The Happening (2008)

Rarely have I seen a horror film with a more idiotic premise and pitiable execution than The Happening. M. Night Shyamalan, once a master of the brilliant twist ending has in recent years been reduced to plagiarising H.G. Wells and writing this kind of ill-informed... well, near-propaganda. Within this film, science is attacked as only being able to offer facile "theories" rather than any kind of real knowledge, nature is exalted as "not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose", and the environmental message is as subtle as a brick to the face. Myriad shots of plants are shown with what is practically the theme from Jaws playing in the background. But, that's not to say that the film is without any redeeming factors, however unintentional. Many of the "shocking" death scenes are laughable, and it's quite near the line of "so bad it's good"... but not close enough. However funny it is to see a group of people try to outrun the wind or Mark Wahlberg negotiating with a plant, it's just not good enough. Really, the premise is so painful that it ruins any possible enjoyment - a chemical has been released into the air that removes people's sense of self-preservation. Fair enough. And I can understand how this would result in people falling from tall buildings, simply through a lack of care and wandering dauntlessly over the edge. But how exactly does that translate to suicide by gun, garotte or hair-pin? There's a chasm of difference between "lacks self-preservation" and "lacks ability to not stab oneself in the neck", and this movie plummets as it tries to surmount this broad gap.


I will murder your family!