The Happening

5

KyleJun 16, 2008

The problem with this movie is simple: it's a self-aware B-movie being sold as a feature to an audience who is expecting one. B-movies are, by their very nature, cheesy. The acting has always been bad, the gore rather amusing, and the The problem with this movie is simple: it's a self-aware B-movie being sold as a feature to an audience who is expecting one. B-movies are, by their very nature, cheesy. The acting has always been bad, the gore rather amusing, and the story fairly predictable. Everything in this movie points to B-movie status. If you go in expecting a ridiculous movie, you'll probably have a good time laughing at it. If you expect a big-budget feature, you'll have a horrible time. If you want to critique it, hold it up against other B-movies. I give it a 5 for the effort and the laughs.… Expand

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5

KennethC.Jun 14, 2008

I went into this movie expecting alot and maybe that's why I was disappointed. If I didn't know who the director was maybe I would have enjoyed it, but I doubt it. Wahlberg's performance was on par with Justin I went into this movie expecting alot and maybe that's why I was disappointed. If I didn't know who the director was maybe I would have enjoyed it, but I doubt it. Wahlberg's performance was on par with Justin Timberlake's performance in Black Snake Moan. I hope that isn't taken as a compliment.… Expand

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5

RyanNJun 16, 2008

Lasting psychological effect - I think that's the only realm of consistency for MNS's films. Drove home thinking people were gonna hit me. Saw people at the coffee shop standing still and got pretty creeped out. Dialogue is dry and Lasting psychological effect - I think that's the only realm of consistency for MNS's films. Drove home thinking people were gonna hit me. Saw people at the coffee shop standing still and got pretty creeped out. Dialogue is dry and generally poor, but that's par for the course. The film seems a little to moralistic to end without a hope/purpose/lesson. But shit, it was pretty creepy.… Expand

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5

BrandonT.Jun 26, 2008

The premise of this movie isn't so bad but the script was abominable.

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5

SamuelJJul 19, 2008

I truly wanted to like this movie. I am a huge M Night fan and I even like Marky Mark, but I just couldn't enjoy it. The plot is too simple, it is just pointlessly gory, and lacks any form of the word suspense. I will pretend that this I truly wanted to like this movie. I am a huge M Night fan and I even like Marky Mark, but I just couldn't enjoy it. The plot is too simple, it is just pointlessly gory, and lacks any form of the word suspense. I will pretend that this movie never happened (hehe....pun) if you promise to do better next time M. Night.… Expand

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5

muzzikloverMar 27, 2012

One of the funniest bad movies I have ever seen and in my opinion, it's up there with The Room. This film is just dumb, dumb, dumb. The premise, plot and its logic don't make any sense, the concept and execution of the neurotoxin or plant orOne of the funniest bad movies I have ever seen and in my opinion, it's up there with The Room. This film is just dumb, dumb, dumb. The premise, plot and its logic don't make any sense, the concept and execution of the neurotoxin or plant or whatever it is that makes people commit suicide is laughably bad, the actors are dull and boring and it's not scary at all. In fact, it's absolutely hilarious. If you don't take this film seriously , you might get many hilarities when there's a really dumb or over the top moment. In a broader prospective, it's Shyamalan at his usual worst. A very stupid film.… Expand

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5

davenbettridgeJul 7, 2011

While this movie doe s pose an idea that could have been made into something interesting, M. Night Shyamalan fails to tell us a compelling story with characters that don t make you want to slit your wrists every time they open their mouth, orWhile this movie doe s pose an idea that could have been made into something interesting, M. Night Shyamalan fails to tell us a compelling story with characters that don t make you want to slit your wrists every time they open their mouth, or do anything. Mark Wahlbergs acting is horrible, the little girl acting was better. The suicide scenes become distasteful. The character actions are unbelievable to the circumstances. M. Night Shyamalans earlier work was good, this is not. Pass.… Expand

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5

Trev29Apr 5, 2012

A pretty pathetic attempt at a horror story. It was bizarre and creepy at times, but most of it was pretty stupid with some weird acting from a weird script. Interesting concept that was poorly done.

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5

cameronmorewoodNov 8, 2012

The Happening could've been so much more than it was, but Shyamalan cuts it down to 91 minutes and leaves us still hungry.

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5

Compi24May 4, 2014

Despite pulling off one or two tricky shots, "The Happening" is severely undone by its vastly distasteful screenplay, filled with implausibility, unforgivably strange characters, and painful dialogue.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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5

TheCoolGuy99Dec 20, 2013

M. Night Shyamalan's "The Happening" would rather be a nonsense science fiction film with no clues to the problem itself. It's direction of camera filming was a shaky performance and the characters in the film was not mere fully fit forM. Night Shyamalan's "The Happening" would rather be a nonsense science fiction film with no clues to the problem itself. It's direction of camera filming was a shaky performance and the characters in the film was not mere fully fit for filmography career, but as of the film's thrilling scenes and eerie to scary sounds, it can be considered an okay film.

The story mainly focuses on the problem only not on the scale of the plot. The plot sequence was feeling randomly assessed. This film was too bad for Shyamalan's popularity on directing on some of his best critically acclaimed films like The Sixth Sense (1999).

Rating 5 10… Expand

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5

Mihael_Prislin0Jan 6, 2018

This guy is a visionary! Sixth sense was amazing, and also Unbreakable! But this movie.. is.. a little bit.. wierd! The performances were good, but also peculiar! The plot is pretty undeveloped! If the movie was longer, maybe it would beThis guy is a visionary! Sixth sense was amazing, and also Unbreakable! But this movie.. is.. a little bit.. wierd! The performances were good, but also peculiar! The plot is pretty undeveloped! If the movie was longer, maybe it would be better, but.. who can tell? The only thing that I can praise is soundtrack by James Newton Howard!… Expand

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5

DawdlingPoetNov 28, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I thought the movie was a bit too over the top, with the almost ubiquitous disaster movie scenes like where people go their different ways, the emotional moments with the classical score adding to the atmosphere and so on. I thought that Wahlberg overly used his panic stricken facial expressions. Its a typical M Night Shymalan movie in as much as the intrigue keeps you watching and you know there'll be that twist that explains it all, at or near the end. The movie seemed somewhat rushed in my opinion, some parts confused me a bit in terms of who some of the characters were and the history between them and the ending I thought was in one sense quite good (though if I said why then I suppose it would give it away) but some people will find it quite disappointing because the questions you want answered, aren't really answered, unlike in Shymalans other movies such as The Village.

