Unbreakable
Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: November 22, 2000 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 31 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
11
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Shyamalan's premise is a lulu, to be sure, but if you can manage that precious, tentative suspension of disbelief, you'll find Unbreakable a rewarding meditation on the nature of heroes, both comic book and otherwise. Read full review
75
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Ultimately, the film can't help but disappoint. Movies where you're continually waiting for the other shoe to drop are never as much fun as those where you never expected the first one to fall.
50
Boston GlobeJay Carr
A film that begins with a train wreck and then, figuratively speaking, becomes one. Read full review
63
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Whatever he (Shyamalan) did, he shouldn't have tried to send the same lightning bolt down to Earth in the same place. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
Mesmerizing dark fable, which also contains moments of comedy and action that don't disrupt its oddly earnest tone Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Even if the ending doesn't entirely succeed, it doesn't cheat, and it comes at the end of an uncommonly absorbing movie. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMarc Caro
The irony is that although Unbreakable is as compellingly watchable, stylish and intriguing as its predecessor, its ending has almost the opposite effect on the overall picture.
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The story grows sillier as it goes along, culminating in a final switcheroo that's about as deep as the comic-book ideas that inspired the plot. Read full review
80
Dallas ObserverRobert Wilonsky
Willis gives a remarkable, wrenching performance: He is the most fragile indestructible man ever created. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Somberly fantastic new mystery thriller. Read full review
80
Film.comSean Means
Unbreakable shows Shyamalan as a rapidly maturing filmmaker, taking risks and making them pay off. Read full review
30
Film.comRobert Horton
A big disappointment. Read full review
60
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
The movie feels oddly undercooked and aimless. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
It would be foolish to deny that Unbreakable has scenes that make you jump, but without anything resonant to apply that skill to, the film has no option except squandering its technique. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
As absorbing as much of it is, Unbreakable winds up as a mild disappointment. But it leaves no question the hype around Shyamalan is well-deserved: This guy has a huge career ahead of him. Read full review
74
Mr. ShowbizLarry Terenzi
Seems truncated, incomplete -- mostly because the patented Shyamalan twist is revealed in the dénouement, not the climax. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
"Sixth Sense" fans will be intrigued at first, then disappointed. Read full review
88
New York PostLou Lumenick
"The Sixth Sense" was no fluke. Unbreakable, writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's dazzling reunion with Bruce Willis confirms he's one of the most brilliant filmmakers working today. Read full review
50
NewsweekDavid Ansen
This time out, Shyamalan the writer lets Shyamalan the director down badly.
50
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Far-fetched and utterly humorless, with a literally tacked-on conclusion (yes, more text on the screen), the only thing that's surprising about Unbreakable is how lame it is. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
An exquisitely crafted film filled with little shocks and deep echoes of humanity. It'll stick with you. Read full review
80
Rolling StonePeter Travers
It's rare that a a movie leaves you pinned to your seat, wanting to see it again -- right now, this minute -- to work out the pieces of the puzzle. Unbreakable is one of those movies.
50
SalonRay Pride
For its perilous ambitions, Unbreakable has to be admired, but any ending that succeeds only in pulling the rug out from under a credulous, trusting audience has to be laughed at and called out for the extravagant nonsense that it is. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
Even the surprise ending arrives with a thud and makes us wonder why Shyamalan didn't try something new instead of recycling his "Sixth Sense" recipe. Read full review
25
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
A potentially interesting idea deflated by the absurd proclamations of an arch screenplay and smothered under the ponderous gravity of M. Night Shyamalan's dreary direction. Read full review
80
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
Mr. Shyamalan may be the only mainstream director hankering for success with a need to understate; he is like Shaq without the tattoos. The result is a mastery of craft that may leave some hungry for more. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
A gloomy, preposterous psychological thriller. Read full review
50
USA TodayMike Clark
Shyamalan's style is so exaggerated, with its long pauses and exacting rhythms of sound- vs.- silence, that it easily can engender eye-rolling and snickers. Read full review
70
VarietyTodd McCarthy
Possesses sufficient intrigue to hook audiences and keep them on board much of the way. Read full review
50
Village VoiceDennis Lim
Soggy mysticism, nagging inconsistencies, and coarse horror-playbook jolts. Read full review
80
Washington PostDesson Thomson
I was hooked from beginning to end. Read full review
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