Trap

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Alison Pill, Hayley Mills, Jonathan Langdon, Mark Bacolcol, Marnie McPhail, Scott Mescudi, Russell "Russ" Vitale, Marcia Bennett, Lochlan Miller
Running Time: 105 min.

**The Following Review Contains Plot Spoilers For 'Trap' **

★★½ (out of ★★★★)

When the trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's Trap seemed to reveal key information about its plot, many started complaining that the writer/director's latest twist had already been let out of the bag.  But it turns out this big hook is unveiled within the first ten minutes and knowing it beforehand wouldn't adversely effect anyone's perception of the picture. What Shyamalan should instead be concerned about is that assumption, which indicates certain audiences still perceive him as primarily offering only shocks and jolts. 

That overall interest in seeing this waned the moment potential viewers felt they knew too much is a troubling sign, but one familiar to Shyamalan. Sometimes the stigma is earned, but often it isn't, with 2023's Knock at the Cabin recently proving he's capable of controlled restraint when necessary. On an upswing of late, his output really needs to be taken on a case-by-case basis since you're never sure which version of the director will show up. This time we get a bit of both, even if overindulgence wins out in the end. 

Armed with an incredible premise, good use is made of a unique setting and circumstances, at least until contrivances start piling up and open plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. You always accept some of this with the divisive Shyamalan and even occasionally embrace it, but the logic lapses are just too immense to ignore here. There's no denying the entertainment value, but after arriving at a finale that would send everyone home happy, he keeps going. And then goes further.

When Philadelphia firefighter Cooper Abbott (Josh Hartnett) takes his teen daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to her favorite pop star Lady Raven's (Saleka Night Shyamalan) concert, the packed arena is crawling with cops and FBI agents. They've been tipped off that a serial killer known as the "Butcher" will be in attendance that night, which means big trouble for Cooper, who's been leading a double life for the past seven years. A doting dad to Riley, he's been secretly kidnapping and chopping up victims as the Butcher while remaining a step ahead of law enforcement. 

With Lady Raven's concert serving as a front for this giant trap, veteran FBI profiler Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills) thinks she finally has the Butcher's number. The authorities' presence isn't exactly a well kept secret, but Cooper needs to continually think of ways to avoid being identified and caught. As Grant's team closes in, he'll puts his and Riley's lives in jeopardy by orchestrating a risky escape plan that sets the stage for a collision of two worlds he's been desperately trying to keep separated.

While the concert's entire purpose is to trap Cooper and elaborate stings like these do have some basis in reality, what follows becomes increasingly hard to swallow. Between all the cops, Cooper's onslaught of cringy dad jokes and suspicious behavior, it isn't long before we're clued in to what's going on, if that wasn't already obvious prior to seeing the film. So nearly all the suspense hinges on how he'll overcome this impossible predicament. 

Initially, Shyamalan does everything right, as Cooper maintains the tricky balance of ensuring Riley's distracted enough for him to evade capture. In the process he'll have to contend with angry moms, guarded exits and the fact he inevitably sticks out like a sore thumb in a venue swarming with tween and teen girls. As a concertgoer, he's a sitting duck, so he manipulates his way backstage to gain the intel necessary to outsmart the FBI and slide out. And that's when Shyamalan starts stumbling. 

Cooper manages to attain what can best be described as impossible access, even for the craftiest criminal. And that doesn't even account for inexplicable details like paper concert receipts or the notion this major pop star would have no visible security detail with a manhunt underway. Sandwiched in between those holes (including a literal one Cooper contemplates escaping through) are some inspired sequences that involve him leveraging Riley as part of his escape and convincing staff to incorporate her into the show. 

For all its flaws, the father-daughter dynamic is handled well, rarely letting us forget Cooper's worst nightmare isn't getting caught, but the crack that would cause in the carefully choreographed facade he's put on for his family. In his twisted mind, the ramifications of these two lives merging doesn't occur to him until being found out becomes a real possibility. 

As Cooper navigates each new obstacle, Shyamalan stretches the rubber band of credibility until it eventually snaps. Cooper's three quarters of the way out of this mess and nearly home free until the script has him make a mind boggling decision, especially for a supposedly meticulous criminal obsessed with covering his tracks. Even worse, there's no reason for it other than to get them out of the arena and extend the plot. And that means whatever rumors we heard about the action taking place in real time or unfolding exclusively at the concert can be now put to bed. 

Once the setting shifts, what plays out is a bizarre cross between Dexter and Saw, complete with a time sensitive basement trap. There's also a crucial development involving Cooper's devoted wife Rachel (Alison Pill), as the final act flies off the rails in excitingly awful ways. There are about five endings, including one last element so over-the-top it flirts with the supernatural, making you wonder if this story was originally intended to join Unbreakable, Split and Glass in Shyamalan's self-contained universe. 

