The Happening Never Really……Happens

Friday night marked a big occasion.

It marked the night where I become no longer a "fan" of M. Night. Shyamalan.

Each film he has made has gotten worse. The first 3 (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs) are films I love, and only slightly got worse. But I was OK with that.

"The Village" was a pretty big step backwards. I still somewhat enjoyed it. But it wasn't in the same class as "The Sixth Sense".

"Lady in the Water" was just weird and boring.

"The Happening", although conceptually OK, is an utter disaster of a film. It has without doubt, the worst script and acting I have seen for some time, possibly ever.

What upsets me the most, is how generic this film is. How it feels like anyone could have made it. But this is from a Director who was meant to be the next Hitchcock.

Although the film has one of the creepiest shots and sequences I have ever seen in cinema in the first 10mins, the rest is utter rubbish.

Shyamalan has (or should I say 'had') a great knack of getting solid performances out of his leads. But what worked in his earlier films (an empty character trying to find themselves, Bruce Willis in both The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, as well as Mel Gibson in 'Signs'), has no place in this film and results in the actors just meandering around the screen looking lost and confused.

This could be career ending for Mark Whalberg. His constant "Oh no" lines when the world is ending around him is fairly laughable and simply not believable.

I am fine with the story but it needed to be explored and developed further. I am fine with the concept, ending and 'twist'. But really, its just poorly executed.

There is very little to like here.

Jim

P.s at least 'The Dark Knight' is coming. Gives me something to look forward too!