If the ending wasn't ruined beforehand, it would have been a perfect suspenseful thriller

Rating: 7/10 (20 August 2004)

While not quite as good as 'Signs' and 'The Sixth Sense', I found 'The Village' very enjoyable. It was eerily atmospheric with the usual unexpected twists M. Night Shyamalan delights in. This film is a reminder that with good camera-work and an original story, CGI and computer-added effects are not always needed.
The story centres around an American village of the Nineteenth Century that is surrounded by woods inhabited with strange creatures. There is a truce between the villagers and the creatures that so long as the villagers don't wear red nor breach the woods then they will not be harmed. This truce is violated when a young blind girl has to cross through the woods to bring medicine for an injured loved one.
Yes, it's a vague summary but I can't say too much without ruining the twists (which there are three of).
Some critics have said they saw the ending a mile off but somehow I doubt it and I imagine these critics are the sort of people who criticise a film to make themselves look 'sophisticated' and 'intelligent'. I think Shyamalan has created another masterpiece and directed excellent performances from the cast, in particular William Hurt and Bryce Dallas Howard, although Sigourney Weaver did seem a little under used.
One major problem is that this is the sort of film that should be released in the US and the UK on the same date. Shyamalan could find a drop in UK sales primarily because some UK cinema-goers will know exactly what the twists and may avoid the film are thanks to a number of inconsiderate American viewers who saw the film then in their reviews announced to the world what happens without leaving spoiler warnings. Therefore, I and a few of my friends went in knowing exactly what would happen, and like all of Shyamalan's films, knowing did take some of the fun from the storyline.