Review of Unbreakable (2000) by Thequietgamer — 24 Mar 2019

M. Night Shyamalan's take on the classic superhero origin story template is far more subdued than anything we've seen from the likes of Marvel, DC, or any of their imitators. There's no real action to speak of. Instead it's a very character-driven affair. One with a moody tone and set in a more grounded universe.

Shyamalan crafts a strong Batman/Joker dynamic between his two leads. They exist on opposite ends of the spectrum physically, but mentally they share a bond centered around trauma and unfulfillment. The themes of mental health are poignant. One man is severely depressed while the other has had his mind warped by pain. Neither knows where they're supposed to be in life and struggle because of it. When their paths inevitably cross this allows their relationship and individual backstories to have some genuine dramatic weight that we just don't get from superhero flicks today.

Another thing that sets Unbreakable apart is that it uses the established genre tropes in a self-aware manner. Actively deconstructing and analyzing comic comic books while celebrating them. It's also an entirely original story not based on any previously existing property.

It's hard to really pinpoint why my score for this won't be any higher. The twist underwhelming, but still emotional. The pacing is really slow, yet I was never once bored. Shyamalan wears his influences on his sleeve and tries to pull them into the real world. An interesting concept, although a little more excitement would have gone a long way. Night got so caught up in trying to keep things from ever getting too far fetched that we never get the full thrill of watching Willis experiment with his powers. However, in a time where that's all superhero films really do anymore I certainly appreciate the uniqueness.