The Happening - Liked It

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizano
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Run time: 1 hour, 31 minutes
Sci-Fi | Thriller | 2008
 
As I’m perusing through the rental DVD’s at Family Video, I’m told that I can get another free rental. I saw this one on the shelf and thought it sounded interesting. The words “Sci-Fi” really get to me and if there’s a “post-apocalyptic” plot line in there I’m truly interested. This film came out in 2008, so I’m surprised I haven’t seen it yet. The synopsis of this film is that there’s a plague affecting the northeast part of the United States, this particular plague causes the infected to commit suicide. The problem is, it’s airborne and no one can give any answers as to where it’s coming from or why it’s happening.
 
Mark Wahlber and Zooey Deschanel play a married couple that are on the run from this plague. What they don’t know… and what they figure out along with the way… it’s how they can avoid getting infected and where it’s actually coming from. I believe that the whole reason this is happening is very invented and I think it’s super interesting and a good story to watch.
 
SPOILERS
Okay I can’t keep quiet about what’s happening. The plants around them are fighting for their lives (okay?) and are giving off this chemical that makes the humans brains think they need to commit suicide. I guess less humans means the tree and plants and everything have a better chance at surviving. I really like this concept in a movie.
END SPOILERS
 
The only thing I didn’t really like was their time with the old lady. I’m not sure whether she was just a mean old lady or if she was infected way before they even arrived and just hadn’t committed suicide just yet. In the end, I thought it was a good movie and loved the fact of the short run time. I’m going to give this film a “Liked It” rating regardless of the fact that Wahlberg and Deschanel don’t have the best chemistry on screen. (4/5)