The Village (2004) Review – A Beautiful but Polarising Period Drama

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are reviewing The Village (2004).

A folk-horror, romantic drama sort of thing

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, The Village follows the story of an isolated community who are haunted, at night, by unusual creatures that stalk their homes. The villagers have an uneasy truce with the creatures but, after someone violates the boundaries, the truce comes to an end, threatening the very village itself.

“While the trailer hinted at plenty of genre fun, the reality was much less exciting. The Village is actually the melding of a few different genres, with drama taking the front seat.”

Needless to say, back when this movie released, genre fans were rather excited. Shyamalan took the world by storm with his mega-hit The Sixth Sense and people were desperate for more. You can probably imagine the confusion and disappointment when The Village released and pushed the whole paranormal horror element to the background. This was an entirely more reserved affair. While the trailer hinted at plenty of genre fun, the reality was much less exciting.

The Village is actually the melding of a few different genres. The drama aspect takes a front seat here and drives the story. Sure, a few horror elements bleed through now and again and Shyamalan actually manages a few effective scares. It all evaporates rather quickly though, and gives way to a movie far more concerned with the social dynamics of the village and its romantic side-story. People were surprised and the twist ending came along to punctuate those feelings of bewilderment.

Almost a period drama

It’s probably best to go into this movie viewing it as a period drama with a few scary bits. We share in the struggles of a people who live in a much different manner to us. They are archaic, tightly knit, and haunted each and every night by a terrifying group of monsters. You are already unsettled by the vulnerability of the villagers. When these ugly bastards appear on screen for the first time, you completely buy into the horror aspect. It’s actually quite scary.

They really aren’t going to be playing into the story all that much, though. They are a basic plot vehicle that characters use as motivation rather than a crucial story arc. One thing that is going to play centre stage, however, is the love triangle featuring a few main cast members. The Village plays these scenes almost like an actual romance movie. They’ll inevitably guide the story along and that’s when things start to open up. It’s also where we are about to get our first big sense of disappointment.

The truth of the matter is that the creatures here are actually genuinely scary and this could have been a full blown horror. The threat of the monsters is ever looming and the tension this builds is incredible. We don’t see them particularly often but, when we do, they look like nightmare fuel. The costumes and makeup are fantastic and the designs truly unique. These fleeting glimpses create a level of anticipation that this movie has no interest in entertaining. It’s woefully disappointing from a horror perspective.

A horrifying and bewildering twist

You’ve barely had a chance to get accustomed to these creatures before Shyamalan pulls the proverbial rug out from under your feet. It’s one of two plot twists that land about as well as a fart in an elevator. I won’t spoil but, suffice to say, everything that made the first 30 minutes tense and scary is now gone for good. It’s time to prepare for heavy drama and boring romance. The Village has pulled off its mask and this is what it looks like underneath. If that wasn’t bad enough, it is going to get a lot worse.

“Everything that made the first 30 minutes tense and scary is gone for good. Shyamalan takes the atmosphere he built up, puts it under his boot and mercilessly crushes it.”

This movie is notorious for one of the most divisive plot twists in modern movie history. The twist at the end of The Village was seen as a bit of a middle finger to the viewer. Shyamalan takes all of the tension and atmosphere that he had carefully built up, puts it under his boot and mercilessly crushes it. A sad death for what was, up to this point, an entertaining movie.

Roger Ebert described the twist as “a crummy secret, about one step up the ladder of narrative originality from It was all a dream.“. Unfortunately, he was right. This was a twist so awful that you almost wish you never made it to the end of the movie. If the first twist was a fly in the soup, the second one is a massive turd in the punch bowl. It undermines everything that came before it and recontextualises the film in a way that couldn’t be more detrimental. If you thought all the drama and romance stuff was boring before, the ending will put a dramatic emphasis on that sentiment.

Brilliantly acted

With that being said, this is still a fairly watchable film and features a massively talented Hollywood cast. The village elders boast such names as Sigourney Weaver, the late William Hurt, Celia Weston, and Brendan Gleeson. On the younger side we have Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, Bryce Dallas Howard, Judy Greer, Michael Pitt, and Jesse Eisenberg among others. It’s obvious that people were lining up to work with Shyamalan after his success with The Sixth Sense. The exceptional cast are fantastic throughout. There aren’t any weak performances but there are some that stand out.

Bryce Dallas Howard is excellent. She has an admirable ability to display both strength and emotion. Playing a blind character can’t be easy but she excels at conveying the vulnerability of Ivy. Joaquin Phoenix shows why he was such an in-demand talent, at the time. Always believable and not afraid to deliver a quiet and nuanced performance. He fits the role perfectly. William Hurt, despite being a bit of a bastard in real life, by all accounts, is compassionate and warm as Ivy’s father.

“Bryce Dallas Howard is excellent. She has an admirable ability to display both strength and emotion. Playing a blind character can’t be easy but she excels at conveying vulnerability.”

The stand out performance however, is Adrien Brody as Noah. Brody had already won an Oscar for The Pianist so I suppose his performance here should come as no surprise. His turn as the developmentally delayed Noah is fantastic and utterly convincing. It is a sympathetic and deep portrayal and impossible not to buy into.

Excellent cinematography

Cinematography is excellent. The 1.85:1 aspect ratio feels fairly retro which fits the theme nicely. Shots are keenly lit with night time scenes looking particularly nice. The landscape is beautiful and the decision to film the movie in the fall was inspired. Fallen leaves contrast perfectly against the green grass of the village. Period clothing is very authentic too, which is a nice touch.

Scenes like Kitty’s wedding are noteworthy for their coordination and scale. There’s a desire to capture the village in its entirety in numerous shots and those shots work tremendously well. This is an absolutely gorgeous film.

As far as the horror element goes, the design of the creatures, as mentioned above, is excellent. I was very impressed with how creepy they looked the first time I watched the movie. I still think they look scary to this day. The woods look suitably hostile with dead trees, heavy rain, and even snow in parts. It works as the perfect allegory for the fear of the unknown that the villagers feel.

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Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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