The Village (PG-13)

Thought-provoking thriller too intense for some.

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Common Sense rates it
4
Seen the movie? Review it
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Movie details
  • Studio: Buena Vista Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures
  • Directed By: M. Night Shyamalan
  • Cast: Adrien Brody, Joaquin Phoenix, Bryce Dallas Howard
  • Running Time: 100 minutes
  • Release Date: 07/30/2004
  • Video/DVD Release Date: 01/11/2005
  • Genre: Thriller
  • MPAA Rating: PG-13
  • MPAA Explanation: a scene of violence and frightening situations

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is a very tense and scary thriller that may be too much for some tweens. Know your kid. While much of the scary stuff is in the audience's imagination, there are some scary jump-out-at-you surprises and some gory graphic images. Characters are attacked and killed. Some viewers may be concerned about the portrayal of a developmentally delayed and possibly disturbed character.

Families can talk about what drew the families in the village to settle where they did in spite of the risks. They could also think about whether there were any clues in the movie that pointed to the ultimate twist. Why did Edward send Ivy? The movie was originally called "The Woods." Is that a better title? What is the scariest part of the movie and why?

Message

Social Behavior:

All characters are white, but they include some strong women and a developmentally disabled character.

Consumerism:

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Violence

Intense peril, characters killed, some graphic images and scary surprises.

Sex

Language

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Nell Minow

The people of the village of Covington have an uneasy truce with creatures who live in the woods that ring their town. Fear keeps most residents well inside the boundaries ringed by flags, but reckless teens dare each other to test the boundaries, and developmentally disabled Noah (Adrien Brody) doesn’t always do what he's told. The story centers on sisters Ivy (Bryce Dallas Howard), who's blind, and Kitty (Judy Greer). Both are drawn to Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix), but he only has eyes for Ivy. Lucius angers the creatures by venturing into the woods, and there's an attack. But then something else goes very wrong and someone else must enter the woods...

Is it any good?

4
Producer/writer/director M. Night Shyamalan is in some ways the victim of his own success. He's under a lot of pressure to keep pulling surprise endings out of cinematic hats. The problem is that an expected surprise is, in addition to an oxymoron, inevitably disappointing. Yet he knows how to use the camera to tell the story and has a sure control of tone and pace, alternating gasps and laughs to keep things moving. The heart of the movie is Dallas Howard (daughter of actor/director Ron Howard) as Ivy, who is always fresh, touching, and real.

The plot is a familiar yet compelling quest into the woods, a soul journey, and we get a nod to that when a young yellow ridinghood (red upsets the creatures) enters the woods on a mission of mercy. Shyamalan is not, well, afraid, to take on some big notions about fear and inhumanity and he creates characters we are willing to trust and care about.

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Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 34 reviews.

4


Posted on 06/21/08 by ScottK Adult contributor

Noone under 13 should watch this

This movie is an excellent movie, but only for teens and up. The tension in this movie is very high, and from the moment it starts until the moment it ends your heart is elevated, much like one of M. Nights other movies: Signs. However this one has a graphic and disturbing stabbing scene, which is pushing the limits even for a PG-13. Sensitive 13 and 14 year olds will not be able to handle this movie, and even non sensitive ones will find it scary and intense. Good movie for 13 and up!
5


Posted on 02/26/08 by onura46 Kid contributor, age 15

Great thriller!

This being my favorite movie, I have to give it a good review. It is an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Even I thought it a little scary.
5

Posted on 12/07/07 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 15

thanks

this was a vary good mivie
5


Posted on 08/19/07 by islandgal Kid contributor, age 12

this was the funniest movie i have ever seen!!!

this was the worst movie i have ever seen it was horrible it made my stomach hurt (from laughing so hard of course) magic rocks magic rocks ahhh YOU LOOK LIKE A MAD CHEESEBALL!! AHHHHH
5


Posted on 02/26/07 by will Kid contributor, age 17
3


Posted on 11/15/06 by Johan Kid contributor, age 13

Not one of M. Night Shamylan's best...

First of all, I must say that if this is your first M. Night Shamylan film, don't watch it and then decide that he is a corny director. M. Night Shamylan has made many wonderfully creepy films, like the Sixth Sense and Signs. the village is pretty good, but nothing compared to the two title I just mentioned. M. Night Shamylan film fans will have to see this, but they will be disapointed. Its story is pretty good, its scares and mediocre, but the end, if you see it the right way, has a very good message. It is pretty much an average film. I liked it, but M. Night fans won't. For little kids, this movie is very scary but probably not night-mare inducing. The end will expain it all to the little kids like a scooby doo episode, but the tell-tale monsters in the film are very scary when seen. There isn't any language or sexual content or anything else except that for social behavior, there is one man who is disabled in the film who attempts to murder someone in the film and dies a very sad death at the end. So parents, know your kid, because this is enjoyabel but scary for little kids. However, any kid who has seen the Sixth Sense or Signs and been okay about it will be fine with this film. Its not very frightening compared to other films.
0


Posted on 08/18/06 by Miss Murder Kid contributor, age 13

Bored me to death.

I don't realy remeber much, because I haven't seen it in a long time. So here is waht I remember. To tell tell you the truth I fell asleep. It realy bored me. And it confused me. It jumped around a lot, and that's what I hated about it. I'm not a very patient person so maybe that's why. My grandmother loved. So give the movie a chance and watch it. Some will get what I'm saying, others won't.
5


Posted on 07/21/06 by quertydog Kid contributor, age 13

I lost six brain cells watching this!...sort of.

