M. Night Shyamalan direct William Hurt, Joaquin Phoenix and Bryce Dallas Howard in this chilling mystery flick where a series of events tests the beliefs of a small isolated countryside village.

The Village is still a strange experience. It features all that is adorable and all that is repellant about a Shyamalan joint. The twist is very guessable but the build-up is atmospheric despite itself. It doesn’t truly work as a horror but the imagery can oft be sinister. The 21st century The Crucible political allegory is ripe for the picking but it no longer feels like part of the conversation about 9/11 fuelled cinema. What it does have is a wonderful breakout performance from Bryce Dallas Howard and a genuinely shocking moment involving a subdued Joaquin.

7

Perfect Double Bill: Unbreakable (2000)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/ and my own Substack https://substack.com/@edinburghlaughterbulletin