Fresh off the success ofThe Sixth Sense,Unbreakable, andSigns,M.
Night Shyamalanpresents a new visual feast for audiences in the form ofThe Village.
At this point, the Academy Awards might just as well addThe Villages name to every category, right?
The Village / Buena Vista
The films 44% critical approval rating and 57% audience score onRotten Tomatoesonly attests to this fact.
However, M. Night Shyamalan discovered the proverbial sweet spot of innovation and blockbuster appeal in 1999.
Not only does the twist catch everyone off guard the first time, but it also chills.
Buena Vista
He repeated the bait-and-switch technique inUnbreakableto similar success a year later.
It became the filmmakers calling card.
Unfortunately, audiences dont always see it this way.
Ebertwrote: To call it an anticlimax would be an insult not only to climaxes but to prefixes.
Eberts sentiments were (and are still) shared by many others.
When audiences expect a monster movie, they want a monster movie.
Theres an important story hidden in this movie
In retrospect,The Villageworks better after multiple viewings.
Its a form of Munchhausen by proxy and a restriction of their movement.
On the other hand, many of the parents experienced trauma that changed them and their worldviews.
M. Night Shyamalan leaves that up to the viewer to decide.
In this case, they take the guise of humans, and whats more terrifying than that?