The reason to see this is Hartnett, who gives a wickedly charismatic performance in his big leading role return, elevating even the most ridiculous developments and remaining entirely believable amidst a situation that isn't. And for all the criticism directed at Shyamalan for casting his own daughter Saleka, she's actually very good, with her real life experience as a singer and entertainer successfully translating into this portrayal of a fictitious pop superstar. 

Saleka's role is surprisingly large and crucial, calling upon the acting novice to do some heavy dramatic lifting. Unfortunately, her brave character's actions would seem implausible for anyone other than Taylor Swift on her most heroic day, but that's a writing issue. The Parent Trap's Hayley Mills playing an FBI profiler is a clever in-joke, while as Riley, young Ariel Donoghue perfectly captures the exuberance of a teen whose whole universe revolves around attending her idol's concert.  

It's almost exhausting how many wrenches are thrown into this narrative, before it delivers a final blow that ensures audiences are spent by the time the credits roll. Trap hinges on such a specific, elaborate set-up that after an early attempt at covering his bases, Shyamalan just sort of throws his hands in the air, deciding it's easier to take shortcuts instead. The result is definitely an experience, albeit the kind of fascinatingly messy one we've come to expect from one of our most polarizing filmmakers.    

Knock at the Cabin

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn, Kristen Cui
Running Time: 100 min.
Rating: R 

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)

The opening minutes of Knock at the Cabin are so tense and gripping you worry it can't possibly last, while we anxiously wait for the rug to be pulled out from under us with another M. Night Shyamalan twist. But then a weird thing happens as the story escalates and becomes absorbing enough to wash away any lingering fears of disappointment. In its place comes the realization that the polarizing director could actually nail this, potentially delivering his best work since Unbreakable. And then he does.

In recent years Shyamalan's shown flickering sparks of former glory with stronger efforts like Split, but has remained an unfortunate punchline, most recently bumbling a promising premise with 2021's Old. If there's a flaw with this film it's that we know in advance who directed it, making it difficult not to carry in some of that baggage. But whatever you may think of his output, he's still here plugging away, ignoring the criticisms and attempting to tell fresh stories in a moviegoing landscape where good ideas aren't always celebrated. That has to count for something. 

On description alone, it's easy to see why The Twilight Zone-inspired filmmaker was drawn to Paul Tremblay's 2018 novel "The Cabin at the End of the World," and maybe even less surprising that it's the quickest script he's ever hammered out. Working with a terrific concept that plays on Shyamalan's strengths while suppressing what many believe are his worst impulses, he's back at his most precise and restrained, efficiently letting this play out in the most suspenseful manner possible. It also features an unexpectedly rich performance from a promising actor who really turns it up a notch here, further establishing himself as a talent worth taking very seriously. Reminding us just how skilled he can be at handling this type of material, Shyamalan's again firing on all cylinders for the first time in a while.

While vacationing with her two fathers Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge) at a remote cabin in rural Pennsylvania, 7-year-old Wen (Kristen Cui) is approached by a hulking, soft spoken stranger named Leonard (Dave Bautista). After engaging in some friendly if slightly unsettling banter, he explains to Wen that he needs desperately needs her family's help to save the world. After three other mysterious companions named Sabrina (Nikki Amuka- Bird), Adriane (Abby Quinn) and Redmond (Rupert Grint) show up alongside Leonard, she frantically runs inside to warn her dads. But armed with makeshift weapons, they force their way into the cabin and tie up Eric and Andrew.

The intruders warn of an oncoming apocalypse that can only be stopped if one family member is sacrificed. If they refuse to make a choice, they'll survive, but as the last remaining people on Earth. Believing themselves to be targeted by a gang of delusional psychopaths fueled by fear and hatred, Eric and Andrew understandably push back, refusing to buy any of this. But as news reports of natural disasters and pandemics quickly intensify, Leonard's warnings of impending doom become frighteningly prescient. Assuming any of this is true, their continuous denials could have dire consequences, unleashing a series of plagues that threaten humankind. Whether they were specifically targeted or not, their survival may depend entirely on the decision they make, as the intruders' doomsday clock continues to tick.

Introducing itself as a home invasion thriller, there's a clever conceit around which the film revolves. And yet there's still a strong possibility the crime is exactly what it looks to be on the surface, despite many inexplicable occurrences and coincidences. That no character would reasonably believe any of these warnings is Shyamalan's biggest challenge, as he has to create enough doubt for this abducted family to let their guard down enough to start questioning themselves. With a timely script that openly acknowledges the absurdity of its own premise, the invaders are fully aware that not a word they speak will be taken at face value. At points they're even downright apologetic toward their hostages, as if they've been called to duty by visions and reasons still unfamiliar to them. 

That all this screams "suicide cult" only makes it easier for Eric and Andrew to categorize this as a gay hate crime. And we find out they have good reasons to assume it is, as vital flashbacks of their lives before and on the day they arrive at this cabin help establish who they are and where things could be headed. As for the antagonists, their histories and intentions are understandably left murkier, since fleshing that out would compromise the pervasive sense of existential dread and mystery the plot calls for. Their stated purpose needs to be just as crazy as it seems, with holes big enough to drive a truck through, but containing just enough evidence to invite questions. Shyamalan opens the door for audiences to contemplate how much it takes to believe the impossible, before taking it a little further, digging into how easy it is to deny anything, with or without irrefutable proof. 

