Unbreakable

One of the least appreciated movies of the past decade which was ahead of its time in many ways. Don’t forget that when it was made, comic book movies were still not taken at all seriously and were like a hot potato in terms of financing and quality, and no big studios wanted to have anything to do with them. If you saw it once and quite liked it, try giving Unbreakable another chance. It’s much more sophisticated than it might seem at first sight. Perhaps you will be surprised by its profoundness; and even if you aren’t, you will at least learn why it’s a good idea to avoid physical contact with others. And I would advise David Dunn never to come visit the Czech Republic. He would most definitely lose his mind upon arrival at Prague Main Station. (20/11/2003)

Shyamalan's originality cannot be denied, and in a certain sense, his creativity and inventiveness are evident in every one of his films. However, the story didn't feel as powerful to me as in The Sixth Sense, nor as dynamic and suspenseful as in Signs. (04/04/2005)

A very weird play with our expectations. The film at first appears to be a mystery thriller with a protagonist who, like the viewer, is stumbling in the unknown trying to figure things out, only to gradually morph into an intimate take on the comic book tale of an enlightened and strangely gifted hero who has solved part of the mystery with the help of an outsider and now faces the historically determined and inevitable fate of searching for the ultimate villain. Formally and acting-wise everything is OK, precisely subordinated to the demands of Willis's character's changing motivational development, and specifically the cinematography and chilling music cried out for some kind of material appreciation at the time, but the story only really grabbed me fully in the last half hour or so, until then it had been flapping lightly in one place, relying solely on the unravelling of a few outlined motifs in the final dramatic phase. 75% (07/09/2011)

In my mind, Shyamalan’s best movie. Close second is Signs (mainly because we had one of those rings in my town, and I’m thinking about it more and more recently ;). Unbreakable has an amazing atmosphere, so ordinary and dark at the same time. Ingenious layering of the story and the method of its delivery makes it seem like it’s based on real events. Absolutely convincing. It doesn’t falter even in its “message", while maintaining high standards as a movie. Shyamalan really should have a crack at filming a real event. In my opinion it would certainly be interesting. (15/01/2007)

I watched Unbreakable after Glass – yes, I'm a bit of an idiot for not following the trilogy (Unbreakable, Split, Glass) in order, thus depriving myself of many a twist in this and the second film. However, I will approach Unbreakable as I the first part. The film cannot be denied an unusual idea – comic book heroes having a basis in the real world. Elijah "Mr. Glass" Price is a truly unconventional "villain" – incredibly fragile on the outside, but brilliantly insane on the inside. The director also deals with the theme of family, which was thankfully kept out of the way and didn't overshadow the supernatural storyline. The final twist is surprising, but not quite as disarming as that of The Sixth Sense. (20/01/2019)