Lady in the Water 2006
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan · 110 mins · 1,732 views
Synopsis
Trailers
Reviews (91)
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84 M. Night Shyamalan’s penchant for isolated communities, totems of loss and tragedy, and eccentric, fantastical concepts is given its most inwardly emotional landscape in Lady in the Water. An apartment complex, ‘The Cove’, is situated as a battleground for Shyamalan’s anger – towards the Iraq war, his bruised ego, and his critics – while manifesting as a convoluted, at times cloyingly sincere bedtime story. But there’s real pain buried deep down. And Shyamalan, teaming up with famed DP Christopher Doyle, works with his collaborators to bring it all to the surface. It’s such a fragile movie. Watching Lady in the Water, it seems to fall apart, again and again, while Shyamalan picks up the scattered pieces and gently glues…
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self-evidently one of m. night’s weakest, but if film critics weren’t such whiny clueless babies they would have treated it as the unfortunate misfire it is rather than the colossal disaster it isn’t. frankly i think he treats the profession too kindly here. having a bewildered character say “how could anyone be so arrogant as to assume they know another person’s intentions?” is on the nose, sure, but it’s an understandable reaction from an artist who felt he was being treated unfairly for reaching out of a box he never wanted to be put inside. besides, the critics who turned on him for shifting away from his earliest films’ soft-prestige sensibilities were snider and stupider than any caricature could possibly…
393 7 -
D
The ramblings of a lunatic, though beautifully shot. The only proper response to seeing this film is a quiet, surprised “Oh.”
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J
The first film made after Shyamalan was really, truly widely rejected, with one clear focus: a world of characters who cannot accept pure storytelling. His pain is at the center of this solar system.
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M
This corpse has been picked over plenty, and while I’ll stipulate that it’s a bit undercooked and pretty silly, on a rewatch I think it’s one of those things you just have to deliberately slide into, which makes sense given that it’s all of a piece with SIGNS and THE VILLAGE in its depiction of an insular community or group united by belief. You can choose to read Bob Balaban’s character as a snipe at all critics, or you can take it as a representation of blanket, unfeeling skepticism. Up to you. Anyway, Shyamalan may exhibit all manner of ill-advised creative hubris but that doesn’t mask his exceptional capabilities as a visual filmmaker. It’s hard to make an ugly movie…
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“He’s hearing the voice of God through a crossword puzzle.” Acho que só o Apichatpong acredita tanto no poder sugestivo da história oral como o Shyamalan. E é uma crença no sentido de uma fé mística mesmo, fé em uma mitologia fantasiosa que foi perdida, uma mitologia essencialmente narrativa que parte da infantilização de alguns elementos justamente para revelar uma essência primária e poderosa das coisas. O melhor de tudo é que o Shy faz isso com um humor tão espirituoso quanto excêntrico. Toda a deslocalização cotidiana desse filme parte de uma ridicularização meio frontal das coisas, mas é justamente a fé nesses elementos ridículos que os torna grandiosos. Fora todo um senso de união que o ambiente coletivo gera,…
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you people are crazy for not understanding the beauty that is this movie. Phenomenally acted, beautifully shot, poignant and clear messaging. You people don’t deserve M. Knight for rating this so low.
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CChrisStuckmann 8 月 26, 2026
I admire this film. To say there’s nothing else like it is an understatement. It feels staunchly against all Hollywood norms of its era, and certainly those of today. It’s no wonder that studios at the time became antagonistic with Shyamalan’s attempts at bold and original films. I’ve always viewed 2006-2008 as the period when Hollywood began gravitating toward IP and proven roadmaps, distancing themselves from unique voices and innovative stories. Lady in the Water arrived at the tail-end of a time when every weekend held a new, modestly-budgeted original film. I’ve got nothing but respect for artists who put their heart and soul into their stories, rather than giving in to the machine. If you ever want a fascinating look at the production of Lady, read The Man Who Heard Voices by Michael Bamberger.