Eric is the more even headed husband, but far from ready or willing for this confrontation, as an injury early on has us questioning his judgment. Andrew assumes the worst in people, even as his refusal to budge on the simplest, most logical explanation initially seems justified. Groff and Aldridge bring different tools to the table while both conveying the primary objective of these men to protect their little girl. As the predicament wears on, each undergo a transformation, discovering some painful truths about themselves they wouldn't have otherwise known or admitted. 

Kristen Cui is a real discovery, precociously playing Wen, while remaining smart and observant about the horror unfolding around her. This child is understandably scared to death and shows it, but there isn't a false moment in the performance or a sense she's not completely aware of the stakes. Amuka-Bird, Quinn and Grint are all impressive in depicting the intruders' own fears and uncertainties about this mission, but it's Dave Bautista who sets the tone, showing us what he's capable of in the hands of a major director. 

Carrying the whole film from the moment he comes out of the woods with a quiet, remorseful presence, Bautista portrays Leonard as a calm, outwardly kind man unwilling to deviate from a plan we're not sure he wants to go through with, or even can. The performance doesn't give any hints, leaving equal room for theories that this giant could be a complete sociopath, a prophetic truth teller or gullible mark sucked into a dark web of conspiracy theories. It's a fairly complex role, but he completely owns it, fully immersing himself in this compelling character.  

Shyamalan endings are often fodder for ridicule, but he sticks this one by not trying to be overly clever, opting instead to provide a definitive answer. There are only two real ways this can go, and while variations exist within those possibilities, everything still comes down to the single question of whether these people are telling the truth. Without any unnecessary fakeouts, he lands in the right place, with a chilling finale as focused as anything he's ever done. Knock at the Cabin doesn't cheat, giving audiences craving an intelligent thriller the satisfaction of knowing they got what was promised.                                       

Old

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie, Abbey Lee, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ken Leung, Eliza Scanlen, Aaron Pierre, Embeth Davidtz, Emun Elliott, Kailen Jude, Gustaf Hammarsten, Francesca Eastwood, Matthew Shear, Kathleen Chalfant
Running Time: 108 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)  

Before Jordan Peele, we had M. Night Shyamalan. And his latest, Old, promises we could very well be stuck with him for a while. While that's not quite as bad as it sounds, it's become impossible to overlook the constant comparisons between these two filmmakers, each of whom have cited The Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling as their primary inspiration. Peele can be grateful for having only directed three pictures, knowing he'll have a long way to go before his career could possibly be stained with the wild inconsistency that's plagued Shyamalan's. After a mini-resurgence of sorts with Split, he backslid again by trying to create his own Shyamalaniverse with the poorly received Glass. Now watching Old, you come to the realization that despite a superior concept to work from, not a whole lot has changed. 

Shyamalan seems interested in delivering impactful social commentary, but unlike Peele, it just doesn't seem to hold his interest for long, as he falls back on thrills, kills, and yes, final twists. The result here is a colossally mixed bag that's sometimes unpleasant to watch, both for its directionless hysterics and meandering execution. The oddest thing is that parts of it really work and you can imagine him delivering a successful screen adaptation of Pierre Oscar Levy's Swiss graphic novel, "Sandcastle," that's a compelling treatise on time and mortality. Elements in this compelling premise fleetingly connect, but aren't fluidly presented, resulting in some over-the-top moments that may bring back painful memories of the unintentionally hilarious lion attack scene in the director's own The Happening. It's interspersed with other wacky, wild sequences that just don't fit, leaving little doubt that Shyamalan was more interested in delivering non-stop action than following through on all the untapped thematic potential this idea contained.  

Currently going through a divorce, Guy (Gael García Bernal) and Prisca (Vicky Krieps) Cappa are taking their children Maddox (Alexa Swinton) and Trent (Nolan River) to a tropical resort for a final family vacation together. Welcomed with open arms by the resort manager (Gustaf Hammarsten) and employees (Francesca Eastwood and Matthew Shear), the kids befriend Idlib (Kailen Jude), the manager's young nephew, before they're all transported via van to a secluded beach. While there they meet three additional parties of vacationers: surgeon Charles (Rufus Sewell), his wife Chrystal (Abbey Lee), their young daughter Kara (Kylie Begley) and Charles' mother, Agnes (Kathleen Chalfant). Spouses Jarin (Ken Leung) and Patricia (Nikki Amuka-Bird), and a rapper known as "Mid-Sized Sedan"(Aaron Pierre). 