While watching the movie, I thought that it reminded me of the BBC drama show Survivors, though the story isn't exactly the same but it is somewhat similar, so I thought perhaps thats worth mentioning. I thought that Zooey Deschanel gave quite an admirable performance as Alma, though I wasn't overly keen on Mark Wahlbergs performance, as I already mentioned, I think it seemed, as could be said about the movie in general, that it was a bit too over the top. I thought the start was a bit confusing although somewhere around half way through the movie, it did become more intriguing... also I remember at a couple of points there were interesting camera angles used, to show what characters were staring at, which seemed quite cleverly used/done, so thats probably worth a mention too. It isn't a very graphic movie as such, although if your easily distressed, this might not be the best movie to watch, as whats suggested could be quite disturbing to some and there is a scene or two of brief violence, so thats worth baring in mind too.

I'd say its worth a watch, although its not the best movie of its type, its alright and I wouldn't say its particularly worth paying alot for but it I thought I enjoyed watching it while it was on. I wasn't as disappointed by the ending as I thought I might have been, having read other reviews about the movie, so I guess it depends, some people might hate it, some might quite enjoy it, it depends if its your kind of thing but don't expect it to be too different from other such Shymalan movies (such as Signs, thats quite a similar movie story wise too). Its not brilliant and it definitely has its flaws but its not unwatchable or without its interest either.… Expand

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4

EricJ.Jun 20, 2008

It's not so horrible that you'll run out of the theater, but you'll at least consider walking about half-way through. It's main weakness seems to be Mr. Wahlberg, who seems to only have one mood throughout the entire It's not so horrible that you'll run out of the theater, but you'll at least consider walking about half-way through. It's main weakness seems to be Mr. Wahlberg, who seems to only have one mood throughout the entire film. Otherwise, it's just a chase movie between running people and inanimate objects.… Expand

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4

JoeU.Aug 4, 2008

I think the movie was enjoyable, but, i did not like the script, i think it was lazy, not well worked, amateur. I also think Shyamalan tried to do something new but it didnt work either.

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4

FredS.Jun 16, 2008

Started out good, but went to crap and stayed crappy for the rest of the movie.

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4

DemetriusM.Jun 14, 2008

Corny script, poor acting by Wahlberg and Deschanel really proves that this movie is a contender for Golden Raspberry awards. Wahlberg performance never convinced me that this movie dealing with mystery event. The mystery is well written, Corny script, poor acting by Wahlberg and Deschanel really proves that this movie is a contender for Golden Raspberry awards. Wahlberg performance never convinced me that this movie dealing with mystery event. The mystery is well written, will give movie-goers goosebumps but when they reminded of Wahlberg and Deschanel performance, all mystery climax will slip away, much like the storyline.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

4

AD.Jun 16, 2008

Impractical with bad acting!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

4

BrianB.Jun 23, 2008

Horrible. A disappointing disaster.

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4

TedN.Jun 14, 2008

The idea was kind of cool. And when people started dying in interesting ways, that was interesting but then the movie just sucks.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

4

TiagoM.Jun 25, 2008

A interesting idea complete wasted in a stupid script and shallow performances.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

4

BillyS.Jun 29, 2008

The Happening. Stuff happens, but it's just not Happening!

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4

beingryanjudeSep 2, 2014

M. Night Shyamalan + Mark Wahlberg + Zooey Deschanel? On what level did we truly expect this one to work. There's no traditional Shyamalan that we crave in each of his films.

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4

SpangleNov 21, 2016

Heavily inspired by the 1950s science fiction Cold War paranoia thrillers, The Happening is the film that gained notoriety for Mark Wahlberg talking to plants. This is an unfair reputation because the film is actually incredibly compelling.Heavily inspired by the 1950s science fiction Cold War paranoia thrillers, The Happening is the film that gained notoriety for Mark Wahlberg talking to plants. This is an unfair reputation because the film is actually incredibly compelling. Capturing the same paranoia and confusion of those 1950s films such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers (especially this one really), as well as the mistrust of government that could lead to such an incident and current events in regards to pollution, The Happening is a compelling film. Often times, it is incredibly thrilling and a truly enjoyable ride. However, it is undone by terrible dialogue and even worse acting that make you laugh more anything.

First, the negatives. The acting leaves so much to be desired. Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel are often equivalent to a brick wall trying to emote. There is one, incredibly tense, scene in which the two of them and Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez), the daughter of one of their friends who left her in Elliott (Wahlberg) and Alma's (Deschanel) care, are in a home in the middle of nowhere. Trying to escape whatever is causing people to kill themselves, they stay in the home of a clearly psychotic woman. When she tells Elliott that she can hear them plotting to kill her in her sleep (they were not), Wahlberg unconvincingly let's the words, "What? No!" leave his mouth and it left me in stitches. There are moments such as this throughout the film that left me dying of laughter, whether because the dialogue was so random and unconnected to the plot or because the delivery of the line was just that funny. There are so many random exchanges in the film that really do nothing for the plot, especially between Elliott and Alma, where Shyamalan tries to create emotional tension. This is truly The Happening's greatest weakness. Even when the acting is not that bad, the script is so horrifically written and scattershot that nobody can help but laugh at the dialogue. It often mirrors The Room in this regard, though it is far more focused. The Room is meandering chaos. The Happening has its random dialogue occur as the plot manages to progress. This element saves it from being worse, but the dialogue needed at least another dozen rewrites.

While those negatives really kill any steam the film could have possessed, there are some serious strengths offered by the film. Though undeniably a B-movie, Shyamalan knows tension and it is all over this film. This film is often incredibly thrilling as the residents try to figure out what is occurring and how to escape the wrath of the plants. While the plot can be silly, the implication of it and the way in which it makes it nearly impossible to escape really allows this film to be laced with paranoia. In particular, the ending sequence mirrors the hopelessness of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the fear that you realize this may not be over. In conjunction with the rest of the film, this ending is incredibly effective at eliciting fear in the viewer. While the terrible dialogue can often distract from the tension, when The Happening roars (particularly in the second half), it really hits.

Though I expected to hate this and laugh at it all the way through, I only laughed through half of The Happening. It is not entirely joyless either. While often horrifically written and horribly acted, The Happening shows that Shyamalan still knows how to direct, even if he cannot write. Somebody clearly needs to help this man out and lead him to a passable script because there is a talented director trapped inside, if only he could get out of his own way. The Happening, often cited as one of his worst efforts, is a perfect example of this. Though thrilling and paranoid, while calling back brilliantly to 1950s science fiction films, The Happening fails due to the writing and acting. If everybody in the film were mute, The Happening could have been a true science fiction wonder updated for the 21st century. Sadly, it is not that film.… Expand

