Really good movie

Rating: Null/10 (30 July 2004)

This is an excellent movie that transcends the usual vaporous "bump in the night" fare that Shyamalam does so well. The thrills are there, tension is thick in the air, performances are excellent but the film also raises interesting questions. Not to spill the ending but, coming from the state that hosted the Amish and, at one time, the Moravians (religious societies that withdrew from the corruption of the world), you are left to wonder whether the community life created by the fear of what's outside is worth the deliberate barriers you have to erect in order to seal yourself off. You also wonder whether, in the end, you can really improve on basic human stupidity, greed and lust or whether you just postpone it as long as the benign patriarch manages to convince you that only the monsters beyond the fence keep you in line.