Those of you who saw The 6th Sense, M. Night Shyamalan's debut film, already know some of what to expect from his new film, Unbreakable. You will find that, like The 6th Sense, Unbreakable will take the idea of some supernatural power, and ask, "What if somebody really had this?" It will have a surprise ending. And it will have Bruce Willis, who will look confused, be involved in a poignant romance, and deal with an overly cute kid. Despite, or perhaps because of, these similarities, Unbreakable is a good film in its own right.
The power explored in Unbreakable is that of the "superhero": the man who is impervious to almost all forms of harm. David Dunne, played by Willis, is the sole survivor of a violent train wreck. He is shocked by his luck, but it doesn't seem to affect him very deeply at first -- he has been having trouble with his marriage, doesn't have any friends, and sleepwalks through his days on the job as a stadium security guard. Then he receives a note from an eccentric invalid named Elijah Price. Price, who has extremely weak bones and is prone to illness, seems to have spent a few too many days laid up in bed with his comic books, and he has become convinced that the myth of the man of steel must contain a kernel of truth. After all, if one person can be weaker than normal, why shouldn't another be stronger? In his search for a hero, Price has spent a great deal of time researching disasters, looking for a person who has lived through a situation where they should have died. Dunne is skeptical, naturally. His survival was obviously extraordinary, but things like that do happen now and then. However, the evidence begins to mount up. He never needs to call in sick. He has uncanny instincts as a guard. He can bench press your refrigerator.
Unfortunately being a superhero doesn't seem to have helped his social skills much. He has distanced himself from his wife and son and from the rest of the world as well. He's not even sure why. David's wife is played by Robin Wright, who won my heart years ago with her performance in The Princess Bride. Here, she's trying to win her husband's heart for a second time. His son is starved for attention, and the idea of his father being Superman isn't helping his emotional stability. Sometimes things seem to be getting better, others not. As Price says, "Real life doesn't fit into little boxes we draw for it."
Unbreakable is not quite as good a suspense film as The 6th Sense. In all fairness, I have to say that this is a very high standard to which to hold a movie. I saw The 6th Sense in a second-run theater and then went straight to Blockbuster and got the DVD. It's amazing to see just how much you miss on the first viewing, and it's even more amazing to be unable to spot any mistakes or inconsistencies, despite your best efforts. Unbreakable has some plot holes. Is it really believable that you could go through your whole life without ever getting hurt or sick and not at least notice that you're unusually healthy? At least one incident (in which the director has a cameo) also seems to suggest that Dunne's powers aren't always reliable. More important, I felt that the Official Plot Twist, when it arrived, was not as satisfying as that in the previous film; interesting, but not quite so compelling.
On the other hand, Unbreakable is stronger in terms of character development. For one thing, where The 6th Sense only paid attention to the two leads, here we have a lead plus three supporting actors. The connection between Dunne's destiny and his personal life is explored thoughtfully, if not in great depth. Also, there's a wonderful streak of dark humor, ranging from the cynical (watch Willis' fourth finger in the first few minutes of the film) to the deranged (armed children are not normally a laughing matter). You'll find yourself laughing out loud at the most bizarre moments.
While you now have some ideas about what you're going to see, don't cling too strongly to your preconceptions. I don't think Unbreakable will have the kind of impact that The 6th Sense achieved -- if you haven't noticed, the phrase "I see dead people" has become enshrined in popular culture, along with "there is no spoon" and other such things -- but it's a good flick in its own right. Elijah says it best: "I hope you can keep an open mind."
R Michael Harman is New Media Reviews Editor for Strange Horizons. His previous publications in Strange Horizons can be found in our archive.