The Happening

2008

Action / Adventure / Comedy / Drama / Horror / Mystery / Sci-Fi / Thriller

135
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 24% · 185 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 24% · 250K ratings
IMDb Rating 5.0/10 10 225741 225.7K

suicide husband wife relationship tree natural disaster crisis park

Plot summary

When a deadly airborne virus threatens to wipe out the northeastern United States, teacher Elliot Moore and his wife Alma flee from contaminated cities into the countryside in a fight to discover the truth. Is it terrorism, the accidental release of some toxic military bio weapon -- or something even more sinister?

Director

M. Night Shyamalan Photo
M. Night Shyamalan

Top cast

Mark Wahlberg Photo
Mark Wahlberg as Elliot Moore
Charlie Saxton Photo
Charlie Saxton as Student Named Dylan
John Leguizamo Photo
John Leguizamo as Julian
Alicia Taylor Photo
Alicia Taylor as U.S. Reporter
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
601.15 MB
1280*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 31 min
Seeds 9
1.40 GB
1920*1080
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 31 min
Seeds 100

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by NoBBQforyou 6 / 10

Unfairly maligned

Love him or hate him, Shama has a quirky vision and some very interesting ideas in his films. He also works with some paltry budgets by Hollywood standards, and cares more about story than effects. Does it always work? No. But considering just how effective his best work is - - 6th Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, The Visit--it's a pretty great body of work. I predict there will be a reappraisal of his work in the future, and with some bigger budgets and some careful rewrites, his remakes will reveal what a brilliant guy he is.The Happening is a small movie - - simple concept, low budget - - that doesn't try to be anything other than what it is, a cool spooky flick about a mysterious pandemic of suicide gripping the Northeast. Sign me up! Even if it comes across as lightweight by the end, like The Village, these armchair auteurs who trash MNS should try making even half an effective film as those two.Good for a rainy afternoon, probably not much else. But that's fine with me.
Reviewed by kevin_robbins 8 / 10

This movie isn't perfect, but it's entertaining, worth a viewing and definitely under appreciated

The Happening (2008) is an M. Night Shyamalan gem that I recently rewatched on HBOMAX. The storyline follows a Philadelphia teacher who sees a viral outbreak on television that causes people to kill themselves. He tries to get his family out of the area and to safety. Complicating matters is that he and his wife haven't been on good terms and may be getting a divorce if life as we know it continues. As they plan their escape they start identifying theories on what's happening and why. Could the Earth finally be sick of the human race and trying to escape is a waste of time?As previously referenced this picture is directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Sixth Sense) and stars Mark Wahlberg (The Departed), Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer), John Leguizamo (Spawn), Betty Buckley (Carrie), Jeremy Strong (Succession), Alan Ruck (Succession) and Kristen Connolly (The Cabin in the Woods).I may be in the minority but I really enjoyed this concept and how it was executed. I always have since the first time I saw this picture. The opening scene in the park is great and sets off the circumstances well as does the construction site sequence. There are lots of random acts of violence and decent gore that made this enjoyable and intense. The Lion scene, the old lady at the house, the porch sequence, all outstanding. The virus in the air and seeing people react to it was interesting the entire picture. Wahlberg also delivered his character to perfection.Overall, this movie isn't perfect, but it's entertaining, worth a viewing and definitely under appreciated. I would score this a 7.5-8/10 and strongly recommend it.
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