The Village
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When a willful young man tries to venture beyond his sequestered Pennsylvania hamlet, his actions set off a chain of chilling incidents that will alter the community forever.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics were sharply divided on Shyamalan's period thriller, with most English-language reviewers finding the twist ending a fatal miscalculation that undermined whatever genuine atmosphere the film had built — while a notable pocket of French critics saw it as a serious post-9/11 political fable in disguise. The film's mood-building and visual craft drew some defenders, but the central complaint was that its big secret collapses under scrutiny, leaving the solemnity feeling unearned.
“The Village is a colossal miscalculation, a movie based on a premise that cannot support it, a premise so transparent it would be laughable were the movie not so deadly solemn”
Roger Ebert·RogerEbert.com
“sealed-off movies that [fall] apart when exposed to outside logic”
Michael Agger·Slate
“Shyamalan's orchestration of mood and terror is as adroit as ever”
Jeffrey Westhoff·Northwest Herald
“a political film disguised as fantasy, a work of great beauty shot through with primal anxieties and universal aspirations”
Le Monde
“once again taking himself for Hitchcock”
Télérama
Accolades
Parents guide
- Violence
- moderate
- Sex
- none
- Profanity
- none
- Substances
- none
- Intensity
- moderate
Genres
Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Cast & Crew
M. Night ShyamalanDirector
Bryce Dallas HowardIvy Walker
Joaquin PhoenixLucius Hunt
Adrien BrodyNoah Percy
William HurtEdward Walker
Sigourney WeaverAlice Hunt
Brendan GleesonAugust Nicholson
Cherry JonesMrs. Clack
Celia WestonVivian Percy
John Christopher JonesRobert Percy
Frank CollisonVictor
Jayne AtkinsonTabitha Walker
Judy GreerKitty Walker
James Newton HowardComposer
Roger DeakinsCinematographyThe Village
When a willful young man tries to venture beyond his sequestered Pennsylvania hamlet, his actions set off a chain of chilling incidents that will alter the community forever.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics were sharply divided on Shyamalan's period thriller, with most English-language reviewers finding the twist ending a fatal miscalculation that undermined whatever genuine atmosphere the film had built — while a notable pocket of French critics saw it as a serious post-9/11 political fable in disguise. The film's mood-building and visual craft drew some defenders, but the central complaint was that its big secret collapses under scrutiny, leaving the solemnity feeling unearned.
“The Village is a colossal miscalculation, a movie based on a premise that cannot support it, a premise so transparent it would be laughable were the movie not so deadly solemn”
Roger Ebert·RogerEbert.com
“sealed-off movies that [fall] apart when exposed to outside logic”
Michael Agger·Slate
“Shyamalan's orchestration of mood and terror is as adroit as ever”
Jeffrey Westhoff·Northwest Herald
“a political film disguised as fantasy, a work of great beauty shot through with primal anxieties and universal aspirations”
Le Monde
“once again taking himself for Hitchcock”
Télérama
Accolades
Parents guide
- Violence
- moderate
- Sex
- none
- Profanity
- none
- Substances
- none
- Intensity
- moderate
Genres
Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Cast & Crew
M. Night ShyamalanDirectorBryce Dallas HowardIvy WalkerJoaquin PhoenixLucius HuntAdrien BrodyNoah PercyWilliam HurtEdward WalkerSigourney WeaverAlice HuntBrendan GleesonAugust NicholsonCherry JonesMrs. ClackCelia WestonVivian PercyJohn Christopher JonesRobert PercyFrank CollisonVictorJayne AtkinsonTabitha WalkerJudy GreerKitty WalkerJames Newton HowardComposerRoger DeakinsCinematographyStream
Rent & Buy