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4

ExKingMar 20, 2014

The happening is a bad movie, with a bad story and terrible performances, And that's just me being generous.
believe it or not, M. Night is one of my favorite directors, yes even after all the terrible movies he's done, because sometimes iThe happening is a bad movie, with a bad story and terrible performances, And that's just me being generous.
believe it or not, M. Night is one of my favorite directors, yes even after all the terrible movies he's done, because sometimes i get what is he trying to deliver, however i didn't feel anything about this one.
Mark Wahlberg is also one of my favorite actors, so saying this, is really hard for me.
First the story which was dull and stupid, and then the fact that everything about this movie is forced,
forced thriller and forced scenes and the fact that everything "should" be scary and weird.And all that was ok with me.
what gets me is the terrible awful down right insulting performance by Zooey Deschanel, i mean seriously, she couldn't act at all and didn't make sense the entire film.
and you have another bad performance by John Leguizamo and the sad thing is that even Mark Wahlberg performance was bad, watching him squeeze his face to make some impressions is really painful to watch.
after all, this is just a bad movie being bad with no excuse of excising, thank you very much M. Night for making me feel weird about myself watching Mark Wahlberg talking to a plant, Sigh.… Expand

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All this user's reviews

4

KivaJun 14, 2013

wow that was a bad movie. Starts good but seriously thenature wants to attack us? What the heck? M.night has made such great movies like The sixth sense and Devil is not that bad. But this one was extremely bad. Too scientific for a horrorwow that was a bad movie. Starts good but seriously thenature wants to attack us? What the heck? M.night has made such great movies like The sixth sense and Devil is not that bad. But this one was extremely bad. Too scientific for a horror movie. Thumbs down… Expand

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4

JPKJul 11, 2019

It’s Not Good
The Happening May have some suspense, but it has laughably bad dialogue (What no!), poor writing, clichés everywhere, and ineffective acting.

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4

FilipeNetoJul 21, 2018

Night Shyamalan is one of those directors who learned from Tim Burton: he loves bizarre movies that can be brilliant or obnoxious. Therefore, he's a genius just as easily as he can be a fool. In this film, he not only directs but ensuresNight Shyamalan is one of those directors who learned from Tim Burton: he loves bizarre movies that can be brilliant or obnoxious. Therefore, he's a genius just as easily as he can be a fool. In this film, he not only directs but ensures script writing.

This movie is about a mysterious global pandemic that causes people to kill themselves mechanically, without thinking. This sentence, synthetic and simple, already allows us to anticipate a bad script, but the film takes that expectation to a new level, telling a story so unbelievable that it becomes hilarious. And when a movie has a bad script, it's doomed.

Mark Wahlberg is the main actor and has a poor interpretation. I think he would admit that himself. From the middle of the film, he failed to interpret and went on to simply say his text and do what they were told. I don't know if he protested to Shyamalan, but the truth is that he couldn't save his character without changes in the script. Zooey Deschanel seems better, and the physical beauty of the actress is certainly a bonus, but the truth is that her character was spared by the script because of not being a protagonist. Anyway, I sincerely believe the actors did the best they could. Blame the writer.… Expand

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4

akshatmahajanJun 16, 2021

The Happening is that movie which you will enjoy while watching but if you check other things about this movie, all are bad. Movie had a different storyline (never seen before) but it seemed like even the director didn't know the explainationThe Happening is that movie which you will enjoy while watching but if you check other things about this movie, all are bad. Movie had a different storyline (never seen before) but it seemed like even the director didn't know the explaination of what is happening in the movie. The acting was too bad that it even ruined the strongest scenes. The pacing and running were only good thing in this movie. This movie could have been better if it had better direction and acting. Overall, you can watch this movie for enjoyment but don't expect anything more than that.… Expand

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All this user's reviews

3

DiegoL.Jul 6, 2008

Really weak movie, interesting idea poorly developed with bad dialogues and bad acting. What a disappointment!

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3

ThiagoT.Aug 25, 2008

This movie is horrible. M. Night Shyamalan had good dreams and put it on the screen, after this one its proven how fucking luck and of course, immature he is as director. Zooey Deschanel didn't how what a hell she was doing in the This movie is horrible. M. Night Shyamalan had good dreams and put it on the screen, after this one its proven how fucking luck and of course, immature he is as director. Zooey Deschanel didn't how what a hell she was doing in the entire film, that was kinda fun.… Expand

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3

MeghanOct 18, 2008

The previews looked excellent and the premise appeared interesting, but the movie itself was a flop. I was severely disappointed because the idea behind the movie could have made an incredible movie; it just wasn't served to the The previews looked excellent and the premise appeared interesting, but the movie itself was a flop. I was severely disappointed because the idea behind the movie could have made an incredible movie; it just wasn't served to the audience in a palatable fashion. The acting was literally laughable, as well as the script- a total cheez-factory. Idiosyncratic characters, such as the military guy on the road and the old woman who housed them in the end, seemed to be "weird" for no reason at all. I was sitting there wondering what was up with them, and it turned out that their personalities/behaviors served no purpose at all. I think M. Night Shyamalan wrapped himself up too tightly in concept (style) in this movie, and therefore failed to tell the story effectively. He is lost in his own artistry, but this is nothing new for his movies. Avoid this movie, and I encourage you to rewrite it yourself--- you could definitely do much better than this guy.… Expand

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3

RichardR.Oct 31, 2008

A decent germ of an idea has been turned into a boring film with talk, talk, talk. What awful writing. Come on, Night. You know you can do better -- don't you?

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3

ChadS.Jun 14, 2008

Say what you will about "The Village" and "The Lady in the Water", the former- an allegory about the scare tactics of Homeland Security, and the latter- a contemporary fairy tale set in the city, as being dippy, pedantic, and somewhat Say what you will about "The Village" and "The Lady in the Water", the former- an allegory about the scare tactics of Homeland Security, and the latter- a contemporary fairy tale set in the city, as being dippy, pedantic, and somewhat sanctimonious; neither film, however, could be accused of being uninspired. The filmmaker took chances. Critics and audiences alike, ridiculed him for it. Now comes "The Happening", a film so shockingly formulaic, one is tempted to call this melding of "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" and the Sparks' song "Don't Turn Your Back on Mother Earth"(made popular by Depeche Mode), a piece of confrontational art. For the first time, the filmmaker acknowledges, in a very cynical fashion, that the American moviegoing public have reduced attention spans with a preference for spectacle over narrative. The filmmaker purposely made a dumb movie because he thinks that movie audiences were too ignorant to get his last two pictures. That's why the dialogue is worse than perfunctory, it's practically post-literate. "The Happening" plays like an episode of "The Twilight Zone" directed by Ed Wood. Mark Wahlberg is off his game. Zooey Deschanel is off her game. There's very little indication that either actor received much instruction from their director. Wahlberg, in particular, is terrible; his character, sort of imbecilic. Elliot doesn't want to be alone, but being with Alma(Deschanel) means risking exposure to the aerial spores(or whatever), therefore killing her. A child is with them. Maybe the filmmaker is going for the child-killing trifecta.… Expand

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3

AlecB.Jun 30, 2008

Are you people serious giving this movie 10's? This was by far the most pointless movie of the year. Expected something good since the movie was directed by the same guy who made the 6th sense. Also why would Mark Walhberg want to star Are you people serious giving this movie 10's? This was by far the most pointless movie of the year. Expected something good since the movie was directed by the same guy who made the 6th sense. Also why would Mark Walhberg want to star in this crap. Terrible view at your own risk.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

3

TravisS.Jul 8, 2008

It took a long time to get into the action and when it got there it was short. I came very hopeful and left disappointed!

