I can take no more of this The Happening slander! Sure, it’s easy to make fun of this M. Night Shyamalan flop about killer plants, starred by none other than Marky Mark. But I’m here to say that The Happening is better than you remember it, and deserves at least some praise.
On a seemingly normal day, people in big cities around the world are starting to die one by one. At first, they seem confused. Then, they start doing nonsensical things before un-aliving themselves. There is mass panic before a few escapees from New York City figure out what is going on: the plants are sending out deadly neurotoxins into the air that affect large groups of people. As the deadly toxins spread out into more rural areas, the group must keep moving for any chance of survival, if possible.
I love thrillers like this that involve mass panic. It’s a fun time trying to figure out the mystery behind the mass suicides and wonder what I would do in that situation. The Happening does exactly this. While in New York City, we get glimpses of what could possibly be the triggering event while the suicides are simultaneously happening. This trend continues throughout the movie, giving the audience little tidbits of pieces to add to the entire puzzle.
The kills are inventive, frightening, and a bit funny all at the same time. People are falling off of buildings. People shoot themselves. One person walks into a lion enclosure at a zoo; think of these as the opposite spectrum of the Sinister kills — sad, but funny. Of course there is some level of CG because you can’t just have someone be run over by yard equipment without actually getting hurt. And The Happening does have a lot of kills, so we’re not missing out on any of that.
One of my favorite things about this movie is the quotes.
We’re packing hot dogs for the road. You know hot dogs get a bad rap? They got a cool shape, they got protein. You like hot dogs right?
Nursery Owner, The Happening (2008)
Part of the issue I see people have is the acting and dialog. The beauty of The Happening is that it has a very scientific, serious plot that is riddled with comedic relief. If you take it too seriously, you’re not going to have a good time. But if you watch with the expectation that this is a crazy situation to be in, so the dialog should match (because people do in fact have some humor in tough times), then you’ll find it a lot more enjoyable.
Private Auster: My name is Private Auster. I’m stationed at Westover Military Base about ten miles back. I think they’ve been affected by whatever’s happening. I lost communication with them. When I approached the base, I saw military personnel in… the barbed wire in… the fence. So I suggest no one take that road.
Nursery Owner: There’s a town about eight miles behind us. There were bodies on the road into town.
Private Auster: Cheese and crackers.
The Happening, 2008
The Happening is part science fiction, part comedy, all horror. The famous Shyamalan “twist” is laid out right in the open for you: sometimes plants do crazy things to protect themselves, and there’s no way to predict or stop it. It just happens. Sure, Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel and the rest of the cast may be a little goofy, but The Happening lets you experience horror is a safe environment while giving you some comedic reprieve along the way. It gives you something to think about — could this really happen? Perhaps. Is The Happening underappreciated? Absolutely.
What did you think of The Happening? Let us know in the comments!