After the corpse of Mid-Sized's companion is discovered and strange incidents occur related to the travelers' preexisting medical conditions, it's clear something's very wrong. When another unexpected discovery reveals a phenomena on the beach that's causing everyone to age at alarming rates, they unsuccessfully attempt to escape. With beachgoers now suddenly dropping liking flies, the remaining survivors race against time to find out why, with the hope of preserving however many precious hours remain on their lives.

The film's most problematic portion arrives just as the nightmare scenario on the beach unfolds. In what feels like twenty minutes to a half-hour of pure chaos, various characters are scrambling like chickens with their heads cut off to figure out what's going on. In fact, decapitated chickens might be the only thing absent, as their misfortunes aren't merely limited to rapid aging, but violent knife attacks, suicides, cancerous tumors, psychosis and dead babies. How Shyamalan managed to escape an 'R' rating can only be chalked up to judicious editing that goes out of its way to avoid showing too much. This leaves us somewhere between a 'PG-13' horror thriller and an 'R' rated philosophical drama, though likely alienating both sets of audiences by not fully committing to either. 

None of this is offensively bad so much as repetitive and a little silly, as we're left wondering if there was a less hyperbolic way to introduce the premise. Shyamalan inexplicably plays coy by holding out on the rapid aging reveal, a surprise that would have worked better if the movie wasn't already titled Old and the trailers and commercials didn't give it away. But he persists, filming the two characters from behind, not showing them and using every visual trick he can to string us along before pulling back the curtain to reveal a new pair of older actors taking over the roles. 

In a sea of performers chewing on scenery (see Rufus Sewell's raging maniac), Thomasin McKenzie and Alex Wolff do provide affecting turns as teen versions of siblings Maddox and Trent. The movie is all the better for focusing on them, and when Shyamalan grabs control of the premise, it's easier to appreciate what's done well, such as the make-up and effects work that believably age the characters at five and ten year intervals. There's also a sequence involving the Cappa family that cuts to the core of what this film could have been. Of course, your level of attachment may vary since the sheer number of deaths and different actors playing the same characters serve to keep viewers at an arm's length for much of its running time.

Featuring a twist ending that's somehow eye-rolling and serviceable all at once, there's a sense the material didn't need to be this overcooked and we could have done without a body count high enough to make Michael Myers blush. Stakes diminish when multiple characters are expiring every two minutes, so it's kind of a miracle Shyamalan even pulls off what he does, especially considering how familiar we've become with his gotcha finales. He deviates from the graphic novel by leaving less up to the imagination, but as far as wrapping things up, it probably falls on the higher end of his writing output.

Those clocking the screen time of Shyamalan's trademark cameos will be either delighted or depressed to learn that this appearance is his biggest yet, both in terms of length and function. What's less of a surprise is that Old is all over the place, as the polarizing filmmaker again challenges himself and us by depicting protagonists threatened not only by an unseen, existential menace, but themselves. And much like most of his work, seeing this just to say you did isn't the worst idea in the world. At least by now, it's easier to know exactly what you're in for.             

Split

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, Brad William Henke, Sebastian Arcelus, Neal Huff
Running Time: 117 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)

**Spoiler Warning: This review gives away key plot details**

While watching M. Night Shyamalan's Split with a mixture of excitement, dread and trepidation, the one question that kept reverberating through my mind was, "When is he going to blow it?" It isn't an unfair concern given the director's reputation and track record over the past decade, which resulted in the creative implosion of a career that's proven to be anything but unbreakable. This is his hail mary, a last ditch attempt to prove that flops like Lady in the Water, The Happening, The Last Airbender and After Earth are anomalies. So now, after showing some renewed signs of creative life with 2015's The Visit, Shyamalan gives us Split, and right from its tense opening, it's obvious he's come to play again.

With a thrilling set-up, a fresh cast of rising stars mixed with established newcomers, and an ingeniously constructed script to support them, Shyamalan makes his best film. Hands down. And while that may seem like damning with faint praise considering I never quite shared the love others had for The Sixth Sense, it's not.  He gets everything right, firing on all cylinders, all while giving audiences the gift of two, maybe even three, award-caliber performances, one of which is so subtly powerful it's gone almost completely unnoticed. 

This is such a strong effort and the comeback so welcome that I almost feel guilty mentioning that giant elephant in the room known as the final scene. While it's a stretch to say he drops the ball as feared, and it does nothing to diminish the power of the overall experience, the decision to close the film in this way makes absolutely no sense because it has so little to do with anything preceding it. Shyamalan does something I've rallied against for years but has become so prevalent recently that it's reached epidemic levels, engulfing someone who could barely get his movies made just a couple of years ago. But what a homecoming this is, and even if its last 30 seconds cause concern, we should just relish what we're given: A compelling, meticulously plotted psychological thriller that methodically lays its groundwork before paying off in a pulse-pounding sprint to the finish that won't soon be forgotten. No twists. No games. To call this a return to form for him would almost be an insulting understatement.