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3

CMNov 10, 2008

Simply horrible, in every respect. What a complete waste of a rental.

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3

ToddF.Oct 16, 2008

The acting was terrible, the script was worse, but there were some entertaining bits to this movie.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

3

LarryLDec 1, 2008

A horrible movie...unless it was meant as a comedy/parody. The acting and the lines were so bad you wish everybody in the movie kills themselves. Including the film crew.

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3

JimOJun 11, 2008

bad cast, story feels long and drawn out for a 90minute film. The Happening is just another flop from M Night.

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3

ATreeJun 13, 2008

If M. Night Shyamalan had any residual star power remaining from The Sixth Sense and Signs after a series of flops, whatever was left has been depleted by The Happening. I thought perhaps Mr. Shyamalan was a good filmmaker with a few bad If M. Night Shyamalan had any residual star power remaining from The Sixth Sense and Signs after a series of flops, whatever was left has been depleted by The Happening. I thought perhaps Mr. Shyamalan was a good filmmaker with a few bad movies, now I realize that he is a bad filmmaker with a few good movies. It… Expand

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3

CharlesBJun 14, 2008

Very funny movie, I had a great time and laughed almost throughout the whole movie, if this was a comedy I would've given it a 7 or 8.

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3

ErickM.Jun 15, 2008

BOO!!!!! This movie had great potential but didn't deliver on many fronts. The writing, acting, and story were all terrible. I really wanted to like this movie but left very disappointed....there were even boos from the audience at the BOO!!!!! This movie had great potential but didn't deliver on many fronts. The writing, acting, and story were all terrible. I really wanted to like this movie but left very disappointed....there were even boos from the audience at the end. What happened M. Night?… Expand

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3

joec.Jun 17, 2008

M. Night Shyamalan has to just come up with ideas and had the script and directing off to someone, go on as a sub-co-writer/directer or whatever. im sorry to say, but i hate that good ideas like this are making great actors look like fools

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3

SammyP.Jun 17, 2008

Don't go waste your money on this movie. In fact don't go waste your money on renting the DVD either. It's that bad.

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3

BenS.Jun 21, 2008

Not great. kept wondering if some of the dialogue was going to turn out to be satire, but no. I actually liked the premise, but nothing interesting was done with it.

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3

DiegoH.Jun 30, 2008

The movie is entertaining but not scaring.. Night is without ideas.. he made the sixth sense and that was all.. he must retire instead of making one more time a ridiculous film like "signals".. that's all.

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3

BobFJul 3, 2008

The only good parts to this movie were the parts you could laugh at. How can they take themselves seriously when they are force-feeding morales to the audience. All I can say is "I see you eyeing my lemon drink."

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3

SeanGJun 14, 2009

I can't believe that a well-respected director like M. Night Shyamalan would make something this incredibly bad. You know that Shyamalan is intending the movie to be a horror/thriller type of movie, and that is what you would expect, I can't believe that a well-respected director like M. Night Shyamalan would make something this incredibly bad. You know that Shyamalan is intending the movie to be a horror/thriller type of movie, and that is what you would expect, but that is not the case in this film. As many others have stated, the acting truly is laughable, at points similar to acting in movies such as Scary Movie and other parody films. What makes it even more funny is the lines that are used which always seemed like the most obvious lines you could think of. The only thing that came close to keeping me on the edge of my seat was the camera shots throughout the movie that built suspense for me multiple times. Other than that, and overall, the acting was bad, the script was bad, the storyline didn't go anywhere throughout the movie, and the ending didn't give off any second thoughts or any additional thinking (as I saw Shyamalan's Sixth Sense). When it's over, all it seems to be is an unrealistic movie with a plot that never went anywhere and parody-like acting.… Expand

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3

ZackNov 6, 2008

This movie was bad. The acting was laughable and the dialogue awful. The overall concept wasn't bad as the exposition to a much larger film. However, the second half to this great epic (what happens to mankind after this) never happens. This movie was bad. The acting was laughable and the dialogue awful. The overall concept wasn't bad as the exposition to a much larger film. However, the second half to this great epic (what happens to mankind after this) never happens. It just ends abruptly and anticlimatically. If you were to cut this down to the couple good scenes and add a new ending (which shows more aftermath) and have the actors give better performances (most of these guys are better then that). This could have been pulled off beautifully.… Expand

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3

MayQOct 16, 2008

I am a very big fan of M. Night Shyamalan. I feel he is a very creative writer and creates movies that are not your traditional slasher-type, shoot-guns-at-everything kind of movies. I have enjoyed all of his movies... up until I saw The I am a very big fan of M. Night Shyamalan. I feel he is a very creative writer and creates movies that are not your traditional slasher-type, shoot-guns-at-everything kind of movies. I have enjoyed all of his movies... up until I saw The Happening. I liked the concept. I liked the storyline. Again, good job with the creativity. My BIGGEST problem with this whole movie was that the acting was absolutely horrid. I like Wahlberg and Leguizamo, but the acting was... horrible. Completely horrible. I don't understand how the dialogue and the acting could have gone so wrong. Didn't they see they could not play their parts well? Wahlberg is IMO an awesome actor, but I guess he can't do drama. Hell, no one in the movie played dramatic well. If the acting and dialogue were made better, then I think this movie would have been a little better. Rate a 3 for the story. 0 for acting.… Expand

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3

SteveC.Jun 14, 2008

Wow, what a disappointment. Night has been blinded by the light with this one. On top of the corniness, bad screenplay, and lack of a real plot, the whole idea that started with such promise turned to plain and vanilla. Why give away the Wow, what a disappointment. Night has been blinded by the light with this one. On top of the corniness, bad screenplay, and lack of a real plot, the whole idea that started with such promise turned to plain and vanilla. Why give away the movie in the first thirty minutes and then never allow the audience to believe anything else. I think after this disaster, he is really going to have to gain my trust back with his next movie or he will be just another could-of-been director.… Expand

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3

BobW.Jun 19, 2008

The plot was alright, but at 11 cents a minute, I expect a little more. With what has to be the slowest end credits, this movie creeps slightly past 90 minutes, but in substance, it is about as long as your average commute. I tally 75 minutes.

