Unbreakable is a superhero origin film told in a thriller-drama format. It is a story about finding your place in the world.

Stadium security guard David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is on Eastrail 177 when the train derails. Surprising everyone, including himself, David is the sole survivor and is completely unscathed from the horrific accident. Meanwhile, in the same town, Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) suffers from a rare medical condition that makes his bones more brittle than those of a regular human since infancy. After crossing paths with David Dunn, Elijah is convinced that he is the polar opposite of David Dunn. With the advent of this new information, David and Elijah strive to find their places in all of this.

Unbreakable is an excellent film, to say the least. It features two intertwining parallel arcs, one for David and one for Elijah. David’s arc follows a traditional superhero arc where he realises his “superpowers”, rejects them, and finally comes to terms with them, while Elijah’s arc closely parallels David’s. Eventually, both arcs unite. The story is one that everyone is familiar with, especially considering the recent influx of comic book movies in theatres. However, the tale is told in a masterful and refreshing way by the then-young M. Night Shyamalan with such maturity and finesse. With minimal action sequences and great restrain from using constantly recycled story beats, Unbreakable manages to captivate with its deeper character bonding moments and conversations - a feat rarely seen in films of the same genre even today. Grounded in reality, the film has a dark and subdued tone, which accompanies the realisation of both character arcs effectively.

This is, however, not to say that the plot is without its flaws. There are questionable moments in some parts of the plot but they were never distracting. One could just shrug them off and interpret those moments as Shyamalan’s typical flair for the dramatic.

The characters of David and Elijah are really well-written, and they can only improve with Bruce Willis’ and Samuel L. Jackson’s performances. Both embrace their roles, but Jackson, in particular, shines throughout the film despite having relatively short screen time. The young Spencer Treat Clark is especially notable as Joseph Dunn, the young son of David Dunn, due to his stellar performance in several crucial scenes with Willis.

Both the score and cinematography are absolutely perfect for this film. James Newton Howard is undeniably a master. With a minimalistic score, he infuses the film with rich emotions and energy that only a handful could manage. Eduardo Serra is marvellous as well. With great attention to detail and trust for the audience, he and Shyamalan craft a gorgeous and intelligent visual canvas for the film. Colours are used meticulously in scenes, camera shots are chosen and used wisely, and so are the long takes for engaging and deeply emotional sequences. One should simply sit back and appreciate how much work has been put into telling the story visually.

All in all, Unbreakable is a solid superhero drama film. Without any reservation, it is one of the best films of its genre and, in my opinion, Shyamalan’s magnum opus to date. This is a must-watch, and multiple viewings are also highly recommended for the spellbinding visuals, captivating score, and moving story.

Author: Chia Jing Heng (andreusjh99)