The Happening

Review by Sean Lynch

As harsh as we are all likely to be about the latest film from M. Night Shyamalan, everyone has to sit back an realise it will be literally impossible for the man to ever come close to recapturing the brilliance of The Sixth Sense.

Just accept that fact, move on, and enjoy his movies for what they are!

The Happening is Shyamalan's last hope in Hollywood.

Besides the fact his "What You Don't See" style of horror has been overtaken by "Torture-Porn" in the mainstream, his diva-ish antics surrounding the critical and financial bomb that was  Lady In The Water have him pegged as one of the most difficult people to work with in Hollywood.

So there is a lot riding on this one - and from a totally superficial point of view, this movie might just save him from oblivion: Great Trailer, Great Premise, Great Set-Up, Great looking poster!

The flick starts off well, with news that a mysterious airborne neurotoxin is spreading across the US - causing people to inexplicably kill themselves.

A high school science teacher (Mark Wahlberg) runs for his life together with his estranged wife (Zooey Deschanel), friend (John Leguizamo, who is excellent in his few scenes) and his daughter in an effort to survive - or simply outrun - the virus while the world goes into a maelstrom of self destruction.

[WARNING : SPOILER AHEAD]

Make no mistake, 75% of The Happening is pure Shyamalan class. It's intense, it's chilling (especially some of the grizzly random suicides) and it builds towards what can only be an insanely satisfying twist... and then... nothing.

That's right - nothing!

Normally, I would have no issue with that - but The Happening seems to pride itself throughout that there is more to come. Perhaps the twist is that there is no twist? And even if that is the case, the audience is still bound to feel amazingly cheated by the lack of a conclusion outside of the philosophical "Some events simply can't be explained".

After the backlash this film is bound to receive by audiences, the one thing you can pretty much guarantee that won't be Happening is the funding of the next M. Night Shyamalan movie.

Add to that to the fact that Whalberg is simply woeful - just terrible, and more often than not a complete distraction which takes you out of the movie (which, as I said, draws you in for an excellent 80 minutes) - and the dreadful feeling by the end of the film that you've just been duped into paying to see an hour and a half long environmental lecture.

The original working title for the film was The Green Effect and then Green Planet, both of which actually would have made more sense and would've been a bit more satisfying when the credits rolled.

The Happening is an excellent thriller, at times on par with Sixth Sense or Signs, with a totally misguided ending which completely unravels all the success which proceeded it - which is frustrating - because it was so close to being a masterpiece.

3.5 out of 5

The Happening
Australian release: 12th June, 2008
Official Site: The Happening
Cast:  Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo
Director: M. Night Shyamalan