Another fascinating genre reinvention from Shyamalan

Rating: 8/10 (14 July 2004)

So far, M. Night Shyamalan and done startlingly unusual takes on ghosts, superheroes, and now aliens. This movie follows a completely different path from other movies of its genre. The movie takes place away from the action, and one only has a vague idea of the overall picture. Almost nothing is shown; at times the movie seems to just be teasing the audience with action that is just out of sight.
The movie is full of lovely touches, and the ending is absolutely stunning, as though someone had created an elaborate domino trail that you didn't even know existed until they started falling one by one. As with previous Shyamalan films, this is a thoughtful movie using genre conventions to create something unique. It's probably not quite as effective overall as The Sixth Sense, although the ending is so powerful that it overshadows any weaknesses of the film as a whole. It's far more successful than the interesting but unsatisfactory Unbreakable. Definitely worth seeing.