Better than The Sixth Sense

Rating: Null/10 (9 August 2001)

Here is M. Night Shymalan's follow-up to his critically acclaimed, highly successful spook story, The Sixth Sense, and everyone seems to be asking the same question. Which is better? Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I'd personally say that Unbreakable is the better of the two.
Unbreakable follows a boring, depressed security guard, David Dunn (Bruce Willis), who, remarkably, never gets injured or sick. He is being stalked by a mysterious comic book collector, Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson, in a truly great performance), who continually attempts to convince David that he's more than he seems, and that David's lack of injury and Elijah's brittle bones must mean that they are on opposite sides of the spectrum for a reason.

M. Night Shymalan makes the film twist and turn unexpectedly, keeping the viewer guessing (probably incorrectly) at what will happen next. Similar to The Sixth Sense, it results in a big double-whammy at the end. Ultimately, the reason I prefer Unbreakable is because the events in the film before the surprise ending are easier to watch with repeated viewings.
M. Night Shymalan seems to have several obvious trademarks. Notice how quiet his films are, and notice how quietly the characters speak. There are long pauses between most of the things the characters say. The pacing is deliberately slow and suggestive of what will happen later. It's an interesting filmmaking style that I will look forward to seeing more of.
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