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3

JonHJul 14, 2008

There were one or two original moments that were thrilling but overall the story and the acting were not very good, and the "explanation" for the happening was original but dumb. I think the movie had some interesting ideas that were There were one or two original moments that were thrilling but overall the story and the acting were not very good, and the "explanation" for the happening was original but dumb. I think the movie had some interesting ideas that were executed very poorly!… Expand

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3

JoeDJul 22, 2009

I expected better from this movie. Turns out it was the best unintentional comedy I've seen. If your looking for a laugh watch this.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

3

eTurkeyFeb 24, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When Mark Wahlberg (who is playing a High School science teacher in this movie *begins to chuckle*) started having a conversation with a plastic plant and referenced a song he rapped about back when he was Marky Mark, I just about threw up in my mouth. I'm far from kidding. Seriously. The concept behind this "horror" film was somewhat savvy but was POORLY executed by director M. Night Shyamalan to a point where you honestly wouldn't be called crazy if thought this film was a comedy. Stay far away and watch something else!… Expand

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3

SeriosityDec 8, 2012

It has an eerie premise, but turns into nonsense. The best (worst?) part is when Mark Walhberg asks for the permission of plastic plants to enter their home.

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3

dante_finnJun 28, 2014

It is so bad that you can watch it as a comedy. The plit was good...that was until you find the cause of this "epidemic" and performances are really bad that you laugh at them due to the awful screenplay. I thought that he would learn afterIt is so bad that you can watch it as a comedy. The plit was good...that was until you find the cause of this "epidemic" and performances are really bad that you laugh at them due to the awful screenplay. I thought that he would learn after Lady In The Water.… Expand

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3

BradySmithJun 5, 2015

To quote Tropic Thunder, I think Shamalan has gone "full retard." And as far as we know, you don't come back from "full retard." Was this movie supposed to be funny? Cause it contained some of the funniest moments I've ever seen. WhalbergTo quote Tropic Thunder, I think Shamalan has gone "full retard." And as far as we know, you don't come back from "full retard." Was this movie supposed to be funny? Cause it contained some of the funniest moments I've ever seen. Whalberg thinking a doll is a person: "Mrs. Jones?", the roof jumper scene at the beginning, the... nah, there's too many to list. How do you go from making The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs to something like this? Granted, there are some atmospheric and emotionally effecting scenes here, but the movie's even more tragic due to them because you see glimpses of what could have been. The dialogue is awkward, half the time the performances are awkward, I laughed at half of the lines and all the death scenes... What the heck Shamalan? Did you write and direct this thing drunk? I just don't understand how...Just....how??… Expand

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3

InlikeflynnJun 7, 2014

This movie is impressively bad!

Is so bad that it becomes one of the must funny movies you can ever see; How is it that plants become such a hazard to humanity? is not even well explained, how do you run from the wind? that's impossible,This movie is impressively bad!

Is so bad that it becomes one of the must funny movies you can ever see; How is it that plants become such a hazard to humanity? is not even well explained, how do you run from the wind? that's impossible, why is the acting so awkward? I know the cast is talented but they were you just have fun to laugh. The director of this movie is a legend among filmmakers for starting on the top and then go way down bellow... The writing is horrible, the characters are dumb, the plot is funny and the directing is just idiotic...

I cannot believe that this is the same men who directed "The Sixth Sense", he is now a laughing stock and maybe he deserves this new heat... maybe one day he will come around but until then this will always be his worst movie...… Expand

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3

raporgiJan 13, 2016

if you think of this movie as a comedy it works. From the ridiculous premise to the awful all kinds of horrid dialog, to the c-grade acting, this stinker will have you laughing at its "serious" moments. Wahlberg is miscast as perhaps theif you think of this movie as a comedy it works. From the ridiculous premise to the awful all kinds of horrid dialog, to the c-grade acting, this stinker will have you laughing at its "serious" moments. Wahlberg is miscast as perhaps the dumbest movie science teacher this decade while Deschanel delivers line after line of horsemanure dialog with an amusing look of mock self-awareness and disbelief that she's actually being paid to act in this turkey. Just pirate and dont pay for this.… Expand

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3

RayzorMooseNov 15, 2013

Little happens in The Happening.
The Happening begins intriguing and mysterious until out stretching its concept. The acting is nothing special, and there isn't anything thought provoking about the ending. It simply ends when they decide itsLittle happens in The Happening.
The Happening begins intriguing and mysterious until out stretching its concept. The acting is nothing special, and there isn't anything thought provoking about the ending. It simply ends when they decide its gotten too boring.… Expand

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3

bfoore90Sep 20, 2015

Starts strong with a good story but is ultimately botched by poor film making and a sour acting performance from all involved, especially Mark Wahlberg.

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3

HaloFeverJan 23, 2022

This movie is bad from start to finish. At one point, Mark Wahlberg asks a train conductor if he has any information on what is happening. The conductor says “We lost contact.” Mark asks “With who?”. I knew the answer would the “everyone”. IThis movie is bad from start to finish. At one point, Mark Wahlberg asks a train conductor if he has any information on what is happening. The conductor says “We lost contact.” Mark asks “With who?”. I knew the answer would the “everyone”. I knew it, and I still hoped for more from this film. In an alternate reality, this film felt is a straight parody of M. Night Shyamalan movies. The surprise twist is that this movie is just bad from start to finish.… Expand

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3

BoogeeFilmGuyJul 15, 2015

M. Night is at it again bringing us a... really bad movie. However, its a great party movie that your friends and you can laugh all night at. But if you're looking for a movie to analyse, this probably isn't the one to watch.

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3

CineAutoctonoJul 22, 2019

The Happening was a thriller movie with good potentials of being a scary movie, which were severely wasted by absurd plot twists, lousy performances and an M. Night Shymalan who barely contemplated the failures at that time.

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3

Mellow_Online2Feb 11, 2016

I’ve finally started to do movie reviews, which I’ve wanted to do for quite some time. I decided to start off with in my opinion one of the worst but at the same time one of the best movies I’ve ever sat through, The Happening.

I only needI’ve finally started to do movie reviews, which I’ve wanted to do for quite some time. I decided to start off with in my opinion one of the worst but at the same time one of the best movies I’ve ever sat through, The Happening.

I only need to say the name of one man and you know how bad/good this movie is “M. Night Shyamalan.” Anyone who’s ever sat through at least one of this director’s films know that he is famous for making good actors turn in horrible performances and it carries on over with the happening as none of the actors seem to be acting normal at all but easily the most entertaining is our main star, Mark Wahlberg. Like Shyamolon, if anyone has seen any movies with Wahlberg in it know how good he is as Wahlberg always seems to turn in brilliant performances, but the Happening is his exception. He seems to deliver his lines in this weird over emphasized tone. Now at first I didn’t really think much of it in the first few scenes he was in as I saw he was playing a teacher so I was thinking teachers usually need to speak like this when they address their pupils but as I saw the movie go on, I realise that this is his whole performance. Zooey Deschannel is probably worse than Wahlberg’s. Her delivery is about as equally bad but the thing that seems to put her that extra step in front of Wahlberg on the bad acting scale is her facial expressions. She seems to widen her eyes in a lot of the shots, some of them when it’s even unnecessary to do it. Everyone else basically delivers the same sort of acting you would expect in a Shyamolon movie.

