M. Night Shyamalan proves he's truly Unbreakable

Rating: 8/10 (25 February 2001)

Last year, M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense took the country by surprise when its twist ending shocked audiences across the nation, introduced us to the exceptional talent of the young Haley Joel Osment, received 6 Academy Award nominations, and went on to become one of the highest grossing films of all time. Since the announcement of Shyamalan's follow up to Sense, Unbreakable, the country has been asking the questions-"Will Shyamalan deliver again? Will he be able to top The Sixth Sense? Can he create an ending more shocking than Sense's?" The answer to all three of these questions can now be told: The answer is yes-and with flying colors. A chilling masterpiece of the unexpected and the supernatural, Unbreakable, unlike Sense, will divide critics and audiences alike, but its imagination and ambition is what propels it past the quality level of The Sixth Sense.

Bruce Willis (who also starred in Sense) is wonderfully subtle as David Dunne, who, after miraculously being the lone survivor in a train crash, begins coming to strange realizations after a strange note is left on his windshield; He cannot recall a time when he was sick nor injured - somewhat strange for a grown man, eh? Dunne searches for the identity behind the eerie note he received, and is lead to Limited Edition, a comic-book art gallery, owned by the mysterious Elijah Price (an afro-sporting Samuel L. Jackson). Price offers an unrealistic, far-fetched explanation for Dunne surviving the crash and never being sick: David Dunne is unbreakable, his bones do not break. His cells react to bacteria and sickness in a different way than anyone else. Price on the other hand, is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Ever since birth, Price's bones have broken effortlessly. Price relates these two characteristics to that of comic book characters, as Dunne is just first discovering his "trademark", or his special powers as a super-hero.
Shyamalan knows audiences are coming into Unbreakable expecting a conventional tale of the supernatural; He knows audiences want a twist ending that will leave them breathless; He knows audiences want a film that will send them back into the theater several hours later to re-watch the film's twists which are reflected in the ending. And what does he do with this knowledge? He, quite frankly, slams it in the viewer's face and laughs at you for it. Unbreakable will undoubtedly leave audiences disappointed, leaving them asking "What was that all about?" and most likely stating what a "rip-off" it is. Shyamalan knows this. Shyamalan has not made Unbreakable for the mainstream audiences, he has made it for his personal satisfaction, a tribute to comic books. He has made a film that proves a film's advertising campaign does not necessarily reflect the film's true intentions or theme. And ultimately, he has made a film that tells the audience to not walk into his films with any expectations whatsoever, or he will, as seen with Unbreakable, slam them in your face. (And then laugh at you for it.)
Certainly not a rehash of The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable succeeds in a way like no other film this year has for one reason: It does not care how the mainstream will react to it. Shyamalan crafts Unbreakable in a way that the viewer is truly unclear of what they're watching-is this a supernatural thriller with a twist ending, or is it a comic-book adventure tale? The answer is not revealed until the film's final revelation, which will leave some with smiles spread wide across their faces, and will leave others scoffing in disbelief and disgust. But either way the ball bounces, Unbreakable is still a daring, unconventional piece of cinematic art. When the credits began to roll, I could only think about one thing: The sequel.