Three teenagers, the popular Claire (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia (Jessica Sula) and introverted social outcast Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) are being driven home from a party by Claire's dad when a mysterious bald-headed man attacks him in the parking lot and drives off with and abducting the girls. The man is Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), but the person responsible for the crime is "Dennis," one of Kevin's 24 personalities manifesting itself from abuse he suffered in childhood. Diagnosed with D.I.D. (Dissociative Identity Disorder), he's currently being treated under psychiatrist Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley), who's pleased with his progress in balancing these personalities despite recent red flags that indicate he's struggling.

Locked captive in an undisclosed location, the girls are exposed to "Patricia," a female personality who's assisting the voyeuristic, obsessive-compulsive "Dennis," and 9-year-old "Hedwig," who Casey sees as the easiest to manipulate into helping them escape. With a panicked Claire and Marcia frantically trying anything possible to get out, it's clear that Casey's the introspective thinker of the three, laying back and assessing the most practical way out of what looks to be the most dire of situations. As Dr. Fletcher's suspicions grow, the girls fight for their lives while Kevin's personalities battle for dominance, including a dormant one that's potentially the most dangerous of all.

Like an expertly constructed puzzle box, the details of Kevin's unusual condition reveals itself the more dangerous and unpredictable he becomes. By taking a conceit that if taken at face value should be ridiculous and treating it every step of the way with a certain respect and plausibility, Shyamalan makes us buy in. While Multiple Personality Disorder is very much a real thing, the amplified version of it that this script presents most definitely isn't, but the movie explains it in such confident, mind-blowing detail through both words and actions that we wouldn't dare doubt any of it. But that's not to say this at all plays as some kind of dry psychology lecture, as it cleverly foreshadows what's to come, making and abiding by its own rules the entire way.

Two different cat-and-mouse games transpire simultaneously, with Kevin (or rather "Dennis") attempting to outwit Dr. Fletcher while the captured girls try to predict the unpredictable and forecast their window of opportunity for escape. It all clicks largely due to McAvoy, who prior to this came across as a dependable enough actor who carries a film just fine, the true extent of his talents remaining somewhat untested. But he does here is miraculous tour de force, dropping on a dime to believably shift gears between all these distinctive personalities, some of whom are even posing as other personalities. That we not only get this, but can determine with relative ease exactly who he is at any given moment, is a true testament to the high-wire act he pulls off.

At times a performance within a performance within a performance, how MacAvoy completely changes his voice, movements, posture, tone and even physical appearance (often multiple times during a single scene) defies and breaks the boundaries we have in our heads while watching. It looks exhausting, but if this performance doesn't work, the entire premise crumbles, and the psychological backbone of the screenplay doesn't stick. Also helping hold that up is Betty Buckley, who as Dr. Fletcher helps dispel the myth that there are no vital roles left for actresses over 60 not named Helen Mirren.

Buckley, last known to many for putting her head through a window in the Happening's most embarrassing scene is completely redeemed with a part far worthier of her talents. Going face-to-face with her troubled patient in some of the most important, narrative defining scenes, she's magnificent, finding just the right balance between motherly compassion and tough, brutal honesty, juggling some of the more expository exchanges and sudden revelations like a pro. She, like McAvoy, must switch gears at a moment's notice when the full, dangerous extent of Kevin's condition begins to surprise even her.

Due to the nature of the role, comparisons between Buckley's character and Donald Pleasance's Dr. Loomis in the Halloween films are practically inevitable, but I hesitate giving more credence to this being mistakenly categorized as some kind of horror slasher, which it surely isn't. There are points where Dr. Fletcher guides the narrative, but never to the extent that you'd think it's her story since Buckley provides such strong, low-key support opposite McAvoy's performance, invisibly steering each scene they share. Her work not only stands out as a real keeper, but feels absolutely crucial to the story's success.

Shyamalan has called Casey Cooke his favorite character he's ever written, so it's probably fitting that the actress cast as her, the still relatively unknown Anya Taylor-Joy, gives what ranks among the most powerful performances in any of his pictures. Anyone who saw her highly praised turn in 2015's supernatural period horror film The Witch or as college student Barack Obama's girlfriend in Netflix's Presidential origin story, Barry, already knew she had something really special and was worth watching. But as Casey, Taylor-Joy gets to dig fairly deep, playing a girl whose own volatile history equips her with the emotional tools necessary to not only cope with horrifying predicament she and the girls find themselves in, but connect with Kevin's personalities at a level no one can, aside from Dr. Fletcher.

From the opening sequence, time seems to stop as we're uncomfortably drawn into Casey's reaction, she uses only her giant eyes to convey all the terror, fear and unpredictability such an abduction would likely entail. This happens a lot throughout, as Taylor-Joy's most memorable scenes often have little to no dialogue at all and consist of her strategizing her next move in the presence of two girls who have far less interest in formulating a game plan.

While childhood flashbacks involving her father (Sebastian Arcelus) and uncle (Brad William Henke)  are sporadically used to explain the character's past, and they do work, I'm willing to believe we'd probably know anyway just by Anya's facial expressions, demeanor and body language throughout. Any information coming our way rarely feels like a shock or twist (as it often does in Shyamalan films) but rather a confirmation of what she was silently and subtly telling us the entire time.

