Unbreakable: M. Night Shyamalan's Superhero Masterpiece Before The Hype

M. Night Shyamalan's 'Unbreakable' Was Way Ahead of Its Time

You might have watched a ton of superhero movies but did you know M. Night Shyamalan had a movie, Unbreakable, all the way back in 2000?! It's a cult classic and really shows how different superheroes were back in the day.

So What Was The Deal With Unbreakable?

Think of it like a superhero movie, but with a more serious tone. You’ve got Bruce Willis as David Dunn and Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Glass. And that movie had this really grim, psychological edge!

Was Unbreakable A Hit Back Then?

Shyamalan had a tough time. It was weird, too! The people marketing the movie didn't even wanna call it a comic book movie, even though the movie’s plot felt super inspired by those classic comic book stories, they thought fans wouldn’t like it at all. You have to imagine what he was thinking: 'My superhero origin story is amazing. It has all these awesome themes!' It's really amazing how Shyamalan understood superheroes years before all these amazing superhero films. And how he could connect his movie with those awesome myths we love.

What’s The Story About?

In the movie, David Dunn has this super-crazy superhero origin story: He survived this major train crash without a single scratch, and that's how his journey to becoming a superhero starts. The movie takes it seriously, making it all about how he’s finding out who he really is - and figuring out what’s going on!
We love those classic superhero stories where they’ve got to go through some big changes! The real hero doesn’t really change too much at first, but that doesn’t mean it's not intense!

What Kind of Superhero Was David?

It wasn’t all super spectacular! Shyamalan focused more on David as a person instead of him changing and getting some cool costumes - think about all those superhero movies with amazing special effects and awesome costumes. This film didn't focus on all those things.

So What Made it A "Cult Classic"?

Those intense fights and explosions are awesome! But "Unbreakable" is more of a psychological thriller! The tone makes you wonder what’s coming next. This isn’t just your standard superhero stuff. It makes you want to figure out everything. That makes for great story twists that people still remember, making "Unbreakable" that much more interesting! And you know those super-smart M. Night Shyamalan movies - well, they don't disappoint with a serious plot.

Even though the movie's reception wasn't as great at first - a lot of critics didn't know what to make of it - but in the end, those superhero fans really got to love it! People loved the Unbreakable Trilogy: Split and Glass took things even further! That makes Shyamalan a superhero genre master, even though he really isn't so interested in making just another flashy superhero movie, it’s what makes his movies super interesting and memorable.