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C
É tão difícil defender o que você ama incondicionalmente. Você percebe todos os problemas que os outros apontam, mas as qualidades, elas te parecem tão superiores que você os minimiza ou os ignora. Seu eleito é imperfeito, mas é seu. Você o escolheu assim que colocou os olhos nele e é natural que queira defendê-lo, afirmá-lo e celebrá-lo. O cinema é meu refúgio e quando eu separo um filme para ser meu, eu posso soar até arrogante ao expressar minhas razões para amá-lo, coisa que eu sempre faço por escrito porque sou um péssimo orador. Com A Dama na Água foi exatamente assim. Assisti ao filme numa pré-estréia para uma platéia de convidados que gostam de pré-estréias, mas nem sempre…
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A movie about believing in fairytales 🙂 Another one that gets better on every rewatch. M. Night has said that he believes if he makes the most distinct thing, that truly represents him, it will resonate more with audiences over time. Even so it’s kind of unfathomable to me that people think this movie is worthless, something this imaginative and hopeful and risky, with his usual formal mastery, but I know the other side thinks the same of my unusually high rating. I prefer his more bizarre films for the same reasons he does. This isn’t about getting it “right”, it’s about putting yourself on the screen in search of truth and connection. In this post-The Village moment of being so…
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T
I didn’t hate this, it’s just, what!?
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T
The earnestness of everyone was what killed me the most. Paul Giamatti’s commitment to this plot had me borderline pissing myself
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R
It felt too long and lacks ambition. It doesn’t compare to the creativity of Shyamalan’s other movies.
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H
So bad I just want a good mermaid spooky movie:(
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J
pro: quirky ensemble cast where everyone has their purpose con: born sexy yesterday plot 😴😴😴
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WWolfe 8 月 23, 2026
This could’ve been great. But alas.
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H
When I watched this in theaters as a kid who also lived in an apartment building with a diverse array of quirky neighbours, I was immediately drawn into the story and shocked by the bad reviews of the time. Rewatching 20 years later, it definitely lost a lot of it’s charm. The story is a cool concept, and there are some creative shots, but everything else ends up pretty corny. Paul Giamatti carries the acting for everyone. I wish there…
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This happened to M. Night Shyamalan one time
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R
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M
Cuentecillo de verano
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D
esta peli tiene más alma que todo el mcu entero.
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A
Jesus christ. As a kid M. Night Shyamalan’s name was everywhere so I obviously thought he was the greatest director of all time. Gives me shivers that thought.
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J
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Believe what they say! This is not good. Feels extremely half baked, weird tonal shifts, bad cinematography and editing, and ultimately felt pointless. If it weren’t for the famous people involved, you could convince me this was like a debut student film or something.
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C
The Voice of God in the Ordinary. As you can see, I—M. Night Shyamalan—have depicted myself here as a suffering prophet of God and have depicted you—the Critic—as a cynical Bob Balaban being devoured by a wolf.
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K
Paul Giamatti: “you’re just a kid” Immediately cuts to shot of him sleeping with her
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J
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T
This movie sucks. I mean like it’s terrible. There are almost no redeemable qualities about this film and I think it is objectively bad. I love it.
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V
“This is precisely the moment where the mutation or beast will attempt to kill an unlikable side character…” This movie gets so much hate. I think it’s because people expected a scary movie and got a modern-day dark fantasy instead. Or maybe M. Night Shyamalan is the Nickelback of filmmakers.
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H
Paul giamatti would’ve been a great commissioner for the MLB. Apartment complex with M. Night will suffice. Also, not as much pool as you’d think; I also don’t know how it ends
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P
you guys just don’t get it
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C
M Night Shyamalan Ranked The film has some interesting ideas and premise that could be silly yet unique, like all other Shyamalan works. And it does have some positive aspects too. But in the end, the film as overall, ends up being quite uninteresting and almost flat making it a little underwhelming of his works even while holding a better potential.
