--- title: "The Village: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-village/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-village" critics_score: 49 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Village (2004): what the critics said Critics' score 49 from 12 reviews: 1 positive, 7 mixed, 4 negative. Most critics find The Village mixed or disappointing, though praise repeatedly returns to its atmosphere and visual craft. Shyamalan’s controlled framing, the threat of what remains outside the image and the slow accumulation of dread earn respect even where the story does not. Roger Deakins’s cinematography draws particular admiration, while the sound design also receives credit for making the woods unnerving. Bryce Dallas Howard’s performance is another point of praise, valued for its vulnerability and emotional force. The sharpest disagreements concern whether that suspense survives the payoff. Several reviews find the plotting contrived or predictable; others object to the mannered dialogue and unconvincing village life. The spread is wide, despite a predominantly mixed-to-negative response. The Guardian finds intriguing communal customs undone by plot holes and silliness. Eye for Film is the clear enthusiast, praising the storytelling and sustained tension that so many others find compromised. ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 15 August 2004. Lane finds the film solemn and imperfect, but ultimately appreciates its eerie, serious approach to horror. He praises Shyamalan’s framing and the suspense created by what lurks beyond the edges of the image. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/08/23/village-people) ## Screen Daily — Geoffrey Macnab Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 30 July 2004. The page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is hidden behind the paywall. The accessible text does not reveal what the critic praises or criticizes. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-village/4019576.article) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 2.5/4. 30 July 2004. Ebert finds the film atmospheric but thinks its central reveal weakens the story. The review singles out the movie’s carefully built mood, while faulting the payoff. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-village-2004) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Thomas finds the film an elegant, carefully crafted but overripe parlour trick, likely to divide audiences. He singles out Bryce Dallas Howard’s performance for its haunted vulnerability and emotional force. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/village-review/) ## Radio Times — Brian Pendreigh Rating 3/5. Pendreigh presents it as another of Shyamalan's twist-driven tales, built around an isolated village and the woods beyond it. He singles out its beautiful photography. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-4z3ijq/the-village/) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 3/5. 20 August 2004. The critic finds the film a frustrating mix of brilliance and nonsense, with its ending undermining the experience. They praise its controlled direction, unnerving sound design, and slow-building dread. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-village-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Keith Uhlich Rating 2.5/5. 29 December 2004. Uhlich calls the film a spectacular failure, criticizing its contrived story and performances. He praises Roger Deakins’s atmospheric cinematography, especially the night shots. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/the-village-dvd/) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 30 July 2004. The review is unfavorable toward Shyamalan’s film. Its headline singles out the color-coded fear and the scary forest as defining features. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/30/movies/film-review-the-fear-is-color-coded-and-the-forest-is-scary.html) ## Time Out — DC Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). The review is negative, calling the film’s revelation a tired chestnut. The available text offers no specific praise and complains of its predictability. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-village) ## Los Angeles Times — Kevin Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 30 July 2004. Thomas finds the film tedious, unconvincing, and ultimately preposterous. He praises its handsome look but faults its implausible world-building and mannered dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jul-30-et-village30-story.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2004. Bradshaw pans the thriller as badly plotted, with a final twist that fails and leaves major plot holes. He finds the village’s ordinary customs and communal life creepily intriguing before the story collapses into silliness. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_Film_of_the_week/0,4267,1286595,00.html) ## Eye for Film — Josh Morrall Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2004. Morrall calls the film utterly victorious, praising its suspenseful storytelling and carefully built tension. He particularly singles out Bryce Dallas Howard’s performance as Ivy as excellent. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-village-film-review-by-josh-morrall) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-village.md