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Unbreakable
Buena Vista Pictures


6.4

based on 31 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 49 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for mature thematic elem

Starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright Penn, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard, and Eamonn Walker

David Dunn (Willlis) is the sole survivor of a devastating train wreck. Elijah Price (Jackson), a mysterious stranger, offers a bizarre explanation as to why David escaped without a single scratch, an explanation that threatens to change David's family and life forever. (Touchstone Pictures)

GENRE(S):	Suspense/Thriller
WRITTEN BY:	M. Night Shyamalan
DIRECTED BY:	M. Night Shyamalan
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: June 26, 2001 Video: June 26, 2001 Theatrical: November 22, 2000
RUNNING TIME:	107 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

New York Post Lou Lumenick

"The Sixth Sense" was no fluke. Unbreakable, writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's dazzling reunion with Bruce Willis confirms he's one of the most brilliant filmmakers working today.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

An exquisitely crafted film filled with little shocks and deep echoes of humanity. It'll stick with you.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Somberly fantastic new mystery thriller.

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

Mesmerizing dark fable, which also contains moments of comedy and action that don't disrupt its oddly earnest tone

Dallas Observer Robert Wilonsky

Willis gives a remarkable, wrenching performance: He is the most fragile indestructible man ever created.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

I was hooked from beginning to end.

Film.com Sean Means

Unbreakable shows Shyamalan as a rapidly maturing filmmaker, taking risks and making them pay off.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

It's rare that a a movie leaves you pinned to your seat, wanting to see it again -- right now, this minute -- to work out the pieces of the puzzle. Unbreakable is one of those movies.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Mr. Shyamalan may be the only mainstream director hankering for success with a need to understate; he is like Shaq without the tattoos. The result is a mastery of craft that may leave some hungry for more.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Even if the ending doesn't entirely succeed, it doesn't cheat, and it comes at the end of an uncommonly absorbing movie.

Chicago Tribune Marc Caro

The irony is that although Unbreakable is as compellingly watchable, stylish and intriguing as its predecessor, its ending has almost the opposite effect on the overall picture.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Ultimately, the film can't help but disappoint. Movies where you're continually waiting for the other shoe to drop are never as much fun as those where you never expected the first one to fall.

Mr. Showbiz Larry Terenzi

Seems truncated, incomplete -- mostly because the patented Shyamalan twist is revealed in the dénouement, not the climax.

Variety Todd McCarthy

Possesses sufficient intrigue to hook audiences and keep them on board much of the way.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Shyamalan's premise is a lulu, to be sure, but if you can manage that precious, tentative suspension of disbelief, you'll find Unbreakable a rewarding meditation on the nature of heroes, both comic book and otherwise.

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

As absorbing as much of it is, Unbreakable winds up as a mild disappointment. But it leaves no question the hype around Shyamalan is well-deserved: This guy has a huge career ahead of him.

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

"Sixth Sense" fans will be intrigued at first, then disappointed.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Whatever he (Shyamalan) did, he shouldn't have tried to send the same lightning bolt down to Earth in the same place.

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

The movie feels oddly undercooked and aimless.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Far-fetched and utterly humorless, with a literally tacked-on conclusion (yes, more text on the screen), the only thing that's surprising about Unbreakable is how lame it is.

USA Today Mike Clark

Shyamalan's style is so exaggerated, with its long pauses and exacting rhythms of sound- vs.- silence, that it easily can engender eye-rolling and snickers.

Village Voice Dennis Lim

Soggy mysticism, nagging inconsistencies, and coarse horror-playbook jolts.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

The story grows sillier as it goes along, culminating in a final switcheroo that's about as deep as the comic-book ideas that inspired the plot.

San Francisco Chronicle Edward Guthmann

Even the surprise ending arrives with a thud and makes us wonder why Shyamalan didn't try something new instead of recycling his "Sixth Sense" recipe.

Salon.com Ray Pride

For its perilous ambitions, Unbreakable has to be admired, but any ending that succeeds only in pulling the rug out from under a credulous, trusting audience has to be laughed at and called out for the extravagant nonsense that it is.

Newsweek David Ansen

This time out, Shyamalan the writer lets Shyamalan the director down badly.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

It would be foolish to deny that Unbreakable has scenes that make you jump, but without anything resonant to apply that skill to, the film has no option except squandering its technique.

Boston Globe Jay Carr

A film that begins with a train wreck and then, figuratively speaking, becomes one.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

A gloomy, preposterous psychological thriller.

Film.com Robert Horton

A big disappointment.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

A potentially interesting idea deflated by the absurd proclamations of an arch screenplay and smothered under the ponderous gravity of M. Night Shyamalan's dreary direction.

The average user rating for this movie is 6.4 (out of 10) based on 49 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ryan K gave it a9:
Well structured and the usee of complicated cinematic techniques was amazing.

Marcus L. gave it an8:
Not his best movie, but Bruce Willis did do a good job. It was not as good as Sixth Sense, but was just as interesting and also kept you wondering.

Garvin F. gave it a10:
First, the guy who said 1 hour and 47 minutes of boring... He is no critic... The Motion Picture- Unbreakable, come on... Pure genius, an excellent film for everyone... A superb message for all...

Brandon T. gave it a9:
One of Shyamalan's best. Unbreakable is a tale which will appeal to all. A slight touch of a superhero tale mixed with the cunning mind of its director and writer make this movie an excellent addition to any thriller collection. The twist and superb acting are what makes this movie a classic.

Nate B gave it a10:
This is a great, in-depth movie. While it mostly appeals to people with knowledge about comic books, I think most people can appreciate this film if they're willing to go into it with an open mind and want to actively pay attention to its many story telling devices (e.g. not just dialog, since there's not a lot of it in this movie). A lot of people say the ending is unexpected, but maybe that's because they didn't pay attention. There were many foreshadowing moments like when the color blue was used for both the train ride (even the little girl had bright blue eyes) and for scenes involving a certain someone. Even Elijah's mom tells you straight up, "...this one has a surprise ending." The number 1 standout in this movie, though, is the camera work. Not only does it physically mirror comic book framing, but also mirrors how the framing of a comic book can often times be its own character and story telling device. I think a lot of directors lose sight of this in movies. The show "24" is a good example of how camera work can play a significant role in story telling, especially in seasons 1 and 5. If you like character development, use of colors, cinematography, comic books and are tired of the trashy and overly loud Hollywood marketing junk then give this movie a spin in your DVD player.

Buster gave it a10:
Undoubtedly Shyamalan's most underrated masterpiece. It's brilliant in every way possible. Jackson and Willis probably should have gotten nominated for an Oscar or at least a Golden Globe. It's even better than The Sixth Sense, which is beyond overrated.

Miguel gave it a10:
A modern masterpiece. Great, great movie.

Unbreakable Buena Vista Pictures

Unbreakable
Buena Vista Pictures