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J
“i’ll miss your faces. oh, they remind me of god!” “thank you for saving my life” crazy ass bedtime story
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P
I am a big M. Night glazer and this movie is no different, it’s actually really good despite what the ratings may suggest. An honestly just genuinely nice fantasy story backed by an incredible Paul Giamatti performance. I really liked M. Night’s character work in this how every character no matter how small all plays a role in the movie and he drops hints to their roles throughout the film. Some very funny and self aware moments but also has…
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S
what if the lady is in the water on the beach that makes you old? makes you think
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M
Felt like a feverdream Weirdly kinda liked it tho…
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Almost every M Night movie is worth a watch if you just go with it. A modern fairy tale is all you need to know going in. Fun fact, one time I put a picture of Paul Giamatti as my profile picture and people were complimenting me like I was in the picture.
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C
I was much more negative on Lady in the Water during my first watch a few years ago, and not without reason: the film remains clunky and cheesy. However, it’s got heart and a just good enough execution to work, even if only barely. The way M. Night Shyamalan brings together a community in this film is truly special. I know these moments are corny, but they really showcase his vision: the bathroom scene, where Story reveals the symbolic people…
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Ffa666ema 8 月 20, 2026
I watched this a million years ago but I was so fascinated by it, it left such a lasting impact on my psyche visually
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L
Wait why is m night shyamalan kinda cute in this
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L
Até esse momento da carreira do Shyamalan, todos os elementos fantásticos/fantasiosos se apresentavam como elementos reais, orgânicos, que, uma vez revelados, reorganizariam a experiência daqueles personagens (tirando em A Vila, que já há uma subversão, mostrando o fantasioso como farsa). Por outro lado, aqui — curiosamente o filme que Shyamalan mais parece interessado em provar que acredita no poder da fantasia — os elementos fantásticos não parecem revelar nenhuma realidade que estava escondida. Parecem, ao contrário, instrumentos metalinguisticos para tentar construir artificialmente um espaço fantasioso que nunca parece orgânico ou integrado àquela experiência.
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L
This move was so good as a kid to watch, I loved the ending. This is such a good story and the actors are all amazing.
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B
Como é bom ver alguém que Ama a Fantasia como o Shyamalan
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A
Should have spent more time on the script than trying to be meta
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💊💊 8 月 19, 2026
Shyamalan alienates (makes a “bad movie”) yet dares you to believe in spite of himself/yourself. Bafflingly unsatisfying in its construction, yet so endearingly, tragically sincere. Willfully absurd and aggressively ahead of its own backlash. A perfect story to landmark his fall from popular opinion.
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B
It feels like M. Night Shyamalan wrote a massive book of lore for this twisted bedtime story, and then only gave us a single page torn out at random. This movie is messy and awkward, and yet there’s still something fascinating about its story. Maybe I’m reading too much between the lines. Maybe that’s the point.
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Yeah I dont know. Wasn’t a movie for me. I loved the idea of it all, but I really donr know. I got bored watching it
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D
La joven del agua es una obra maestra absolutamente incomprendida e infravalorada. Le doy un 10 por los siguientes motivos: – Por la buena introducción. – Por la bella fotografía y la urbanización elegida para realizar la película. – Por las magníficas actuaciones de nuestros dos protagonistas principales (Paul Giamatti como Cleveland y Bryce Dallas Howard como la ninfa Story). – Por la elección del resto de personajes (desde la madre e hija coreanas, hasta los frikis emporrados, el crítico…
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J
A neat attempt at a modern fairy tale with a lot of odd moments and rambling in between. Part of this wants to be a love letter to writing, other parts can’t decide if it wants to be grounded or be a straight on fantasy. The acting is great while other parts are pretty forgettable. There’s really not much to say about this, outside of complimenting on how well this was shot. But overall it’s pretty forgettable.
