Film Review:’Lady in the Water’ Makes a Splash

M. Night Shyamalan’s newest film is his best. “Lady in the Water” is absolutely astounding. Though other critics may pick it apart as though it were a documentary, criticizing every little piece, just remember that this is a scary bedtime story. When you view this through that perspective, it is a great film that is sure to delight any and all ages 13 and older.

Though there are a few scary moments, the story, acting and overall movie is not to be missed. Story (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a narf ? a sea nymph from another world. She has come to our world now, specifically to Philadelphia at the Cove Apartments where she teams up with Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti), a maintenance man for the Cove. He enlists the help of others in the complex to send her back to her world before her many enemies come for her.

M. Night Shyamalan has had some decent films and some awful ones, so I went in not knowing what to expect. It came out wonderfully. The story is sweet, yet a little scary. This is how a true fairy tale is told.

Instead of the big bad wolf being a comical character that would interact with the good guys through silly disguises, this wolf is ready to kill and looks terrifying. Instead of there being a goofy bunch of characters devising a trap to send the wolf away, the people have metal rods, yard rakes, and anything else to defend themselves from being eaten. Despite the mature spin on things, the foundation of the story is rooted in real fairy tales where bad things sometimes happen and not every furry creature sings. For those who like Brothers Grimm, this movie will blow you away.

Rated PG-13 for some scary moments. Directed, written, produced by M. Night Shyamalan, and starring Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard and M. Night Shyamalan. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 stars.