The Happening (2008)
The Happening
”Mark Wahlberg leads his family in a fight for survival as a mysterious neurotoxin causes chaos in Philadelphia.”
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Plot summary
Mark Wahlberg stars as a man who takes his family on the run when a natural disaster threatens to end civilization. For years, the earth has been the victim of mankind's "progress," and the pollution has finally built to a point that causes a global backlash. An invisible neurotoxin is released into the air making the people in Philadelphia go crazy and kill themselves. The Happening is a paranoid thrill ride through this large-scale, cataclysmic environmental crisis that turns into a struggle by mankind to overcome nature.
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From the same director
Knock at the Cabin
One of the most recurring themes in director M. Night Shyamalan's career (renowned for 'The Sixth Sense' and 'Signs') is the confrontation with faith, putting his protagonists to the test. In 'Knock at the Cabin', the director returns to this theme, even though it is a borrowed story (the movie's script is adapted from Paul Tremblay's book 'The Cabin at the End of the World'). The director appropriates the story very well, which fits naturally into his filmography. We then have an apocalypse story, but reduced to a family microcosm, where we follow only a small number of characters facing the unfolding of an unthinkable tragedy. The direction is punctual, with a limiting and claustrophobic camera that conveys the tension of the events, and a meticulously calculated body performance. The narrative development is also very interesting, as the great conflict is already presented in the first minutes of the movie, and leads the story in a well-defined way, without hesitation or losing tension. The greatest brilliance, however, is from the cast, who are in great harmony. The invading group is led by Dave Bautista ('Guardians of the Galaxy'), who is brilliant here in a very different role, showing that he has huge potential for productions beyond his physical stereotype. Rupert Grint (the beloved Ron Weasley from 'Harry Potter' also makes an appearance, leaving us wanting to see him in more projects. It is a classic Shyamalan movie, so it is expected to cause some division in general opinions, but it can also be said that this is a more punctual movie from the director, which will probably please those who buy its initial premise.
Trap
Trap marks another dive by filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan (Split) into the world of suspense. This time, the plot tells the story of a man and his teenage daughter who attend a music concert and discover they are in the middle of a hunt for a serial killer. With a fast pace, despite a somewhat underdeveloped plot, the film manages to captivate the audience by taking them on a claustrophobic journey filled with tension.
Glass
M. Night Shyamalan’s cinematic odyssey concludes with ‘Glass’, the third installment of what has been called the 'Eastrail 177 Trilogy', starting in 2000 with ‘Unbreakable’ and continuing 16 years later with ‘Split’. 'Glass' is the most ambitious of the three, deconstructing comic book tropes into a superhero movie. James McAvoy shines again, playing the 20 distinct characters. Samuel L. Jackson also stars. Unfortunately, the director’s trademark twists and turns at the end are overly convoluted, which has earned negative reviews from critics. Nevertheless, the movie has plenty of positives - a sure-fire satisfaction for superhero fans.
Signs
After surprising the world with the twist ending of 'The Sixth Sense' and thrilling with 'Unbreakable', filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan decided to dedicate himself to aliens in the very entertaining 'Signs'. Already considered a classic by some, the feature film plays with the protagonist's (Mel Gibson, in one of his best roles of his career) paranoia atmosphere to somehow also provoke and challenge the viewer. The familiar atmosphere of the plot, reminiscent of Steven Spielberg's productions of yesteryear, helps to set the tone. But the best part is the suspense, created from a possible alien invasion on Earth. It's hard not to get excited, scared and even afraid, at times, to keep your foot out of the blanket. One of the milestones of Shyamalan's career and, without a doubt, one of the most fun (and scary) films to celebrate alien invasions.
Unbreakable
Originally released in 2000, 'Unbreakable' is like wine: it has aged well. At the time of its release, the feature film suffered from negative opinions, largely due to its mix of thriller, psychological drama, and comic books - something that was not very well understood by the public and critics. Over the years, with reruns on TV, it gained cult status, especially with the help of younger viewers, who have grown up in a world dominated by superhero movies and series. With a surprising ending - a characteristic of director M. Night Shyamalan's work (of 'The Sixth Sense') - 'Unbreakable' ended up giving birth to a new universe of fiction, which would be explored again in the feature films 'Split' and 'Glass'.
