The Happening (2008)

The critic finds the film oddly touching in its quiet realism about a possible end to humanity. He singles out the premise of an unexplained airborne threat causing mass suicides for its thoughtful approach.

The review describes the film as a divertingly goofy thriller with moments of suspense and a solid lead performance from Mark Wahlberg, despite heavy pre-release criticism. It praises Wahlberg's anchoring presence amid the spooky elements and comedy.

The critic finds the film better than feared but ultimately a load of entertaining hokum with unintentionally funny dialogue. He singles out some spooky and startlingly memorable shots for praise while noting it lacks the expected twists and misses as a fable about nature's revenge.

The critic finds it a vast improvement over Shyamalan's previous work and a return to adult filmmaking, though he does not fully trust the audience's intelligence. The promising evocation of dread from the opening premise is undermined by juvenile sensibility and implausible dialogue between the central couple.

The film is a disappointingly slight offering from a director capable of much more, with an unsettling opening that quickly loses tension in the countryside. Wahlberg and Deschanel are hampered by an appalling script and hyper-stylised B-movie acting that reduces the impact.

The review sees it as a transitional, patchy eco-thriller lacking suspense or vitality, with Shyamalan scaling back his usual style to little effect. It criticizes the uninspired storytelling and limited artistic ambition.

The review sees the film as further diminishing Shyamalan's standing with a paranoia-driven disaster movie that confuses audiences and lacks momentum or revelations. It is more accessible than his prior work but features stilted dialogue, patchy acting, and a silly conclusion, though Mark Wahlberg is engaging.

Shyamalan excels at setup but falters on payoff, delivering a stilted and ungainly tale awash in preachiness that undercuts its few terrifying moments with illogical plotting and a ham-fisted eco-message. Wooden performances, especially Wahlberg's, and the absurd premise of a deadly breeze make the film a disappointment.

The critic dismisses the film as an awful clunker whose essential flaws become apparent after a promising start. He singles out the abysmal acting, terrible direction and muddled script for complaint while noting a genuinely creepy opening minute.

Shyamalan recaptures some creepiness and thrills from earlier films but the central menace of an airborne neurotoxin causing mass suicides fails as entertainment, coming across as padded '50s sci-fi paranoia or a Twilight Zone episode. The ecological premise of nature striking back lacks cinematic intrigue and tension.

The critic calls the film an awful letdown after a promising start with shock sequences, criticizing its stunted performances and weak eco-drama premise. He notes the novel image of trees as harbingers of doom as a minor positive.

The critic finds Shyamalan's ecological fable and sci-fi paranoia mix disappointing overall, with a strong initial build-up undermined by a weak and underwhelming payoff. The film is seen as another example of clever setup without magic or courage in its convictions.

The review calls it the sixth nonsense from Shyamalan and a misfire like Lady in the Water, with a sinister first act that speedily unravels into the ridiculous. Belief is rudely upended by daft concepts, risible dialogue, wooden acting and an inane wind-chasing set-piece, though early tension and strong direction save it from total disaster.

The critic finds the film watchable and occasionally creepy or funny, though not entirely successful. Wahlberg is miscast as the lead while John Leguizamo's presence helps salvage much of it.

The critic praises the film's strong opening sequences of mass panic and suicides but finds that it deflates in the second half into familiar Shyamalan territory with weak emotional content and repetitive motifs.