Unconventional in both presence and looks, Taylor-Joy definitely doesn't fit your typical movie star mold, but in the best possible way, so it would be a shame if after two incredibly successful genre performances she gets pigeonholed as some kind of reigning "scream queen" when she should be competing for dramatic opportunities far beyond that. Her performance stands as the best from an actress so far this year, regardless of how you choose to classify it. Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula are fine in their underdeveloped roles, which require them to panic in various states of undress, but it's their co-star that commands all the attention as they fade into the background.

Strangely, it's hard watching the last third of this thriller without comparing it to another surprise sleeper hit from earlier in the year, Jordan Peele's Get Out. While the content isn't at all similar and this certainly doesn't carry the same subversive social commentary, both pull off the extremely difficult transition from psychological drama to full-blown horror without missing a beat. And they do it by setting up the premise so well and believably that when the train starts careening off the tracks, it makes sense within the context of the world that's been created. Shyamalan goes very far, but reasonably, likely surprising many who went in expecting a final twist of the knife, because, you know, that's what he does.

What we do get is something that feels like an additional scene past the point where the movie should clearly conclude. In a broader sense, the ill-conceived final moment doesn't make that much of a difference in that it doesn't effect the actual narrative and plays more as an Easter egg or add-on. But if that's the case, then why do it?  It's a real stretch linking the now 17-year-old Unbreakable with Split, and even if Shyamalan did it masterfully within this single scene (which he doesn't), there's still no justification for its presence.

The closing scene just doesn't belong here, and neither does Bruce Willis, whose distracting cameo is more likely to induce head-scratching reactions questioning its purpose rather than build excitement for a potential "Shymalaniverse." Someone needed to tell him this isn't a Marvel movie, and I say that as someone who wholeheartedly agrees that the unfairly maligned Unbreakable probably did deserve a sequel years ago and stands as Shyamalan's most worthwhile accomplishment, at least until this. But it only gets harder justify that when he continues to make these kinds of decisions.

There's this devastating, incredibly acted scene in the police car when Casey's told she's being sent back to live with her uncle that I wish was the last thing we saw in this film. It's just perfect, and could easily be used in an Oscar clip reel sent to Academy members touting Anya Taylor-Joy's lead performance. That's a pipe dream, but only because Shyamalan made it one by not knowing what he had. If he did, there's no way he would have wet the bed with that ending instead of putting the closing emphasis on a character who was actually in the film.

Let's not kid ourselves into thinking an Unbreakable sequel is happening for any other reason than the fantastic work Shyamalan does here on Split, but it seems that in his mind he's just making superhero movies, not realizing that the main appeal of his films was how they never outright acknowledged that.  While he's obviously done something far more substantial with this, it's that lack of self-awareness that's made him his own worst enemy at times. And yet, that's somehow fitting for a filmmaker who's spent a career both thrilling and frustrating audiences in equal measure.

The Happening

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Lequizamo, Ashlyn Sanchez, Betty Buckley
Running Time: 91 min.
Rating: R

*** (out of ****)

“This better be as bad as everyone says it is.”

It’s a shame I found myself muttering those words as I entered the theater to watch M. Night Shyamalan’s much-maligned ecological thriller The Happening. That’s never the mindset anyone should be forced to approach a film with but unfortunately it’s been an unavoidable situation with this one. For the thrashing Shyamalan and his actors have taken over this I was hoping they were justified because I don’t like seeing anyone thrown under the bus for no reason.

Sometimes it’s bad come to a film late after everyone’s verdict has been handed out, but this might be one of those rare cases where it's a hidden benefit. Knowing every detail of the plot and being prepared for every aspect of the film that people had serious problems with I was able to just sit back and analyze. That’s exactly what I did, but much to my surprise, I also had a really good time. Sure, Shyamalan struggles with tone from time to time and he’s still a better director than writer, but this works for what it is.

So no, The Happening doesn’t even come close to being as bad as everyone’s made it out to be. In fact, taken as a good old-fashioned B-movie chiller, it more than holds its ground. It isn’t nearly as effective as The Sixth Sense (which is overrated) or Unbreakable (which isn’t) but it tops Signs and especially Lady In The Water. I guess you could say that puts it on par with The Village, which I actually enjoyed. But forget about all that. What I really want to know is how the public would react to this picture if Shyamalan’s name weren’t on it.
Elliot Moore (Mark Walhberg) is a Ned Flanders-like New York City high school science teacher who is forced to dismiss class upon hearing news that a deadly airborne toxin has somehow been released in the North East. Exposure to it results in a catatonic trance-like states immediately followed by strange (and at times far too creative) suicides. The opening minutes are clearly meant to shake us with 9/11 imagery, as citizens hurl themselves to their deaths out of high-rise buildings. Elliot and his distant wife Alma (a very wide-eyed Zooey Deschanel), join his co-worker Julian (John Leguizamo) and eight-year-old daughter Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez) in fleeing the city by train to Pennsylvania, where the pandemic has yet to hit. That relief doesn’t last long.

