The payoff in 'The Village' is not one of creativity and purpose; it's one of convention and betrayal.
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08/13/04
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The Village (2004)
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Reviews Counted:194
Fresh:82
Rotten:112
Average Rating:5.4/10
Consensus: The Village is appropriately creepy, but Shyamalan's signature twist ending disappoints.
Theatrical Release:Jul 30, 2004 Wide
Box Office: $114,170,863
Synopsis: M. Night Shyamalan's THE VILLAGE finds the renowned writer-director crafting a suspenseful story of a small community whose inhabitants are plagued by fear of the unknown forest that surrounds... [More]
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Bryce Dallas Howard, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
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Reviews for The Village
An eloquently suspenseful film.
08/12/04
Shyamalan wants his audience as brainwashed to the truth as his characters, but as the final twists deliver the only thematic interest, it’s a dreary ride getting there.
08/10/04
Shyamalan did not set out to be a cinematic O. Henry, and what some might call the “obligatory surprise” in The Village is what I would only call a new level to the interest.
08/09/04
Shyamalan can stretch out a moment like a master guitarist... yet here his skills are put to service in the form of a laborious rather than meticulous charlatan end-around.
08/09/04
Most of 'The Village' meets all of Shyamalan's requirements for a don't-leave-to-get-popcorn movie.
08/09/04
So close to being a feature-length 'Twilight Zone' episode that I wouldn't have been surprised if Rod Serling had strolled out...Especially since Shyamalan sees dead people.
08/08/04
Feels as if Shyamalan is coasting.
08/08/04
For those who just want a good scare, rest assured the best (and worst) of it comes across as Wait Until Dark meets The Blair Witch Project.
08/08/04
Top CriticThose who give themselves to this film, beautifully lensed with a fine performance by newcomer Howard, will have the pleasure of rewinding the early reels in their mind.
08/08/04
...the film is saved by its acting - most notably Bryce Dallas Howard’s outstanding performance...
08/07/04
Click to read the article
08/07/04
...my least favorite M. Night Shyamalan film so far.
08/07/04
Shyamalan, far from being a master of suspense, hasn't yet figured out that the shadowy things you glimpse out of the corner of your eye are always scarier than those you're allowed to gaze upon directly.
08/07/04
Top CriticIf it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a megalomaniac writer-director to raise an idiot movie.
08/06/04
Every bit as rich and unforgettable an experience as The Sixth Sense.
08/06/04
...one of the most idiotic, preposterous stories ever contrived by a major filmmaker.
08/05/04
I take perverse pride in admitting that they caught me totally by surprise.
08/05/04
Another mediocre lunacy from the overrated M. Night Shyamalan.
08/05/04
Top CriticDespite her lack of actual sight, Ivy can see people's "colors," and while she won't tell Lucius his color, you might presume it's not the "bad" one.
08/05/04
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