’s Flashbacks Confirm Why Eric Had to Sacrifice Himself For Her

Knock at the Cabin’s flashbacks filled in the gaps in Eric, Andrew, and Wen’s backstories, which highlighted how they truly chose one another and that their love was, indeed, pure. After connecting with and seeing a figure in the mirror, Eric decides to sacrifice himself in order to give Wen a greater future. Eric convinces Andrew that living in a decimated world with only her parents was not the fulfilling life they promised Wen when they adopted her, with the higher power even showing Eric a vision of Wen and Andrew being happy and successful in the future.

Knock at the Cabin’s flashback to Wen’s adoption also shows Eric calling her a “miracle,” indicating that she had a greater purpose and that the decision to sacrifice himself needed to be about giving her a better life. Just before seeing Wen for the first time, Eric noticed a mural of Jesus playing soccer with kids, which may have been a sign that Eric needed to save her when the time came. Knock at the Cabin is loaded with themes of choice, sacrifice, and arguments over coincidences and signs, with Wen’s age and Eric and Andrew’s flashbacks being significant examples of each.

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