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K
I think this man has never made a banger
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D
This is M. Night Shyamalan’s F.U. movie and it’s a cute fantasy fable with mermaids and magic. Leave it to the critically maligned director to make something this unapologetic, so silly at times yet also so beautiful. James Newton Howard’s score is really pretty, Paul Giamatti’s amazing as usual and the supporting cast is a lot of fun. This isn’t a film for everyone but it’s not like any other movie you’ve ever seen. It’s so creative, it’s very funny…
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A
This seem to rank low on the list of only M knights movies but i REALLY enjoy it. I like how it is a small setting only a building. There isnt really a plot twist but i do like the twists that the movie takes. It was great and should be ranked higher in general
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V
É incrível a quantidade de camadas que M. Night Shyamalan trabalha aqui. O filme se estrutura como um conto de fadas moderno desde o início. O Sr. Heep assume o papel de guardião de um pacato “vilarejo” (o condomínio), ajudando os moradores em suas tarefas diárias e buscando manter a ordem daquele micro-universo. Com a chegada de uma garota misteriosa, ele precisa ajudá-la a encontrar o caminho de volta para o seu mundo, ao mesmo tempo em que a protege…
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🦇🦇 8 月 18, 2026
He’s hearing the voice of God through a crossword puzzle. definitely not good but not as egregiously bad as its reputation suggests idk. felt like it was made to be watched chopped up between commercial breaks on tv. i liked some of the (poorly executed) ideas like jeffrey wright & his son. bryce was very beautiful. this was just kind of meandering and dumb; i found TRAP a lot more frustrating and narcissistic honestly.
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S
the only realistic part of this movie is how long cleveland held his breath underwater
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B
Story informs M. Night’s character that his novel, the cookbook, will be read by a young boy. This boy will be inspired by his words and become a great orator. His words will be heard around the world and he will lead a movement of great change. What she fails to mention is that boy is actually Charlie Kirk and the scrunts are actually deepstate Democrat sleeper agents
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M
l’histoire est sympa dans le principe mais le rythme et l’exécution du film m’empêchaient de profiter, et puis y a des moments très sympas comme d’autres très niais
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NGL, this one is some cheeks.. the exposition is just talked out loud by the characters rather than just developing the story and characters. M Night self-insert as a hero character is diabolical lmao
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S
“ blim-blam, mr heep is a playerrrr “ i put this on to torture my girlfriend
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durante años veía que la daban en cable, y no imaginaba para nada la trama tan estupida
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M
Criaram uma mitologia inteira pra esse filme e simplesmente abandonaram tudo no limbo
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E
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K
Did not hold up to the test of time. Poor graphic and effects. Seems dated and gets kind of boring.
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G
watched this as a kid and it gave me nightmares. loved it
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L
I appreciate how fucking weird this movie was but Paul always delivers.
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A
To get a couple positives out of the way, Shyamalan still knows how to direct a tense sequence here and the actors were giving it their all. But while the talent on display saved the film from a half-star rating, they can’t come close to salvaging this incredibly dumb story. Shyamalan gets some deserved flack for using twists as a predictable gimmick, but the one time he restrained himself and played the premise completely straight was one of the few times the story really needed some kind of big twist to save it.
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Pure magic. A movie about healing. I cried and cried. We don’t deserve Shyamalan. Genuinely. Thank you for saving my life.
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YYorm 8 月 15, 2026
Watched on a plane. Not the movie to watch on a plane. Shyamalan’s best ensemble. Incredibly sweet and tender and well shot. Forgot the sheer amount of screen presence Giamatti has. I landed and got home and the Giamatti wall was gone. NOOOOOOOO. Feel very mixed on this because I find it kinda incoherent but it’s so sweet. So sweet. It’s an earned sweetness. Ok 🙂
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E
I don’t care what anyone says I love this movie so much. It’s so meta and whimsical as fuck. Idgaf about realistic, that’s what makes it so cozy.
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M
Gusto culposo. Está malita. Aunque hay comedia, metacomentarios, visualmente está muy bien, buen OST… Y nostalgia.
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K
So silly. So corny. So sloppy. Yet somehow I can’t look away. And not in the train wreck sort of way. In a way where I’m endlessly fascinated by what is being said, enamored with the beauty of the cinematography, and listening to the majestic score. And for all my gripes in the first half it all somehow feels intentional. Hence the inclusion of the film critic. This feels so uninterested in being a movie and so much more interested…
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C
Everytime Paul Giamatti ‘stutters’, he pauses and smacks his lips before continuing like he’s taking a moment to question every life decision he had ever made to bring him to the point of accepting this role. Funny ass movie.
