The Village (DVD) > Reviews

Advantages: Great central performances, some good scares
Disadvantages: An ending that spoils the story

...speak of’, creatures that inhabit the woods surrounding them. The agreement is that neither side will venture into the others territory. But when Lucius (Phoenix) requests permission to leave the village, things suddenly start going bump in the night… An M. Night Shyamalan film has become something of an institution, an annual event ripe for discussion. The Village certainly continues his tradition of splitting audiences right down the middle. ... Read review

Advantages: Well Shot, Decent acting
Disadvantages: Quite dull, lame ending

...know, one thing that switches the movie on its head. This trick first came to the fore with The Sixth Sense, a ghost story with a solid performances and a genuinely good twist. Next came the very under-rated Unbreakable, which in my opinion was better. Signs was also another solid effort, able to build suspense and fear without actually seeing the aliens. Then came The Village, a creepy little tale set in an old rural community in America. The ... Read review

Advantages: Good acting and story
Disadvantages: Looking for the plot twists will give you whiplash

Pennsylvania, 1897; the inhabitants of the utopian Covington have held an uneasy truce with the creatures that live in the woods around their village for years. But when Lucius Hunt asks permission to leave, things change for the worse. Writer-director M Night Shyamalan’s films all seem to exist in the eternal twilight of an autumnal world. “The Village” is no exception, portraying a world of muted tones and frosty nights, the whole thing awash ... Read review

Advantages: beautifully filmed, superbly acted
Disadvantages: slightly predictable

...film with a twist in the tail. I can’t begin to describe how excited I was about seeing ‘The Village’ – I usually only make a trip to the cinema if it’s directed by Shyamalan (or it’s a Pixar, a Harry Potter, or a Christopher Nolan), which will give you some idea of my affection for his particular brand of direction. You may have seen the adverts on TV already, and you might have some idea of the plot. It’s very hard with this film to give a decent ... Read review

Advantages: Great start, raises your hopes
Disadvantages: Average ending, overall disappointing

...scene is Covington in Pennsylvania, the year is 1897. A small isolated community live their lives peacefully and happily. The adults meet and pass the time whilst the children play games and run around. The community is idealistic with jovial ceremonies and religious prayers the order of the day. The community is just like many others at that time in history, however all is not how it seems. The whole village is surrounded by an imposing forest ... Read review

Advantages: Interesting idea for a film
Disadvantages: Not really a horror, weak acting, disappointing

...be quite hard to summarise the plot to this film without giving away too much, but I hope this will at least give an idea of what the film is about and the basic story. It’s probably right to warn that this review does have a few spoilers in it, but I blame the story for this, as it is the only way to really evaluate it. The Story It is about a society that has broken away from the rest of the world and modern life. They have set up a village ... Read review

Advantages: /
Disadvantages: /

...that have a twist in the plot, Signs and Sixth Sense are two classic examples of his curve ball style both films with endings that are still the subject of debate by film buffs. The Village is made in the same tradition as his previous works but this time the film is a mixed bag. Having been marketed as a horror film, well at least that's what I got from the trailers I `d seen, it may come as a bit of a let down to those who are expecting something ... Read review

Advantages: Beautiful love story, some compelling perfomances
Disadvantages: Too many twists, clunky horror plot line

...lines, then, instead of picking the best and refining it, he shoves them all into one movie without really trying to improve on any of them. I am talking about Shyamalan’s latest, the thriller/drama/horror/romance (Internet Movie Database’s definition of its genre, not mine!) The Village. Set in what appears to be a secluded, seventeenth century village, the movie focuses on an idyllic community made up of people who have travelled ... Read review

Advantages: Interesting concept, beautifully filmed
Disadvantages: It just fizzles out

...dodgy reviews, I always liked the sound of the concept behind the village and so was delighted to get my hands on a copy and settled down expecting to watch a pleasantly creepy thriller. Unfortunately, not even the quality of the actors or the beautiful filming could make this film anything other than average. After a promising start, it just fizzled out. The plot The villagers of a place in the middle of the woods have made a pact with the beings ... Read review

Advantages: Good premise, good cast and performances
Disadvantages: Could have made a better film with the same premise.

When The Village plopped on my mat from my DVD rental service I couldn't remember what it was about and why I had added it. It is written, produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan who is most famous for Sixth Sense, which I imagine is what intrigued me, although his subsequent films such as Unbreakable and Signs have not had the same commercial or critical success, nor did I enjoy them as much. The film is set in an isolated, rural Pennsylvanian ... Read review

Advantages: good plot, interesting twists
Disadvantages: slow in parts

Film Review – The Village Written/ Directed by M Night Shyamalan| Horror | Drama Starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Brendan Gleeson, Cherry Jones, Judy Greer, and Celia Weston Summery – The Village. A horror/thriller about a 19th century village surrounded by woodland, which hides mysterious creatures, or so it makes you think…. I must admit that the television advertisements did not ... Read review

Advantages: Attention to detail
Disadvantages: Everything else about the film

The Village is another of M Night Shymalan's fables of beings who dont quite exist within our time or space. Set in the 19th century, the elders have shut their people off from the rest of the world, making a creepy nearby woods their wall from the rest of the world. Nobody is allowed to cross the divide either way, but occasionally, their is contact which creates alarm and panic. In the night, there are also noises of the creatures who come into ... Read review