A truly chilling horror film -- but not how you think

Rating: 6/10 (8 July 2012)

******* SPOILER ALERT ******* If you have not seen the film, do NOT read this review, as it WILL ruin the signature Shyamalan surprises for you, but I hope you will come back and read my review after you've seen the movie. Thanks!
It is no surprise that this movie, like all Shyamalan films, is well-crafted -- beautifully directed, cast, and filmed -- and thought-provoking. However, I give this movie a 6 because of the ending and its underlying message. Based on the lackadaisical, "we'll-just-continue-as-we've-gone-before" ending he gives it, Shyamalan does not seem to realize the true horror that he has created, namely, a fictitious utopian community with well-intentioned elders that have achieved their ends through deceit and terrorism. Yes, terrorism, folks. Does no one, even Shyamalan, see the chilling implications of the social engineering in this story? From what I can tell, no one else reviewing this movie here, nor anyone I know who has seen it, seem to get that point.
People compare the Village to the Amish, but aside from a seemingly idyllic, simple life, the similarities stop there. People living in Amish communities know full well what the real world around them is like. Certainly, they view the rest of the world through the tinted glasses of their own beliefs, upbringing, and experiences, but at least they know that they live in the modern era and have a pretty good idea of what's out there. In fact, the Amish encourage their young adults to go out into the real world for a short time, experience it, and decide where they want to be, although most end up returning to the fold. Does the Village do that, allow their young people to make their own decisions about which world they want to live in? No. They don't tell them much about that other world at all.
Donning monstrous costumes to scare the living daylights out of your own families and weaving intricate lies meant to keep them where you want them is terrorism, plain and simple, and this is a small-scale totalitarian situation. People living in the Village are not allowed to leave if they want to, and to be independent and brave enough to attempt it, like Lucius Hunt, is to court trouble. Granted, Lucius is not beaten. He is not thrown into prison. The elders listen to him. They even sympathize with him. But nevertheless, they use underhanded tactics and threats to keep him and the rest of the village in ignorance and fear. Forget that they live in an idyllic world, based on the simple life -- this is a prison, and they don't even know it. Is that idyllic, simple life, really worth so much? There are countries on this planet that use the same tactics on their own citizens, and other, reasonable, liberty-loving people seem to have no problem despising those governments. The Village is no different -- just on a smaller scale -- and yet people just don't seem to get it, including Shyamalan himself.
So, rather than rewarding Lucius and Ivy for their courage and independence, Shyamalan draws them right back into the lies, along with everyone else. Ivy now thinks that the beasts really do exist because she encountered and killed one. The elders agree with each other that they will uphold the lie and continue with what they have built -- continue keeping their people in the dark. In the end, nothing has changed at all, except that maybe they won't have to wear those scary costumes as much as before. M. Night Shyamalan's message here seems to be that the ends justify the means, that the collective is more important than the individual, and that deception, terrorism, and ignorance are acceptable means of keeping individuals in line, making this a chilling horror story indeed.