It’s also really lazily written, particularly the script. It’s hard to describe how lazily written the script is so what I’m going to do instead is quote a few of the lines from the movie.

“You like hot dogs right?”

“Cheese and crackers!”

Keep in mind that this is a sort of post-apocalyptic movie and there are just some random lines that are put in this movie about food for some reason.

“All we have left is cough syrup”

“Look I don’t know if you guys have read an article in the New York Times about honey bees

vanishing.”

I think that should be enough to tell you that the happening is a really bad movie. When I was going into this movie, I was expecting some sort of “the triffids” esque movie, but I just got a poorly directed, badly written, horribly acted post-apocalyptic drama. Avoid this.… Expand

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3

Mellow_Online4Mar 22, 2016

I've finally started to do movie reviews, which I've wanted to do for quite some time. I decided to start off with in my opinion one of the worst but at the same time one of the best movies I've ever sat through, The Happening.

I only needI've finally started to do movie reviews, which I've wanted to do for quite some time. I decided to start off with in my opinion one of the worst but at the same time one of the best movies I've ever sat through, The Happening.

I only need to say the name of one man and you know how bad/good this movie is "M. Night Shyamalan." Anyone who's ever sat through at least one of this director's films know that he is famous for making good actors turn in horrible performances and it carries on over with the happening as none of the actors seem to be acting normal at all but easily the most entertaining is our main star, Mark Wahlberg. Like Shyamolon, if anyone has seen any movies with Wahlberg in it know how good he is as Wahlberg always seems to turn in brilliant performances, but the Happening is his exception. He seems to deliver his lines in this weird over emphasised tone. Now at first I didn't really think much of it in the first few scenes he was in as I saw he was playing a teacher so I was thinking teachers usually need to speak like this when they address their pupils but as I saw the movie go on, I realise that this is his whole performance. Zooey Deschannel is probably worse than Wahlberg's. Her delivery is about as equally bad but the thing that seems to put her that extra step in front of Wahlberg on the bad acting scale is her facial expressions. She seems to widen her eyes in a lot of the shots, some of them when it's even unnecessary to do it. Everyone else basically delivers the same sort of acting you would expect in a Shyamolon movie.

It's also really lazily written, particularly the script. It's hard to describe how lazily written the script is so what I'm going to do instead is quote a few of the lines from the movie.

"You like hot dogs right?" "Cheese and crackers!" Keep in mind that this is a sort of post-apocalyptic movie and there are just some random lines that are put in this movie about food for some reason.

"All we have left is cough syrup" "Look I don't know if you guys have read an article in the New York Times about honey bees vanishing." I think that should be enough to tell you that the happening is a really bad movie. When I was going into this movie, I was expecting some sort of "the triffids" esque movie, but I just got a poorly directed, badly written, horribly acted post-apocalyptic drama. Avoid this.… Expand

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3

eva3si0nFeb 12, 2023

The Happening is another unfortunate M. Night Shyamalan movie. You never know what the movie will be like from him. But The Happening can be safely attributed to unsuccessful projects. The Happening is a mediocre thriller that only surprisesThe Happening is another unfortunate M. Night Shyamalan movie. You never know what the movie will be like from him. But The Happening can be safely attributed to unsuccessful projects. The Happening is a mediocre thriller that only surprises the viewer in the first 20-30 minutes. Then it begins to fall apart in plot, and the dynamics of the narrative sag. And if at first it may seem that there is something mystical about the film, then M. Night Shyamalan destroys it itself in the final third of the film. And also because of the clavely plot twist, the first half of the film begins to seem generally stupid. Where were the plants on the roof of a high-rise building under construction in New York? This is just one example of how much The Happening is secondary as a film. The Happening is more like a rough sketch by the screenwriter of some scenes that have not yet been logically combined into a whole work. Don't waste your time on The Happening… Expand

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3

I_loveJan 31, 2019

Only some scenes were decent, the acting was decent at times, but it was overall dumb and showed little to no violence, and is just there

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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3

JLauSep 27, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Plants are giving out a toxin causing humans to commit suicide but then they stop doing it.… Expand

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3

NickTheCritickNov 2, 2021

The first 10 minutes of the movie are well directed and visually beautifully well shot and they make you think "what the hell of a masterpiece am I watching right now?". Then come the rest 75 minutes of the movie and you would never them toThe first 10 minutes of the movie are well directed and visually beautifully well shot and they make you think "what the hell of a masterpiece am I watching right now?". Then come the rest 75 minutes of the movie and you would never them to come.The ecological reflexion here is so banal and the trend is so obvious.This movie is one of the worst of Shyamalan by far.… Expand

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2

NicholasB.Jun 15, 2008

The happening? What actually happens? Not much. Marc Wahlberg is truly appalling- much like his cop role in Boogie Nights. This 90 minutes seemed along, long time.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

2

AaronA.Jun 13, 2008

Poor acting, poor writing, poor production overall.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

2

BMillerJun 15, 2008

There was once a time that "Directed by M Night Shyamalan" got me excited. Not now. Love him or hate him, he had a unique style and some impressive success early on. Namely:

0 of 0 users found this helpful

2

ZackW.Jun 15, 2008

This was an terrible film. Not only was the entire audience laughing for half of the "horror" film, but it was booed at the ending. This was a late attempt for the writer/director to jump on the environmental bandwagon. This film was This was an terrible film. Not only was the entire audience laughing for half of the "horror" film, but it was booed at the ending. This was a late attempt for the writer/director to jump on the environmental bandwagon. This film was horrible. It left me with a feeling of.... hmm.... oh yeah, I want my money back!… Expand

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2

NigelN.Jun 16, 2008

M Night Shaymalan needs to go back to basics. His name has been sullied in Hollywood with a series of egotistical moves. This has made audiences and critics alike scrutinize his movies even more. A much better effort than Lady in the Water M Night Shaymalan needs to go back to basics. His name has been sullied in Hollywood with a series of egotistical moves. This has made audiences and critics alike scrutinize his movies even more. A much better effort than Lady in the Water but the main problem with this movie - WHO CARES?… Expand

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2

EddieB.Jun 17, 2008

Nature breaks wind in The Happening, the latest stinker from M. Night Shylamayan. Hey, I'm rooting for the guy, I really am, but it's tough when I have to sit through 90 minutes of laughably bad dialogue and acting, an unconvincing Nature breaks wind in The Happening, the latest stinker from M. Night Shylamayan. Hey, I'm rooting for the guy, I really am, but it's tough when I have to sit through 90 minutes of laughably bad dialogue and acting, an unconvincing plot, and boring characters. As in his last two films, M. Night finds an interesting idea that ultimately fails to deliver on its promise--sort of like writing a 10-page term paper only to realize halfway through that your thesis statement is weak. Note to Mr. S.: Bustling leaves, open windows, and swaying trees can be scary with the right film ingredients ... or an audience of allergy-sufferers.… Expand