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F
the least believable part of this movie was getting dozens of your closest friends to come to your party with one day’s notice
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T
Usually a big M. Night fan but this one just didn’t hit like the others
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D
Moi qui m’attendait à un nanard boudé de sa filmographie et qui me retrouve devant ce qui est factuellement l’un de ses plus beaux et puissants films. Ça m’a fasciné et transporté du début à la fin. Paul Giamatti est tellement parfait dans ce genre de rôles tant c’est l’incarnation parfaite de ce genre de personnages et c’était juste touchant quoi. J’apprécie la tentative malgré le lore un peu bancal mais son origine rend le truc encore plus évident et intéressant in fine. -> My M. Night Shyamalan Top
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N
Utterly baffled by the response this one got 20 years ago and even now. M. Night has some stinkers for sure, but this is not one of them. It is definitely something special but some elements are for sure undercooked. Had a good time watching this on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
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B
paul giamatti can only do so much
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H
Funny bad Shyamalan is unlike anything else. But this isn’t funny bad, it’s just boring bad. Fuck’s around for too long with bullshit concepts, and then has the audacity to bring in Shyamalan as a major supporting chaarcter who’s the most important writer in human history, when he can’t act his way out of a paper bag. So absurdly bigheaded and self-satisfied.
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L
man listened, and it became real. but man does not listen very well. mans need to own everything led him deeper into land. the magic world of the ones that live in the ocean and the world of man… separated. i’ll miss your faces. oh, they remind me of god. i grew up watching this movie and i used to replay it but at the same time, id stay away from it because it used to scare me (the creatures…
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H
Narfs and scrunts. Insane. I assume it was not meant to be as funny as I found it, but I found enjoyment in the absurdity. People talked about this like it would be the worst movie ever made. It isn’t good, but it creates a pretty cool world. Sure, the dialogue sounds like it was written by aliens, but I kinda liked the wonky vibe? I assume the direction was basically “let’s try that again but less natural.” Does this movie kinda rule? That’s impossible, right?
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G
The lore drops in this one crash around like anvils through several storeys of scaffolding. Holy shit. It is so terrible it kinda swings into being very fun. The insanely long shower crossword scene feels like a D&D game transcribed and turned into a movie. Scrunt and Narf sound like two cartoon skateboarding raccoons starring in anti-drug commercials in the 90s.
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K
Damn this is some clunky ass screenwriting holy shit. If Guillermo Del Toro got a transorbital lobotomy and lost all access to his prefrontal cortex he would have made this film.
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G
- Synopsis
- Apartment building superintendent Cleveland Heep rescues what he thinks is a young woman from the pool he maintains. When he discovers that she is actually a character from a bedtime story who is trying to make the journey back to her home, he works with his tenants to protect his new friend from the creatures that are determined to keep her in our world.
- Director
- M. Night Shyamalan
- Writer
- M. Night Shyamalan
- Studio
- Legendary Pictures, Blinding Edge Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures
- Country
- USA
- Language
- English, Chinese, Spanish
- Year
- 2006
- Runtime
- 110 mins
- USA17 Jul 2006
- UK08 Aug 2006
- Philippines19 Jul 2006
- Thailand20 Jul 2006
- USA21 Jul 2006
- Singapore27 Jul 2006
- India28 Jul 2006
- Chile10 Aug 2006
- UK11 Aug 2006
- Hong Kong17 Aug 2006
- Iceland18 Aug 2006
- Egypt23 Aug 2006
- Argentina24 Aug 2006
- Spain25 Aug 2006
- Kuwait30 Aug 2006
- Germany31 Aug 2006
- Austria01 Sep 2006
- Netherlands07 Sep 2006
- Latvia08 Sep 2006
- Belgium13 Sep 2006
- Denmark15 Sep 2006
- Finland22 Sep 2006
- Israel28 Sep 2006
- Italy29 Sep 2006
- Japan30 Sep 2006
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