The Happening

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo, Betty Buckley, Spencer Breslin, Jeremy Strong, Ashlyn Sanchez, M. Night Shyamalan
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Drama, Thriller
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: New Yorkers start to mysteriously begin committing suicide in mass numbers. Terrorism is suspected, then a larger mystery becomes apparent when the suicidal tendencies spread throughout New England. A handful of survivors (Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo) try to stay alive.

Review:

Tim: I have been an M. Night Shyamalan apologist for a few years now. I thought that while The Village was ultimately a disappointment, the first 45 minutes or so were absolutely brilliant. I also liked Lady in the Water far more than I should have. However, this is the movie that finally did it for me. I refused to think that Shyamalan had lost his touch or never really had it in the first place. Sadly, after this bomb, he will have a very difficult time winning me back on his side. This movie is terrible. What makes it even worse was how excited I was about this movie- I was convinced this would be his return to form. I was horribly wrong.

The Happening is a stupid movie. It isn't frightening in the least, is completely unbelievable and silly, and just does not work on any level. How could Shyamalan think people would be interested in this crap? The story is terrible, there is no suspense in the least, and the cast is awful. I was horribly disappointed in nearly every aspect of this movie.

First off, plants causing people to commit suicide might be an interesting idea, but it does not make for an interesting movie. The film's big conclusion is just terrible. That was it? I thought to myself. This movie completely fizzles out at the end.

The cast leaves a great deal to be desired. Mark Wahlberg is playing a high school science teacher? Please, this is most ridiculous casting since Denise Richards as a scientist in The World is Not Enough. He is not believable in the least. I didn't like him at all. Zooey Deschanel is perhaps the best casting choice in the movie, but her role is pathetic. She does the best job she could, but there was so little for her to do and her role was so one-dimensional that it wasn't very effective at all. John Leguizamo likewise tries to do good work but he doesn't have much to work with either. The cast is definitely hamstrung by Shyamalan's script.

There are so many ways this movie could have been better. For example, there could have been some actual thrills or a little suspense. Everything that happens is so ill defined, we're just not sure when we are supposed to be scared. Certainly, there is very little here that would evoke any kind of emotion in us, besides boredom. Shyamalan gives us a movie with no likeable characters, where nothing really happens, filled with a giant emptiness. It almost feels like Shyamalan forgot to actually make a movie while he was making a movie. This film is awful.

As I mentioned, The Happening is the movie that finally killed my admiration of Shyamalan. This is a second or third tier attempt. Is this really from the guy who directed The Sixth Sense? I have a hard time believing that. What a disappointing, boring, sad movie this turned out to be.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 4



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, Lady in the Water