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2

JacobR.Jun 23, 2008

The only thing I enjoyed about the movie was how hilariously quotable all the one-liners were from the lack-luster acting. The plot holes were plain as day, there was little action or suspense when there should've been, and there was The only thing I enjoyed about the movie was how hilariously quotable all the one-liners were from the lack-luster acting. The plot holes were plain as day, there was little action or suspense when there should've been, and there was little there to constitute all the hype about it being Mr. Shyamalan's "first R-rated movie". Also, wind doesn't work like that. It can't chase people, and I found that hilarious in the movie. Also, what's the big deal about the female lead having dessert with a co worker? The whole script and execution was poor.… Expand

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2

JefframoneJun 24, 2008

An oh man, how many crappy movies does M. Night Shyamalan before I stop seeing his stuff? The mysterious premise sucked me. And honestly, the first like 15 minutes of the film was scary, weird, exciting, effective and roped me in An oh man, how many crappy movies does M. Night Shyamalan before I stop seeing his stuff? The mysterious premise sucked me. And honestly, the first like 15 minutes of the film was scary, weird, exciting, effective and roped me in immediately. And then Marky Mark opened his mouth. Let me save you the time, trouble and $10: some really angry plants are responsible for the events of The Happening. There was an opportunity to do something interesting, but instead Shyamalan wrote the point of the whole movie on a large polo mallet and continuously whacked moviegoers over the head again and again and again. The point: Mother Earth is pissed at us. Plants and trees are adapting to these foreign invaders (humans) and spreading a toxic across the Northeast presumably to purge the planet of humankind. The End. Yet another Hollywood missed opportunity. Shame on me for getting suckered into one of his films -- AGAIN!… Expand

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2

SteveS.Jun 15, 2008

This gets a 2 out of 10. If nothing else because the first ten min are well acted, even if they are just extras and they do a better job than the stars of the film. After that it doesn't even go down hill. It's just already there.

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2

MikeMJun 17, 2008

I think the movie would have been better if it let the audience guessing what the "happening" was. I think it was the absolute worst idea that they "hot dog guy" pretty much gave away what it was like 30min into the movie. It's like I think the movie would have been better if it let the audience guessing what the "happening" was. I think it was the absolute worst idea that they "hot dog guy" pretty much gave away what it was like 30min into the movie. It's like some guy in the theater i was in just stood up and gave away the ending. How could a movie give away its own ending??!!!?!?! NO plot twist, crappy acting the one little girl was crying due to a traumatic experience and she was looking around while doing it almost like to get acceptance of appropriate crying technique, stupid acting like if this epidemic was airborne why wouldn't cover their mouth with their cloths to try to filter it out, and HUGE plot holes as to why its only happening in north east America besides the bullshit reasoning of "it's a act of nature and we'll never fully understand it". Waste of money, gas, time, electricity, and anything else i can think of. I still recommend seeing it just as a control of what a really shitty movie is, but for god sakes DON'T pay for it.… Expand

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2

JimGJun 22, 2008

M. Night is now officially Lucy Van Pelt and I am officially Charlie Brown. He has never achieved anything close to the brilliance of the sixth sense, and with this useless confused core-less waste of film, I now doubt he ever will...

0 of 0 users found this helpful

2

EricM.Jul 27, 2008

This movie is as bad as the critics say. If you saw the previews, you saw all the good parts. And all the interesting moments happen right in the beginning of the film, the first ten minutes. The rest of the movie is the characters aimlessly This movie is as bad as the critics say. If you saw the previews, you saw all the good parts. And all the interesting moments happen right in the beginning of the film, the first ten minutes. The rest of the movie is the characters aimlessly wandering around. It doesn't get much more boring than this.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

2

GirenI.Aug 10, 2008

It's like Shyamalan was trying too hard to gives the movie a B rated but cool ambiance. It was the worst of his films. Just horrible. This is the kind of movie who proves how the director could bring the disaster to any element of the movie.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

2

GrahamD.Nov 12, 2008

Horrible writing and bad acting take away from the horror elements.

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2

MarkFJun 13, 2008

This is the absolute WORST movie I have seen in the last 10 years, and that includes all of M. Night Shayamalan's previous features. Terrible story, terrible acting but great concept. I only wish he did not try to be a one-man-band. This is the absolute WORST movie I have seen in the last 10 years, and that includes all of M. Night Shayamalan's previous features. Terrible story, terrible acting but great concept. I only wish he did not try to be a one-man-band. This poor excuse for a feature film needed a re-write of the script and a better director. I am no longer a fan.… Expand

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2

EricL.Jun 13, 2008

I loved the Sixth Sense and Signs, enjoyed The Lady in the Water. This movie should have been called "Waiting for Something to Happen" cause this movie is so dull!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

2

BrianAJun 13, 2008

Really bad movie. Let's see here, what's horrible in this film? Dialog, acting, story, plot, direction. Check all of those. The only thing good about this movie is that it's so terrible, you can laugh at it like a comedy. Not Really bad movie. Let's see here, what's horrible in this film? Dialog, acting, story, plot, direction. Check all of those. The only thing good about this movie is that it's so terrible, you can laugh at it like a comedy. Not recommended at all.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

2

HeidihidzW.Jun 13, 2008

Absolute worst film i have watched. Acting awful and no horor it was a comedy. the cinema was in stitches laughing do not recommend anyone wasting there money!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

2

AlexisPJun 16, 2008

poor movie with a poor story, when you had saw the trailer no need to go watch this (bad movie) the trailer is good, so if you dont want to get disapointed keep it to the trailers

0 of 0 users found this helpful

2

KentonS.Jun 17, 2008

That's right, I gave this movie a 2. Why might you ask? Because there were only two things I liked about it; the incredibly awesome gore, and the hilarious cheesy lines that came out of Wahlberg's mouth. I was pretty much horribly That's right, I gave this movie a 2. Why might you ask? Because there were only two things I liked about it; the incredibly awesome gore, and the hilarious cheesy lines that came out of Wahlberg's mouth. I was pretty much horribly disappointed with everything else. I mean, the concept would be kind of cool I guess, if it was followed through with a wicked twist. Without spoiling, let's just say that M. Night did not deliver his usual set of tricks. Unlike the masterpiece that was "The Sixth Sense", "The Happening" was falling into the stupor where "Mars Attacks" and "Eight Legged Freaks" were left to die... Regardless of who has written/directed this film, don't waste your money and see it.… Expand

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2

YogurtJun 19, 2008

Was this a comedy? Really? Why was I laughing throughout the whole film? I'll tell you why.. I had moderate respect for Shaymalan before I watched this film. The dialogue was predictable and over emphisised, I mean, I know the plot was Was this a comedy? Really? Why was I laughing throughout the whole film? I'll tell you why.. I had moderate respect for Shaymalan before I watched this film. The dialogue was predictable and over emphisised, I mean, I know the plot was suspect but the actors dont have to say out loud there every thought.. As for the actors, I dont think we will be seeing the majority of them in any films too soon. Also, the line "I am the same, I dont like to show my emotions" does NOT excuse the god awfull acting.. I mean.. eughgh Rated as a 2 for making me laugh… Expand

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2

DrewJun 21, 2008

The plot did not suck me in at all. Was not thought provoking like M Nights' movies usually are. Very linear and predictable. Cheesy acting on top of that.

