Unbreakable

Shyamalan's originality cannot be denied, and in a certain sense, his creativity and inventiveness are evident in every one of his films. However, the story didn't feel as powerful to me as in The Sixth Sense, nor as dynamic and suspenseful as in Signs. (04/04/2005)

I just found the denouement a little rushed. Since the whole film slowly flows and very little really happens, I found the ending unnecessarily too violent. Considering how Unbreakable is shot and the high quality of its craftsmanship, the ending definitely deserved more space; here I think Shyamalan didn't quite pull it off in terms of the script. Otherwise, I have no complaints – the atmosphere, the music, the cinematography, the directing, the great Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, and Shyamalan's traditionally great cameo – there's nothing to fault. 85% (09/11/2009)

One of M. Night Shyamalan's best films, which I like because it draws from superhero comics. I like the more civilian approach to superheroes, and this film takes it almost to complete realism. I also like the slow-motion shots and the way the characters act. There is a hint of pathos, which prevails in Shyamalan's recent films, but it's balanced to a degree that makes it more than bearable. Moreover, the point was good this time too. Even after all these years, I still like this film a lot. Maybe even a little more, because this subject fascinates me. (05/17/2014)

Mysteriously-dramatic family thriller with a comic book twist. And an amazing film to go with it. Simply put, Shyamalan has put together a brilliantly crafted machine to take the viewer through the most unbelievable psychological twists and turns. From a completely inconspicuous introduction through a mysterious course of events to the ending that will show you just how close to the truth you have been all along. A journey of discovery and the first glimpse of how unpredictable and adored a creator Night actually is. (05/24/2006)

A very weird play with our expectations. The film at first appears to be a mystery thriller with a protagonist who, like the viewer, is stumbling in the unknown trying to figure things out, only to gradually morph into an intimate take on the comic book tale of an enlightened and strangely gifted hero who has solved part of the mystery with the help of an outsider and now faces the historically determined and inevitable fate of searching for the ultimate villain. Formally and acting-wise everything is OK, precisely subordinated to the demands of Willis's character's changing motivational development, and specifically the cinematography and chilling music cried out for some kind of material appreciation at the time, but the story only really grabbed me fully in the last half hour or so, until then it had been flapping lightly in one place, relying solely on the unravelling of a few outlined motifs in the final dramatic phase. 75% (09/07/2011)