The immediate suspicion as to the cause of this disaster is bio-terrorism but the physical evidence soon shifts to something more environmental in nature. Frequent Shyamalan detractors may be relieved to discover there’s no ”big twist” in this one. Without giving too much away I’ll just say this catastrophe involves plants and the wind. In other words, Al Gore was right.

This film benefits heavily from being somewhat realistically grounded, at least as far as thrillers go. An airborne toxin being released actually isn’t far fetched at all and in the past it has actually happened (pardon the pun). Here, the results of it are obviously way exaggerated and at times presented preposterously but at least it’s more believable than a giant sea monster attacking the East Coast.

As for it looking silly that characters are running from something that isn’t there, it doesn’t seem to bother anyone when actors against a green screen run from fake looking CGI, so the way I see it, this is a step up. I found it refreshing and original to see characters running from something actually in nature for a change, and at least Tak Fujimoto’s cinematography makes it interesting to watch. Trust me, if there were actually a neurotoxin in the air you would haul ass also.

It’s a relief Shyamalan has a premise with some realism that hits close to home because his iffy writing does create a few problems. Like how he has Alma pause at the most inconvenient, life threatening time imaginable to discuss her potential extra-marital affair or how everyone seems a little to eager to watch and listen to graphic suicides on cell phones. In a stupid studio marketing campaign probably meant to further sabotage Shyamalan’s career, this movie has been ridiculously trumpeted all over trailers and commercials as “HIS FIRST R RATED FILM.”

If anything, the R rating is a distraction and the really graphic scenes don’t exactly mesh with the rest of the picture, particularly one involving a gruesome lion attack. That and a memorable lemon drink line delivered by Betty Buckley’s crazed survivalist were the only two moments that caused me to laugh aloud. And I’m convinced that latter outburst only occurred because of a great review I read beforehand mentioning it. Had the rating been PG-13 and not showed as much the film probably would have been more suspenseful and flowed better, but that’s my most serious quibble.
Since the studio justifiably wouldn’t let Shyamalan appear in his film this time around some think that Buckley, whose character doesn’t care about the world and complains the world “doesn’t care about me,” is a Shyamalan surrogate. Since he wasn’t allowed in the movie he squeezed his way in through Buckley. Good theory, except the problem is the world seems to actually care way too much about Shyamalan… for all the wrong reasons.

Plus, after checking the credits I saw he already cast himself as “Joey,” Alma’s secret boyfriend, despite never appearing in the film. I’ll take that any day over him having a huge supporting role as a character whose “words will change the world.” This film may as well be Citizen Kane compared to Lady In The Water.

Despite popular opinions to the contrary, Wahlberg and Deschanel give performances that are completely appropriate for the material for which they’ve been given. I’d even go further and say they rise a level above it. I thought it was great to see these two actors playing against type in roles we never get to see them in and Wahlberg is believable as a passive, geeky high school teacher (particularly in an excellent early scene). As usual, Deschanel brings her natural, down-to-Earth quirky charm to the role and I really thought the two actors shared surprisingly nice chemistry together as spouses.

Maybe I was just relieved to see Zooey in a role other than someone’s best friend or sister and finally be given the chance to headline a big studio film. At the very least, it's a huge departure from anything else she’s done and if another actress were playing Wahlberg’s wife I guarantee you I wouldn’t have cared as much about the character or the story. I’ve actually heard some people say the fallout from this will destroy her career, which is just complete nonsense. This was a necessary next step for her, regardless of its immediate consequences.

While I wouldn’t put either actor’s performance on their highlight reel, they did a good job and in no way deserve the bashing they’ve received. I commend both for making a risky choice and they’ll make it past this just fine.
The exciting and suspenseful third act of the picture really benefits from Blakely’s energetic performance and many moments between Wahlberg and Deschanel’s characters that work really well, particularly a beautiful scene in a field at the end. It’s obvious the movie has a message, but it doesn’t feel like a message movie so much as an intelligent parable. The film is a little like last year’s The Mist in that it points out how the human race can fail each other in the face of a legitimate catastrophe. In its best moments there are also echoes of Hitchcock’s The Birds, an obvious inspiration considering the film’s theme of nature turning on man.

This is one of Shyamalan’s more introspective, restrained efforts and James Newton Howard’s haunting score helps the creepy cause, even if the tone occasionally conflicts with it. The film doesn’t completely get to where Shyamalan wants it to, but how many of his movies actually do? It probably could have benefited from an outside, objective eye at the screenwriting stage but even if you view it as a misfire (which I don’t), it’s easily his most interesting one. What works is suspenseful and what doesn’t is hysterically entertaining. For anyone who hates it no explanation is necessary because there are some admittedly funny scenes, but I just took it for what it was and enjoyed myself.

