Review of The Village (2004) by Michael M — 23 Mar 2016
It's hard to pick a most bizarre M. Night Shyamalan film, but The Village might just take the cake. Fortunately, it came at a time before Shyamalan had gone too bonkers, and the film overall is actually not bad.
Shyamalan manages to keep an air of mystery around the inner workings of the village, up until a signature Shyamalan twist that, while absurd in many ways, is strangely fascinating. The Village features an impressive ensemble cast, including the likes of Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, Sigourney Weaver, and William Hurt, and they all are pretty good overall.
The real standout is a breakthrough performance from Bryce Dallas Howard, who eventually carries the film on her shoulders with a strong performance. It's the production value that really gives the film an extra boost though; the costume design, production design, and Oscar nominated score from James Newton Howard are all beautiful, and fit the film seamlessly.
It's not the best Shyamalan film, but it's also not one of his worst. If you can prepare yourself for the imminent twist, you might just find something to enjoy from this one.
This review of The Village (2004) was written by Michael M on 23 Mar 2016.
The Village has generally received mixed reviews.
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