THE VILLAGE is when SHYAMALAN lost his way

It’s safe to say that M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN'S first few movies were something different.

The Village 2004

He arrived on the Hollywood scene with a fresh perspective, good writing skills, and a talent for direction. His first three, THE SIXTH SENSE, UNBREAKABLE, and SIGNS, were great, especially SIGNS. That’s my personal favorite.  

However, it was with his 2004 film THE VILLAGE that we began seeing cracks in the foundation. THE VILLAGE, while beautifully shot and acted—its problems are not in any surface conversation—has its issues within the story itself.  

THE VILLAGE, as a story with a message, not the characters, knows a secret that it keeps from the viewer, only revealing it when ready, thereby treating the viewer, as a result, with disrespect. 

The viewer is treated as a fool because the story assumes the audience is not part of the narrative at play. We're removed beyond the characters themselves, although we're supposed to empathize with them while we follow the story. It's a disconnect, a severe and unforgivable disrespect that railroaded Shyamalan's career away from possible superstardom as a legendary filmmaker. 

It’s only when the twist is revealed that we’re finally let in and, ultimately, disappointed. The supernatural element we’ve been led to believe that has tormented the characters is just a farce. 

The problem is that many of the characters already knew this secret, but acted like they didn't know. Even worse, though, is that the story makes it impossible for the viewer to discover the secret. There aren't any clues that the monsters are fake or that they're living in current times--not, at least, until the story is ready to let us know. 

That's a big mistake in storytelling. 

The story must allow its audience to have the necessary clues to solve the mystery, too. It's not only the characters who are on the journey. It's the viewers, as well.

I don’t hold THE VILLAGE to the heights of THE SIXTH SENSE, of course, but it isn’t a bad film. It’s just a story that’s meant to fool the audience without ever allowing us the proper clues to discover the secret for ourselves.  

But with that said, THE VILLAGE ends on a positive note, just like his previous films, and his next film, LADY IN THE WATER, which Shyamalan absolutely borrowed elements from THE VILLAGE. LADY IN THE WATER is THE VILLAGE 2.0. It's as if Shyamalan read all the hate for THE VILLAGE and decided to go even further with that type of fantastical story. 

All criticisms aside, THE VILLAGE is a decent movie until the twist, which reveals more of Shyamalan's future career than a surprise within the film.