The Happening

So then, The Happening. A film that has been almost universally slammed with the turkey award by reviewers. A select few have however given it slightly more positive reviews, that pick up on some of the finer (See: Less Crap) points of the film. If anything I have more respect for these critics than any of the others, simply because it seems like they've actually bothered to watch the film with an open mind. So basically they've done they're fucking job, whereas others have picked the mindless simpleton route (one taken far too often in the deteriorating world of film critics) of just saying everything about it was shit and moved on. However this is a review, not a rant about overpaid, idiotic critics claiming 300 was jingoistic. No this is my review damnit.



M. Night Shymalan has been making abnormal horror films for a while now. He directed and wrote Sicth Sense. Good Film. He did the same with Unbreakable. Also a good film. He wrote and directed Signs, and that film for one, scared the shit out of me when I saw it, and that's what you want from a horror film; to be scared. I have this awful bloody habit of watching horror films late at night with nothing to keep me company but a desk lamp, and this usually heightens the experience, albeit a perticularly scary one. More on this later however. The Happening is Shymalan's latest horror offering, following from what (I've been told) the sin against Paul Giamatti that Lady in the Water. Since Signs, things seem to have gone down hill, however I would register 'The Happening' as a slight bump in that downward scale, as opposed to a continuation of negativity. While the film is no classic, it's not a turkey either.


What appears to be the problem here is that it's badly written, which is surprising considering Shymalan's track record thus far. What this leads to is almost apathy from some of the main characters, with Wahlberg spouting one of the least emotional 'Oh My God' s I've ever heard. But I feel it's made up for with the scary bits, again more on that soon. Mark Wahlberg plays the lead role, a teacher who seems to be a bit more observant than the rest of East Coast America. So suddenly everybody starts dying on the Easy Coast of the states, everyone shits themselves and goes smarmy with the usual 'Terrorists are using Biological Weapons' stuff. However the plot moves on and as more and more people die, it is realised it's not in fact Al-Qaeda, it's that utter bitch mother nature, specifically those sneaky bastard trees. So Wahlberg and his former lady escape off intot the great American outdoors with his best mates kid (He was dead so it's cool I guess). The trees are releasing a chemical into the air that when inhaled causes a person to kill them self with what ever means are available at the time. For example, a man starts a large lawn mower going in a circle then lies down in front of it. Nifty. I won't elaborate on the plot further but needless to say, people are dying, and in interesting ways too.


So basic plot outline, now on to why I like the film. The Horror part. There's something terribly harrowing about watching an entire city full of people all stop and take their lives at once. That fearful sense of recognition on one of the characters face when they know what's just or is about to happen(ed). Despite what's killing people being invisible, there's a sign involved in knowing when it's about to hit. It's not everywhere at once you see. That sign being a strong gust of wind being heard as it shakes the grass and plants nearby. I don't know why, but it is actually quite scary. Especially at 2 AM on a Thursday morning, in the dark. It's this horror factor that redeems this film in my eyes. It gives you a reason to watch it. That and Mark Wahlberg. I love Mark Wahlberg.


So, The Happening. Not a great film, but not a bad film for those who enjoy a good horror. So my recommendation is rent it, or buy it if your a Shymalan fan. I may buy it when it eventually goes super cheap, as these films inevitably do. But give it a watch, by whatever methods you prefer.