What's HAPPENING now? Evidently not this film

The Happening

Release Date: 2008

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

The fact that I have just seen this film is irrelevant considering dying a slow death would've been a much better form of torture. It has been over a year since we've seen M. Night Shyamalan. (And frankly, I didn't mss you.)  He disappointed us with his attempt at Action/Adventure with The Last Airbender, which resonated with, well, noone. This came of no surprise, since he not only proved he could make a dreadful film with Lady in the Water, but that he could make an even more atrocious film than The Village. With his 2008 attempt, The Happening, we are seeing another lackluster film that proves Shyamalan's official plunge into film oblivion. 


With this ludicrous release, we see Shyamalan resorting to new filmmaking tactics--inconsistent plot lines, inferior acting, and some of the most unnecessary violence recorded in a film with an already unnecessary R rating. Is this the same director that made such ground-breaking  cinema like Signs and The Sixth Sense?


With Mark Wahlberg playing a high school science teacher in a role more suited for Kevin Spacey or Jude Law, it is actually painful to watch such crippled acting. The role undoubtedly asked Wahlberg to do something he probably has never done before--think outside the box. Taking a character risk that would presumably propel Wahlberg into a different stratosphere could have worked if it didn't.  We are not used to seeing him play anything else than the unyielding troglodytes we've become to associate with him over time. This isn't a travesty, but rather a disappointment. Although we occasionally see standard Mark Wahlberg in motion, it doesn't play well with the  straight edge family man he is trying to be here. (Come on Mark, unless you're playing Mickey Ward with a scientific intellect, we'd prefer you as the rebellious boogie nighter any day of the week.)


Zooey Deschanel plays his wife who does just as good of a job at overacting. In the few scenes that barely sucked me in, I found it hard not to laugh at her. Half of the movie, I was questioning wether or not I should be laughing, crying, or hanging myself from the shower rod. The film undoubtedly was supposed to carry a comedic tone, but I found myself laughing at what it was trying to be, not what it was.


The questionable plot, which centered around many citizens getting hacked in the most outlandish ways, and running from what appears to be the wind, had no effect on the film at all. It came to a point where I was relying on John Leguizamo's character to shed some light on this experience. Fortunately, for him and his film career, his character didn't live long, and my hopes for a substantial movie experience were over.


The disappointment still lies in the less-than-stellar director's chair. Shyamalan--who would've unquestionably been added to the list of great thriller directors that came before him, isn't indicating that he will be gaining composure anytime soon. Mr. Shyamalan, I've developed a SEVENTH SENSE, and it's telling you to PLEASE start making good movies again.


GRADE: D