Film Review – The Happening
Jun 15, 2008 in american film, film reviews
Title: The Happening
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Year: 2008
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Format Reviewed: Film
I hesitate to even give this film a genre, because Shyamalan doesn’t seem to follow genre’s anymore. Well it’s arguable if he ever did. Lets get it out of the way. His movies aren’t that scary. There are a few shockers, a few “wtf is going on?!” moments, and a lot of fantasy play. This goes for everything since The Sixth Sense, which I’m finding to be more and more the outcast, rather than the epitome of Shyamalan’s work.
So why go on about the director? Well, I just wanted to bust a few myth’s about him and his career (and inflame some of the internet, as if it needed to be done) before we move on to the movie. You see, a lot of people don’t understand his movies. Critics certainly don’t. Look no further than reviews of Lady in the Water. Shyamalan is often criticized of having dumb characters, plots, and just plain not making sense or being interesting. Harsh. But that’s only if you look at them with the narrow mind-set of comparing it to genre classics and mainstream blockbusters.
Sometime you have to take a movie a bit more light-heartedly and try to enjoy it as a dose of entertainment. Here is a great example. The plot and characters should not be taken so strictly into having dramatic, realistic performances, but rather as an emphasis on the role of the audience in moving the mystery of the plot forward. Shyamalan has done this from the very beginning: throw the audience a teaser trailer of what looks to be a captivating thriller with a number of scary moments, then at the release relax the film to unfold a mystery with a very simple plot with a several missing details. And so The Happening has very little to do with its image of a post-Apocalypse thriller. In fact, there is a lot more comedy than thrills in the movie.
The Happening contains Shyamalan’s best attempt at a deeper message in a movie yet. Using very pop cultural references in nearly every non-action scene, and his usual style of dialogue, The Happening reveals both it’s superficial and deeper message at the same time. It’s one of those “if you get it,” then you will understand every little detail of the movie. If you don’t… well, it’s still a fun ride. The imagery and pace is as good as it has always been for him, so by the end of the runtime it feels fresh, compact, and lightly satisfying.
Although it is released as a mainstream movie, The Happening would be better off as an art house flick. It’s style is connected so much with it’s auteur that it shouldn’t be compared with other epics and polished classics. You can like this style or not, but there ought not to be an automatic demerit because of personal preferences. Unfortunately many will be disappointed as they were with The Village and Signs, but anyone who enjoyed those should appreciate The Happening for the story and message it quite successfully portrays.
Rating: 3 /5
