Pleasantly Surprising

Rating: 10/10 (14 September 2004)

I wasn't too hopeful when I went in to see this film, having seen all of the critics pan it, and lots of people say that it was dull, boring, etc. Which is why it was an especially pleasant surprise for me that not only was this movie not dull, it was actually rather good.
Set in 19th century Pennsylvania, it's not a "thrill-a-minute" horror ride, but if you were expecting that... then you deserve what you get, since this film never claimed to be that. Instead you get a much more subtle horror film, which is scary because it builds and builds and builds. Like most other films by Shyamalan, there's more twists in here than a mountain road, and while some of them are rather predictable, the ones that aren't still manage to throw the story in unexpected directions.
For those that are critical of this film for being "dull", might I suggest that a movie like "Catwoman" might be more to your taste? For the rest of us though, who crave intelligently crafted films like this that don't treat the audience like imbeciles, "The Village" is a winner.