Knock delivers in twelve minutes what usually takes ninety or so in the average psychological thriller. Given that we are dealing with a short, no deep characterization or subplots are needed. The film jumps right in, sets up the story, tells it, and then runs the credits, all workmanlike.  Not a masterpiece, but a perfectly fun psychological thriller that checks all the boxes of that genre.  Jonathan (Gabe Garcia), an unemployed, homeless twenty-something down on his luck man is crashing on the couch of his more successful friend Bill (Jason Taylor). Bill goes to work each day (blue collar job? Seems so but the film never clearly states what he does). During the day, Jonathan looks for work, but at night he has trouble sleeping because he can hear a distant knocking somewhere in the house every night. Bill does not seem to hear the knock. Jonathan becomes certain someone or something is hidden in the house, and while exploring the basement discovers a tool bench covered in missing person fliers. Without giving anything away, the moment he finds the bench the rest of the film becomes obvious and the twist at the end is not so much a twist as the next logical step in the story.

Having said that, the performances by Garcia and Taylor are solid and grounded, giving nothing away. Writer/Director Bobby Huotari, as often happens in horror shorts, serves as his own cinematographer, and the camerawork is serviceable sets the scene, and allows the actors to tell the story. Sadly, the knocking, because it is often so faint, does not carry the weight it could, but of necessity for the story must be difficult to hear.  The whole thing shows promise and is a fun, short ride.

6.5 out of 10