Home
search
more | tips
SHOP HAPPENING...
Amazon.com Amazon.ca Amazon.co.uk Amazon.de Amazon.fr
IMDb > The Happening (2008)
The Happening
[Add to My Movies]
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

The Happening (2008)

advertisement
Register or login to rate this title
User Rating: 5.4/10 (30,907 votes)
Photos (see all 33 | slideshow) Videos (see all 14 videos )
IMDb Coverage of Comic-Con 2008

Overview

Director:
M. Night Shyamalan
Writer (WGA):
M. Night Shyamalan (written by)
Release Date:
13 June 2008 (USA) more view trailer
Genre:
Drama | Mystery more
Tagline:
We've Sensed It. We've Seen The Signs. Now... It's Happening.
Plot:
A paranoid thriller about a family on the run from a natural crisis that presents a large-scale threat to humanity. | full synopsis (warning! may contain spoilers)
NewsDesk:
(53 articles)
Shyamalan to Produce Night Chronicles (From Dread Central. 21 July 2008, 11:49 PM, PDT)
More Rock and Shock Guests Announced (From Dread Central. 17 July 2008, 9:44 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Not brilliant but it is worth a look more

Cast

 (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Green Planet (USA) (working title)
The Green Effect (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for violent and disturbing images.
Runtime:
91 min
Country:
USA | India
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
MOVIEmeter: ?
V 73% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Pyrethrins are a neurotoxin derived from the Chrysanthemum plants, specifically those native to Australia. This toxin is commonly found in common organic insecticides to eradicate pests. At one point Elliot talks about primordial bacteria in Australia killing off fishermen. Pyrethrins are highly toxic to bees. more
Goofs:
Errors in geography: The characters board a train for Harrisburg, which is in the south central part of the state. The train takes them only to Filbert and stops. However, Filbert is much further west than Harrisburg (south of Pittsburgh). more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Woman Reading on Bench with Hair Pin: I forgot where I am.
Woman Reading on Bench: You're at the place where the killers meet to decide what to do with the crippled girl.
more
Movie Connections:
References Psycho (1960) more

FAQ

How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
A NOTE REGARDING SPOILERS
How did critics react to the film?
more
124 out of 236 people found the following comment useful:-
Not brilliant but it is worth a look, 13 June 2008
7/10
Author: Mel J from Dundee, Scotland

When I first saw the trailer for 'The Happening', I was quite excited at the prospect of another film by M. Night Shyamalan. After all, I enjoyed all his previous films, save 'Lady in the Lake', and was sure he would deliver another breath-taking blockbuster. Sadly, I was wrong and while the film was not a turkey, it was not of the excellence I had expected.

The film sees some sort of mysterious ecological event leading to people committing mass suicide, the phenomenon spreading first from large cities then to smaller towns until it is clear a huge chunk of the East Coast is affected. At first, it is assumed to be a terrorist attack but, as more and more people are spontaneously kill themselves, it is clear the cause may be something else entirely...

One of the problems with the film was the quality of the acting and the characters themselves. Mark Wahlberg stars as Elliot, the science teacher who is our main protagonist, and he does flounder in many scenes as if he forgets he's playing an intelligent but ordinary everyday guy, not a gung-ho military hero who is cool in all situations. He could have injected more emotion into his performance. Zooey Deschanel plays Elliot's girlfriend Alma and she too fails to make the audience care for her with the way she depicts the character to be some sort of an escapee from a teeny-booper romance flick. To be fair, it is not entirely Deschanel's fault as Alma is a weak, self-centred character with the emotional capacity of a young adolescent (for example, she puts Elliot and a child at risk a couple of times with her stupid decisions and, at the start, when it's clear people are dying, she is in a huff because Elliot and his friend 'hurt' her feelings).

When it comes to the actual storyline, the plot does start off intriguingly and there are many chilling moments when we see people are coolly committing suicide like mindless zombies. However, the finale doesn't deliver what the build-up promised. There are no real explanations or solid end result. In many ways, this film is similar to Shyamalan's previous project 'Signs' both in terms of a mass disaster and no real end resolution to the events but 'Signs' worked better because the characters were more effectively portrayed and their personal storyline was enough of a finale to compensate. This is not the case in 'The Happening' where the storyline fizzles out.

Overall, this is by no means a terrible film. It is enjoyable and fits nicely into the apocalyptic genre but 'Signs' has done this sort of idea before and did it better. That said, there was not only moments that had me on the edge of my seat but also lines which were quite humorous. And certainly, it does make one think about the state of the planet in regards to whether humanity does have it coming to them and how we would cope in such an event. It is worth a look, especially in a week when the other premiere is 'The Hulk, a film aimed at keeping twelve-year-olds' entertained.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for The Happening (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Why the hating / What happened to the children? vimbai_87-1
the ruins vs. the happening avo4077
anyone who 'liked' this movie is a fool skudman
Inappropriate songs for the soundtrack sinister_prog
Worldwide Gross PBJHY4
100 Things I Learned From 'The Happening' SPOILERS saturnchick
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Wanted Rambo The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Kataude mashin gâru Batoru rowaiaru
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.