The Village

Name: The Village
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Released: July 30, 2004
Duration: 108 min
Rating: 44
Cast: Adrien Brody, Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Judy Greer, Sigourney Weaver

2004

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 40 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 370 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	Your Score
6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 370 Ratings

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The Village

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Movie Details & Credits

Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: July 30, 2004 | PG-13

Starring: Adrien Brody, Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Judy Greer, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt

Summary: The thrilling tale of an isolated village confronting the astonishing truth that lies just outside its borders. (Touchstone Pictures)

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 108 min

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Critic Reviews

Empire Ian Nathan

Made with such elegance, atmosphere and wonderfully mannered performances it will nestle deep inside your head, refusing to budge. The more you ponder it, the better it becomes. Read full review

Peter Rainer

The Village is a better movie (than Signs) --probably his best since "The Sixth Sense"--but it indulges Shyamalan's penchant for messianic uplift. Read full review

Chris Kaltenbach

It doesn't take a genius IQ to figure out the movie's final twist far in advance, leaving the attentive viewer to wonder only about how Shyamalan will pull it off and to hope the movie doesn't turn silly. Read full review

Brian Lowry

A watchable film for awhile that unravels in a muddled last act likely to send many opening-weekend filmgoers home head-scratching and grumbling. Read full review

Ella Taylor

This undeniably talented writer-director has been repeating himself with steadily decreasing potency ever since the wonderful "The Sixth Sense," and his latest excursion does nothing to buck the trend. Read full review

Desson Thomson

For the most part, the film's a bewildering disappointment. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

It's bad enough to make parable a four-letter word.

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User Reviews

m_elders

Aug 4, 2012

I'd like to say two things about myself before starting this review. First of all, I almost always agree with critical ratings for movies. Second of all, I like to go into movies without knowing anything about them except their critical ratings and/or Oscar/Golden Globe performance. II'd like to say two things about myself before starting this review. First of all, I almost always agree with critical ratings for movies. Second of all, I like to go into movies without knowing anything about them except their critical ratings and/or Oscar/Golden Globe performance. I watched The Village because of a friend's recommendation, knowing nothing about it or its director, M. Night Shyamalan. Halfway through the movie, I knew it was great. After it was over, I was certain it was one of my favorite movies ever. Much to my surprise, I found out later that it had mixed critical reviews at best. To this day, however, this is by far my favorite film of 2004. My theory is that too many people went into this movie knowing at least one of two things: the director of the movie and everything in the trailer. Shyamalan is known for making movies with silly twists and awful dialogue, so I think too many people failed to give this movie a fighting chance. And the trailer made this movie look like a cruddy horror movie. I certainly wouldn't have watched it after watching the trailer, and if I had liked what I saw in the trailer, the movie probably would have been disappointing. So to those who haven't seen it, know that this movie tells a love story. The setting of the movie does not make the movie. The plot twists (though very well done I think) do not make the movie. The suspense/mystery helps make the movie engaging, but does not make the movie. As it should be with any great movie, the characters make the movie, and the three main characters (acted superbly by Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, and Adrien Brody) are interesting, believable, and imperfect.… Expand

9 of 12 users found this helpful93

Khunter4382

Jun 1, 2011

Phenomenal, underrated, and misunderstood. This film works and it is executed with such finesse and beauty, accompanied with top rate acting on behalf of nearly every character, especially Hurt, Howard, Phoenix, and Weaver. It deals with the human nature of pure fear in the midst of a warmPhenomenal, underrated, and misunderstood. This film works and it is executed with such finesse and beauty, accompanied with top rate acting on behalf of nearly every character, especially Hurt, Howard, Phoenix, and Weaver. It deals with the human nature of pure fear in the midst of a warm depth of love and how we cope with it all. This film grew on me over time, and while not hailing it as much just as soon as I walked out the theatre door, it still made me think as it aged gracefully in my mind.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

sLm

Mar 8, 2013

The movie was great, can't understand the bad ratings lol

6 of 9 users found this helpful63

soloms

Apr 17, 2015

this is a very sweet movie but with one of the most crazy story that I ever seen. Everything in that were so predictable, but I realy liked tha "strange creatures"

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

lelefoxx00

Sep 24, 2013

I'll give this movie a 5 out of 10 because it did have it's good parts but it also had it's boring parts. I hate to say it but the trailer built the movie up and the movie itself let you down. Yes it had great acting, a unique storyline and setting but overall tended to be lacking andI'll give this movie a 5 out of 10 because it did have it's good parts but it also had it's boring parts. I hate to say it but the trailer built the movie up and the movie itself let you down. Yes it had great acting, a unique storyline and setting but overall tended to be lacking and sometimes plain boring at times. When the village's "secret" was told near the end, it really took a lot of thrill (what thrill it had) away from the movie and the fact the ending was a cliffhanger was just aggravating. I'm not going to say "don't watch this movie" because it is an ok movie and MIGHT satisfy first time viewers of it but it''s definitely not something I would want to sit through again.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

PatrickM.

Jul 31, 2004

Can Shyamalan still be called an "it" director? Let's face it that other than "Sixth Sense", his other two (now three) have been utterly disappointing. Especially this one, that lacked any kind of energy or intrigue. The twist at the end as was already pointed out was obvious. Can Shyamalan still be called an "it" director? Let's face it that other than "Sixth Sense", his other two (now three) have been utterly disappointing. Especially this one, that lacked any kind of energy or intrigue. The twist at the end as was already pointed out was obvious. Everything in the movie was done in a nauseating vague manner...... The costumes laughable. The direction was very good, but the script was cumbersome at best. Adrian Brody played a crazy village guy for some reason and Joaquin Phoenix played that character that doesnt seem to want to speak, but then gets coaxed into it. All the elders seemed cardboard. I would bet there was more violin than dialogue. And just a suggestion to M Night: how about trying to make the monsters look somewhat realistic? I nearly fell out of my seat with laughter at the aliens in "Signs" and trust me, very little improvement in this one. Was this a comedy? No, a disappointing movie by an overrated director.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful

RottenC.

Aug 5, 2006

Unbearbly lame, unwatchable tripe; one of the worst "films" I have ever seen.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

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21	#21 Most Discussed Movie of 2004
45	#45 Most Shared Movie of 2004