The Happening

Undoubtedly M. Night Shyamalan’s weakest thriller to date, The Happening has been infused with a broad, almost campy sensibility that virtually negates the strength of the film’s genuinely disturbing moments. There are consequently very few elements within the proceedings that provoke the kind of visceral reaction that Shyamalan is undoubtedly aiming for, as the director’s usual tropes ultimately don’t come off nearly as well as they have in the past (ie the protagonist is subjected to a personal problem that’s neatly wrapped up by the time the credits roll). The storyline – which follows several characters (including Mark Wahlberg’s Elliot and Zooey Deschanel’s Alma) as they attempt to survive during an environmental crisis – moves at an appropriately brisk pace, though it does become increasingly difficult to look past the pervading lack of tension within the film’s more overtly scary sequences. Shyamalan’s far-from-subtle modus operandi surely plays a significant role in The Happening‘s downfall, with the overwrought and flat-out laughable dialogue exacerbated by performances that are almost uniformly ineffective (something that’s particularly true of Wahlberg’s egregiously earnest and downright incompetent efforts at stepping into the shoes of an everyman). And while there are admittedly a handful of eerie interludes sprinkled throughout – ie the fate of John Leguizamo’s character – The Happening remains a misguided effort that bears few similarities to such prior Shyamalan successes as Signs and The Village.

**1/2 out of ****