Metascore

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 38 Critics What's this?

User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 507 Ratings

  • Starring: John Leguizamo, Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel
  • Summary: It begins with no clear warning. It seems to come out of nowhere. In a matter of minutes, episodes of strange, chilling deaths that defy reason and boggle the mind in their shocking destructiveness, erupt in major American cities. What is causing this sudden, total breakdown of human behavior?For Philadelphia high school science teacher Elliot Moore what matters most is finding a way to escape the mysterious and deadly phenomenon. (Twentieth Century Fox) Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 38
  2. Negative: 18 out of 38
  1. 75
    A movie that I find oddly touching. It is no doubt too thoughtful for the summer action season, but I appreciate the quietly realistic way Shyamalan finds to tell a story about the possible death of man.
  2. Reviewed by: Stina Chyn
    60
    Whether you’re a casual or an ardent follower of M. Night Shyamalan's films, The Happening could alienate or dominate your thinking cap. Remember--it's perfectly acceptable to laugh one second and shriek the next.
  3. After the insufferably dense mermaid mythology of "Lady in the Water," Shyamalan clearly wanted to keep things simple. He whizzed straight past "simple" to simplistic.

See all 38 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. IsaacC
    10
    Finally Score = Planet 1, Humans 0, I see Genius where humans took a back seat and you can tell by these ignorant reviews how lost we really are and sensitive to the possibility of nature being sensitive and defensive too. Truly a masterpiece and respects to all participants in down playing humans and upscaling the breathing breeze. Expand
  2. sLm
    8
    I don't get why so many bad critics xD the movie was good! No special effects needed, just nature to scary us. And also there were funny moments followed by creepy ones. It was definitely NOT a bad movie. Collapse
  3. While this movie doe s pose an idea that could have been made into something interesting, M. Night Shyamalan fails to tell us a compelling story with characters that don t make you want to slit your wrists every time they open their mouth, or do anything. Mark Wahlbergs acting is horrible, the little girl acting was better. The suicide scenes become distasteful. The character actions are unbelievable to the circumstances. M. Night Shyamalans earlier work was good, this is not. Pass. Expand
  4. This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When Mark Wahlberg (who is playing a High School science teacher in this movie *begins to chuckle*) started having a conversation with a plastic plant and referenced a song he rapped about back when he was Marky Mark, I just about threw up in my mouth. I'm far from kidding. Seriously. The concept behind this "horror" film was somewhat savvy but was POORLY executed by director M. Night Shyamalan to a point where you honestly wouldn't be called crazy if thought this film was a comedy. Stay far away and watch something else! Expand

See all 340 User Reviews

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