Review of Unbreakable (2000) by Benskylerhill — 06 Jun 2018

I don’t give out perfect 10’s easily, but Unbreakable is, without a doubt, one of the most underrated movies of all time. It's unfairly compared to M. Night Shyamalan's previous film, The Sixth Sense, when the two films could hardly be more different. The only thing they have in common is their tone and comparing them is an unfair and unproductive thing to do. In my opinion, it's M. Night's best film and one that may not have met audiences's expectations but is far more intelligent and powerful than it gets credit for being.

Shyamalan has a particular style to his direction that subtly adds certain aspects to the plot through visual cues. Everything has its purpose in the story. For example, the use of contrasting clothing colours adds to the nature of the characters. Scenes of dialogue are filmed in long, uninterrupted takes that make them so much more engaging because they flow so smoothly and are so well-acted. In every scene, the camera moves to follow its subject in a way that’s seamless—mesmerising, even. The score by James Newton Howard, once again, fits the film like a glove and sent chills down my spine during the climactic final scenes.

This film is remarkably well-acted. Bruce Willis gives arguably the best performance of his career, as he and every other character evoke the fullness of possible emotion—sadness, rage, hopelessness, and eventually happiness—in even the most subtle of facial expressions. The actors are aided by a clever script that explores the complexities of power, good and evil, tragedy, love and loss, and what it means to be a hero. It’s ambitious, and it balances its many themes with genius dexterity.

I would describe Unbreakable as the smartest superhero movie ever made. It’s twist ending—contrary to popular opinion—is not intended to be a “WHAT?!” moment, but instead it adds another thought-provoking layer to the beautiful character arcs. The film was well ahead of its time, written long before the superhero genre was thought to be full of potential, and it still holds up to this day as a masterfully-told story of ordinary-to-extraordinary.