Old
M. Night Shyamalan is a controversial filmmaker. After all, he doesn't please everyone due to his style and, mainly, the instability of his works--he has "modern classics" like 'The Sixth Sense' and 'Signs', cults like 'The Lady in the Water' and the flops 'The Last Airbender' and 'After Earth'. 'Old' does not reach disaster. But it's not good either. The feature tells the story of a group of people who, on vacation at a resort, go for a walk on a deserted, paradisiacal beach. The main nucleus is a family formed by Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Alex Wolff and Thomasin McKenzie. There is also a doctor, an elderly woman, a nurse, a rapper and so on. An unusual mix. The business gets strange, however, when the characters realize that time passes differently on that beach. Everything is faster. Seconds are days. Minutes are hours. And hours are years. From then on, the despair of those characters begins to try to escape alive from the beach and before they age too much--the deaths in that place, after all, accumulate. The idea of the narrative, inspired by a comic book signed by Pierre-Oscar Lévy and Frederick Peeters, is the highlight. The tension arises almost naturally when time begins to impose itself. As in other Shyamalan films, themes such as life, spirituality and nature begin to pop up here and there, but the main focus in the story is to develop the tension. The problem is in the unfolding of this story. Firstly, Shyamalan has problems developing the cast's performance. Although the actors strive, it seems that there is a mismatch between the plot and the story. Now, time runs, they age prematurely. And it seems that no one is desperate, no one reacts accordingly there. In addition, all the power of this suspense does not have an appropriate ending: it is rushed and somewhat obvious. However, don't be fooled. It's not a bad movie. It's unstable, it's clumsy. But the tension exists. And Shyamalan can still surprise.
The Visit
After making a success with movies such as 'Signs' and 'The Sixth Sense', filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan entered a really bad moment in his career. He signed off on bombs like 'The Happening', 'The Last Airbender' and 'After Earth'. So, Shyamalan took the correct path. He put the ball down, asked for a timeout and took a good break. The result of this respite for the filmmaker is the interesting 'The Visit', a "comeback" movie from Shyamalan. Here, through found footage -- that is, hand-held camera, as if a character was filming the whole film -- we follow the vacations of two siblings at their grandparents' house. However, quickly, things get out of control and the grandparents show they are not who they should be. The highlight goes to the scary performances of Peter McRobbie and Deanna Dunagan as the grandparents, in addition to the good comedic relief from grandson Ed Oxenbould.
After Earth
Movie that became practically a watershed in M. Night Shyamalan's career. After all, after 'The Sixth Sense' and 'Signs', the filmmaker delivered this movie that disappointed specialized critics. However, it is not possible to say that 'After Earth' is a total fiasco. The feature film, starring Jaden Smith and featuring his father, Will Smith, tells the story of a father and son who suffer an accident in a spaceship. As a result, the young man has to go out in search of a beacon to get out of an inhospitable planet. It is not a great movie, nor does it have the sagacity of Shyamalan that we have seen in other productions. But, of course, you can turn off the switch and spend some time with this space adventure, even though Jaden's little charisma harms the movie.
The Last Airbender
After a series of low-budget films that became a hit with both audiences and critics, such as 'Signs' and 'The Sixth Sense', filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan ventured into blockbusters with 'The Last Airbender', an adaptation of the animated series 'Avatar: The Legend of Aang'. And even though the movie has become one of the biggest failures of the director's career, both with audiences and critics, it is interesting to observe the style and particular narrative of Shyamalan in this interpretation of the cartoon. There are mysterious characters, narrative layers that emerge and some small twists. Of course, it's not a good movie - there are plot holes, embarrassing moments and a lot of things badly explained. But it's interesting to watch to understand this other side of the filmmaker, with special effects and more budget, and to peek into how the 'Avatar' universe jumps onto the big screen.
Split
'Split' is a powerful, strong, and scary horror movie - but without relying on gore or jump scares. What really torments us are the 23 personalities of its protagonist, echoing real monsters that exist in our society. James McAvoy also terrifies with an exceptional performance. And the surprise ending, a trademark of the filmmaker, not only is there but opens doors to a new movie, 'Glass'. Obviously it's not a movie for everyone, but it will satisfy those who want to be surprised with something different than usual.
Thriller
Party of Fools
Paris, 1894. Who is Fanni, who claims to be voluntarily locked up in a women-only mental institution? Searching for her mother among the multitude of so-called 'madwomen', Fanni discovers a community of modern heroines who defy her expectations, along with the unexpected friendship of fellow patients. The sumptuous and renowned 'Party of Fools' of the asylum is in preparation. Politicians, artists, and socialites will flock to it. It’s her last hope of escaping the closing trap.
Sympathy for the Devil
Sympathy for the Devil is a thriller starring Nicolas Cage, hitting theaters at an interesting point in his career, as he continues to take on more popular and bold films like Longlegs. It's hard to tell if this movie, directed by Yuval Adler (The Operative), falls into Cage's new wave of daring choices or if it's just another one of the throwaway films that have been a part of his career for many years. Either way, Sympathy for the Devil is a bit toned down compared to Cage's recent works, telling the story of a man (Joel Kinnaman) who is kidnapped outside a hospital, where his wife is in labor, by a mysterious and eccentric man (Cage). From there, over 90 minutes, we watch the tense back-and-forth between the two, mostly inside a car, with the kidnapped man trying to make sense of the situation while the kidnapper seems to enjoy the game. Despite its flaws and weak plot, the film knows how to have fun with its characters and the situation, with some memorable moments—like Cage dancing in a diner. A movie to watch and enjoy.
Sector 36
When several children disappear at the hands of a serial killer in Sector 36, a corrupt cop is forced to pursue the chilling case at all costs.
The Uncle
Yugoslavia, late 1980s. A family makes final preparations for Christmas Eve dinner, awaiting their beloved uncle from Germany. But are things really as they seem?