Am I guilty of going in with lowered expectations? Maybe, but I like to think if I went in cold I’d have the same reaction. I’d also like to believe anyone who doesn’t surf the internet regularly or closely follow the writer/director’s career bumps would enjoy themselves, and its box office performance supports my theory. If The Happening does end up ruining M. Night Shyamalan’s career it's not because it’s a terrible film, but because he’s being graded on a harsher curve than everyone else.

Lady in the Water

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeffrey Wright, Bob Balaban, M. Night Shyamalan, Freddy Rodriguez, Mary Beth Hurt
Running Time: 110 min.
Rating: PG-13

*1/2 (out of ****)

Remember The Princess Bride? Rob Reiner's 1987 film that starts with a little boy being read a bedtime story by his grandfather and ends up being much more. You were hooked as the fairy tale took you to a magical world that evoked feelings of wonderment and excitement that have gone unmatched by any film in that genre for the past 20 years. People still quote it to this day. Now picture the complete opposite of that movie. It would be M. Night Shyamalan's Lady In The Water. It's also a fairy tale. Only it's stupid, silly and could have easily been written by a fourth grader. Actually no, that's kind of mean since a fourth grader could have probably weaved a tale considerably more intelligent and interesting than Shyamalan's. Critics ripped him apart for The Village a few years ago, but I thought it was an absorbing social commentary that contained a terrific twist ending right out of Rod Serling's play book. Even I can't defend him on this one though. After watching Lady in the Water I think everyone will appreciate just how good The Village really was as Shyamalan nearly commits career suicide with this picture.

Paul Giamatti plays ludicrously named apartment building superintendent Cleveland Heep who suspects someone's been playing in the complex's pool at night. That someone ends up being a sea nymph named Story (Bryce Dallas Howard) who's trying to get back home to the "Blue World" but can't because a Scrunt (a wolf-like creature covered in grass) is prowling the apartment grounds determined to keep her out. Don't worry if that sounds ridiculous because it actually plays out far worse than I'm giving it credit for here. If you don't know what a sea nymph is don't feel bad. Neither did I. All you need to know is that she's a magical creature from a fairy tale, kind of like a mermaid, and she walks around... naked. A lot. Since this is PG-13 though, we don't get to see any of it so those with your finger on the pause button can settle down.

Story shacks up at Clevelend's place while they figure out a way to get her home using the special powers of an eclectic group of residents at the complex. These "special powers" include solving crossword puzzles, reading cereal boxes, and talking endlessly about nothing (movie's words not mine). Two of these residents are Asian stereotypes who just happen to know every single detail of this needlessly complex fairy tale before it happens. What a coincidence. That's unusually lazy writing from Shyamalan who seems to be phoning this whole screenplay in from another planet. You'll notice that M. Night himself is listed above as part of the cast. No surprise as up until now he's always had a small cameo role in all of his films (kind of like Hitchcock), but he gives himself a huge one in this. A writer whose work is going to "CHANGE THE WORLD." That's right, this man wrote and cast himself in that role! Let that sink in for a second.

Watching this I couldn't help but feel deep sympathy for Paul Giamatti. He was unjustly robbed of an Oscar nomination for Sideways two years ago and now he's starring in this disaster. Although it's hard to feel much sympathy for anyone who read this script and thought it had any redeeming value at all. Even more perplexing, it was actually a published children's book and is based on a bedtime story Shyamalan told his kid. That's kind of fitting, since I can't think of any tale that would put a child to sleep faster. We have the pleasure of having M. Night read us this story on the special features. Thanks, but I'll take a pass. I'm not exactly sure who this movie is aimed at since kids will find it too scary and adults will just be bored to tears or too busy laughing their asses off.

Giamatti, ever the pro, does his best and actually gives an affecting performance as a lonely widower who's "saved" by this girl. That just adds to the frustration though, because it's in the context of the silliest fairy tale ever told. I really like the idea of a lonely superintendent finding a mysterious girl one night at the pool who changes his life and the interesting residents of the complex. The movie started well and it was fascinating to see Cleveland's interactions with these wildly diverse characters from each room. We find out his family was killed and this relationship with this girl is the closest he's let anyone get to him in years. The ingredients were there to make an interesting character study, but Shyamalan is determined to to make the next Princess Bride. He's also determined to make Howard, who's a real talent, just stand expressionless and talk in a monotone for the entire film.

Then there's a new resident of the complex (played by Bob Balaban) who's smug, arrogant, and thinks he knows everything. His occupation? Film critic. You could probably guess what happens to him. Of course you have to remember this is the same guy who once requested a personal meeting with a critic who panned one of his films. I guess I should have been more careful writing this. I'll expect a call soon. If he wanted revenge on the critics who trashed The Village I could think of better ways. How about making a great movie instead forcing this self indulgent mess on us? Maybe this was just something Shyamalan had to get out of his system and then move on and make quality films again. I sure hope so, because Lady in the Water is about as bad as it gets.