Today’s quick review: Unbreakable. David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is an ordinary security guard who becomes briefly famous when he emerges unscathed from a catastrophic train crash. Shortly after, Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), a brittle-boned comic book aficionado, contacts David with his own theory: that David is his opposite, a man who’s impervious to harm. To learn the truth, David must push himself in ways he never has before.
Unbreakable is a dramatic take on the superhero genre from writer and director M. Night Shyamalan. Unbreakable posits a world where superheroes exist as real people with unusual abilities, at least according to Elijah Price. Whether his theory is true or simply a delusion is the question at the heart of the film. Unbreakable backs this premise with a thoughtful script and skillful direction, but its slow pacing and somber tone make it an unusual pick.
Unbreakable’s greatest strength is what M. Night Shyamalan brings to the table. Interesting camera angles, subtle tricks with framing and use of color, and nuanced character development all reward close viewing. Unbreakable has a very particular vision, and it develops it methodically, scene by scene, until its finale. The film also has two capable leads in Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, but both are in more dramatic roles than usual.
But in spite of its craftsmanship, Unbreakable does have its eccentricities. The film moves remarkably slowly in setting up its characters and its core mystery. The story is interesting enough to offset the pacing issues, but Unbreakable is a decidedly slow boil. It’s also an understated movie that lacks the action and overt heroism found in even the most realistic superhero adaptations. Its payoff is more intellectual than emotional.
Watch Unbreakable if you’re interested in a cerebral musing on the existence of superheroes. Fine drama and cinematography let Unbreakable accomplish what it sets out to do, but its lack of the usual hooks in the form of action or clear supernatural abilities make it a better pick for drama fans than superhero ones. For a darker thriller from the same director that toys with the existence of supernatural abilities, try Split.
7.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for solid execution of an inventive premise.