Not Spielbergian magic, but Shyamalan spookiness

Rating: 7/10 (12 August 2002)

Audiences who go into this movie anticipating the kind of spellbinding magic of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" will come away disappointed. What you WILL experience is a creepy, spooky story that mixes in nice doses of humor along the way.
And those who see this film expecting surprise twists at the end will also be disappointed. Shyamalan has a long career as a filmmaker ahead of him, so let's not get on his case every time he makes a movie that doesn't give you a cheap thrill at the end.
The first thing you'll notice is the music on the opening credits. Very scary, very Hitchcock. It sets the tone for what's to come. The plot will leave a number of open-ended questions for those who are really paying attention. To list them here would be to spoil too many elements of the film for those who haven't seen it. Suffice it to say that many will be scratching their heads and thinking, "But whatever happened to...?" or "Why did they...?"
As for Shyamalan himself, there was probably no need to fill the screen with "A Film by M. Night Shyamalan" at the end. After all, the opening credits told us that (also filling the entire screen), and he cast himself into a key role in the movie. Add to that the fact that he's appearing on major magazine and newspaper covers worldwide, and I think we're on the verge of Shyamalan overdose. Here's the antidote: M. Night, make your next film smaller, less grandiose, less self-indulgent, and a nice, small, classy credit saying "Directed by M. Night Shyamalan." That's right, let someone else write your next movie. It'll make for a more diverse resume.