The Village (2004) **1/2

Rating: 6/10 (1 August 2004)

After seeing the very good THE SIXTH SENSE and SIGNS, I've come to regard M. Night Shyamalan as the "Savior of Modern Horror". He's a brilliant director who takes the offbeat material seriously and always maintains a quality approach to his films. It turns out that THE VILLAGE is not really a bonafide "horror film," though, and it's perhaps best approached with that in mind. I liken it to an overlong TWILIGHT ZONE fantasy television episode that might have been more effective at 30 minutes opposed to its 120.
It's beautifully shot with a wholesome feel for the 1800s, and more than a few surprises (the shocking stabbing scene comes to mind). Bryce Howard gives a good performance as the lovestruck blind girl of the story, and William Hurt is strong, too.
THE VILLAGE is a flawed movie that isn't on par with THE SIXTH SENSE or SIGNS; it's not a "great" film by any means, nor even a "very good one"... but it works well as a fairytale that plays on people's fears, and I liked that about it.