It was a good movie, in my opinion, no different from Signs in scariness. Better plot in my opinion. Good movie. check it out.
5


Posted on 07/17/06 by Random anime geek Kid contributor, age 12
4


Posted on 05/04/06 by bubbo Kid contributor, age 13

Spooky

There's really no way to explain 'The Village' except that it's pretty spooky. It wasn't a great movie, but it managed to hold my attention and scare me at moments. Not as good as previous Shyamalan films, like Signs and The Sixth Sense, but still interesting and frightening. Good for kids 13+

See all 34 reviews >

Adult Reviews

There are 10 reviews.

4


Posted on 06/21/08 by ScottK Adult contributor

Noone under 13 should watch this

This movie is an excellent movie, but only for teens and up. The tension in this movie is very high, and from the moment it starts until the moment it ends your heart is elevated, much like one of M. Nights other movies: Signs. However this one has a graphic and disturbing stabbing scene, which is pushing the limits even for a PG-13. Sensitive 13 and 14 year olds will not be able to handle this movie, and even non sensitive ones will find it scary and intense. Good movie for 13 and up!
1

Posted on 03/07/05 by Anonymous Adult contributor

3


Posted on 02/23/05 by fritzsky Adult contributor
5


Posted on 02/02/05 by ba Adult contributor

Discussion Starter

This was a good way to begin a conversation about social mores and how to deal with them in a violent culture.We all agreed that we do not want to seperate ourselves from society, but from there the answers were more difficult to find.
4


Posted on 01/18/05 by hummer Adult contributor
5


Posted on 01/10/05 by Tealady Adult contributor
2


Posted on 08/13/04 by ForHim Adult contributor

OK: but the ending was a bust

The movie was pretty good until about 10 - 15 minutes to the end. It ruined the whole movie. But it did show how peope should respect one another. It also showed how one should have good manners. In today's society, it's easy to have a power struggle between men and women; this movie showed how it can work, if men and and women respect each other. However, we're not living in "Leave it to Beaver time." The ending was a real shocker but it also was the demise of the movie.
1

Posted on 08/06/04 by Anonymous Adult contributor

terrible movie

Not worth my time and money to go and watch. Not certain if I would even reccomend it on dvd. Waste of time and good screen space.
4


Posted on 08/04/04 by Teachermom Adult contributor
4

Posted on 08/02/04 by Anonymous Adult contributor
See all 10 adult reviews>

Kids Reviews

There are 24 reviews.

5


Posted on 02/26/08 by onura46 Kid contributor, age 15

Great thriller!

This being my favorite movie, I have to give it a good review. It is an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Even I thought it a little scary.
5

Posted on 12/07/07 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 15

thanks

this was a vary good mivie
5


Posted on 08/19/07 by islandgal Kid contributor, age 12

this was the funniest movie i have ever seen!!!

this was the worst movie i have ever seen it was horrible it made my stomach hurt (from laughing so hard of course) magic rocks magic rocks ahhh YOU LOOK LIKE A MAD CHEESEBALL!! AHHHHH
5


Posted on 02/26/07 by will Kid contributor, age 17
3


Posted on 11/15/06 by Johan Kid contributor, age 13

Not one of M. Night Shamylan's best...

First of all, I must say that if this is your first M. Night Shamylan film, don't watch it and then decide that he is a corny director. M. Night Shamylan has made many wonderfully creepy films, like the Sixth Sense and Signs. the village is pretty good, but nothing compared to the two title I just mentioned. M. Night Shamylan film fans will have to see this, but they will be disapointed. Its story is pretty good, its scares and mediocre, but the end, if you see it the right way, has a very good message. It is pretty much an average film. I liked it, but M. Night fans won't. For little kids, this movie is very scary but probably not night-mare inducing. The end will expain it all to the little kids like a scooby doo episode, but the tell-tale monsters in the film are very scary when seen. There isn't any language or sexual content or anything else except that for social behavior, there is one man who is disabled in the film who attempts to murder someone in the film and dies a very sad death at the end. So parents, know your kid, because this is enjoyabel but scary for little kids. However, any kid who has seen the Sixth Sense or Signs and been okay about it will be fine with this film. Its not very frightening compared to other films.
0


Posted on 08/18/06 by Miss Murder Kid contributor, age 13

Bored me to death.

I don't realy remeber much, because I haven't seen it in a long time. So here is waht I remember. To tell tell you the truth I fell asleep. It realy bored me. And it confused me. It jumped around a lot, and that's what I hated about it. I'm not a very patient person so maybe that's why. My grandmother loved. So give the movie a chance and watch it. Some will get what I'm saying, others won't.
5


Posted on 07/21/06 by quertydog Kid contributor, age 13

I lost six brain cells watching this!...sort of.

It was a good movie, in my opinion, no different from Signs in scariness. Better plot in my opinion. Good movie. check it out.
5


Posted on 07/17/06 by Random anime geek Kid contributor, age 12
4


Posted on 05/04/06 by bubbo Kid contributor, age 13

Spooky

There's really no way to explain 'The Village' except that it's pretty spooky. It wasn't a great movie, but it managed to hold my attention and scare me at moments. Not as good as previous Shyamalan films, like Signs and The Sixth Sense, but still interesting and frightening. Good for kids 13+
1


Posted on 08/29/05 by Jenna Kid contributor, age 12

Stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This movie is so stupid and it was not scary at all! Also I was getting tickets for the movie and a hot guy walked up to me and said I fell asleep at this movie. Don't waste your money. But unfortunately I did not listen! Plus my 15 year old sister and I both agreed the scariest part in the movie was when the names of the actors and actresses were being shown!
See all 24 kids reviews >
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