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2

dijavantewowOct 17, 2010

Just want to start out by saying I was one of the few remaining M. Night fans still out there up until this. I actually enjoyed Lady In The Water, but this movie really pissed me off. I am a huge fan of Marky Mark Wahlberg too, and he wasJust want to start out by saying I was one of the few remaining M. Night fans still out there up until this. I actually enjoyed Lady In The Water, but this movie really pissed me off. I am a huge fan of Marky Mark Wahlberg too, and he was disappointing too. He wasn't even close to the problem though. The plot of this movie kept me going, and then at the M. Night just craps on us. I don't know if that was his best idea, or it was just laziness or what, but that wasn't an okay ending. Go back to your twists, they did you good.… Expand

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2

MetalMan95Oct 26, 2010

Shyamalan, what happened? This movie had a great concept, great actors, and decent plot. But the execution is so unintentionally flawed. These actors weren't even trying. You can tell from Mark Wahlberg's infamous "What? No!" TheShyamalan, what happened? This movie had a great concept, great actors, and decent plot. But the execution is so unintentionally flawed. These actors weren't even trying. You can tell from Mark Wahlberg's infamous "What? No!" The what-was-supposed-to-be scariest scene had me bored to tears and wasn't scary. There was only one scene that disturbed me a bit, but now i can watch it without being disturbed. This isn't even a fun movie, joyless, and serious. You can find this movie fun, if you find it unintentionally funny, as most people do. If you find this movie enjoyable and scary, then hooray for you, you don't mind the flaws. I try to give Shyamalan some slack, he's in a rut, but this movie is an embarrassment to his career.… Expand

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2

JAM123Aug 23, 2011

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie was not very good. I enjoyed few parts but the plot line was terrible and the acting sucked. Mark Wahlberg is not one of my favorite actors but I was surprised about Zooey Deschanel. I usually enjoy her acting but in this movie she was just horrible. The whole thing was horrible! The whole plants having a conscious and that it reacts to human stimulus or whatever. It was stupid. I had thought when I went to see this it would be good, but I was wrong. M. Night Shyamalan just doesn't have the touch that he had in his older work (Sixth Sense, Unbreakable). Now with Devil out too, I'm only thinking to myself, "when will he stop." All his movies are now is just incredibly horrible storylines with stupid and effortless twists, like in this movie. This stupid end of the world action drama had no storyline terrible twist and is a waste of time and money and I do not think you should see it. Also to M. Night Shyamalan, STOP!!!!… Expand

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2

OxcartMay 5, 2013

There was a time when the name M Night Shyamalan was effectively a synonym for the new generation of writing: plots that could turn on a dime, characters that were interesting, and generally movies that could be counted on to be interestingThere was a time when the name M Night Shyamalan was effectively a synonym for the new generation of writing: plots that could turn on a dime, characters that were interesting, and generally movies that could be counted on to be interesting and a good use of your time. Well, that era appears to be over. So let's run down The Happening. On its positive side (and there is a considerable positive side), it is a unique execution of an uncommon premise: the environment has turned on us. But unlike most previous versions of the plot, this isn't about animals rising up en masse against us (whoops, sorry James Patterson...but Zoo was a real piece of cheese), but rather nature subliminally convincing us to do the dirty work for it. So, neat twist on a not-new idea. Unfortunately, though, Shyamalan's "new approach" completely wrecks what could, should have been an outstanding movie. Remember that in all of great works...and Shyamalan's early stuff...that they held to a basic maxim: tension is built most by not letting the audience see. Keep them guessing and off-balance. knew it, and Signs did it, too. (So did The Village, but a little less so.) The Happening? Total screwup. Where the camera should cut away, it doesn't. Shyamalan completely jettisoned any hope of creating an atmosphere that keeps the audience off balance. Instead, the film goes for splatter-gore shock value, and it goes way over the top. Where there used to be finesse in these films, all that is present in The Happening is the most pedestrian, hamfisted attempt to rattle the audience. What should have been a shocking nature-doesn't-like-us film ended up being Maximum Overdrive with trees. The sad part is that the plot had some actual ability to work; it didn't have to be a self-parody, but the absolutely classless, talentless writing doomed it. Characters were wooden and unconvincing, but NOT because Mark Wahlberg or Zooey Deschanel did a poor job; they did well with what they were given. The problem is that they were given drivel. Wahlberg was, well, Wahlberg. He really doesn't have a lot of gears as an actor, but he is dependable. Deschanel turned in a surprisingly touching and believable performance which was quite out of place in this pile of junk. (Allow me to clarify: the surprise was not that Zooey Deschanel could turn in such a performance; we know she can. What's surprising is that she was able to do that with this bucket of sludge script.) So, frankly, when you get right down to it, you do not watch The Happening because you want a cerebral, atmospheric thriller. You watch it because...well, frankly, I can't think of a reason to watch it deliberately. Maybe if you're a fan of splatter-horror. But for everybody else, there are much better things to watch. Much better. A sorely disappointed 2 out of 10 for the total misfire that was The Happening.… Expand

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LoRevisorJan 5, 2015

M. Night Shyamalan chegou ao cúmulo do desastre,com esse pedaço de lixo,coitada da pessoa que teve que pagar o ingresso para assistir esse desastre da história do cinema. Mark Wahlberg faz um excelente trabalho mas o filme não ajuda

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lukechristianscApr 5, 2015

Shyamalan's "plant vibe," was interesting that's what saved the film, however from a script gone bad this film was a atrocity that was hilariously bad. We are all a shamed that Whalberg and Zooey Deschanel are in a film were nothing makesShyamalan's "plant vibe," was interesting that's what saved the film, however from a script gone bad this film was a atrocity that was hilariously bad. We are all a shamed that Whalberg and Zooey Deschanel are in a film were nothing makes sense and have idiotic characters and humor. Writer and director M Night Shyamalan tries to make a film that tries to watchable and entertaining (he succeeds), but this movie is a B- movie. Grade B-… Expand

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