We've Sensed It. We've Seen The Signs. Now... It's Happening.

So I went to 'The Happening' at the cinema last night. I'm ashamed to say the trailers drew me in, and so did the amount of hype surrounding M. Night Shyamalan's latest offering. I won't spoil the plot but merely point out the many love/hate elements contained within the excruciatingly brief movie. The concept is nothing new, people running away from death - literally. The acting in this film is ridiculous. Whether it's simply nervousness in front of the camera or something else, the sense of fear just isn't believable. The strange dialogue doesn't help either - weird lines written into the film to break up the tension simply feel out of place. Some of stunts are barely believable, and main characters' wooden voice acting is simply disheartening. The film has potential but just isn't cohesive enough for what it promises. The plot is all over the place, nothing is ever really explained. I felt as if 'The Happening' was a late april fool's joke, a bad one. I would want to see this film again, but not because it's amazing - just to point out it's many flaws. I would certainly pick 'Signs' or 'The Village', as 'The Happening reflects badly on M. Night Shyamalan's talents as a script-writer and director. I hope he's on better form with his next film. The potential for greatness is undeniable.

Pascal x