Awful

Rating: 2/10 (12 December 2004)

This movie tells a boring and extremely far-fetched story. The plot does not really lend itself to the 'twist ending' approach that is a unfortunate trademark of the director. I like Shyamalan's style, but here it simply doesn't work. His earlier 'Signs' also suffered from a weak script, but at least the movie was well directed. Here, he is simply overconfident bordering on arrogant with his direction, complete with a vanity cameo. The figures simply don't hold enough interest, and the somber mood of the villagers simply does not make any sense in the context of the story as it is revealed in the end. The only standout is Bryce Dallas Howard, who may not yet be a great actress, but possesses a great screen presence full of dignity and grace.
I hope that Shyamalan will take his time and find a script that is more suitable to his style for his next feature. 'The Village' can only be considered to be complete failure.