David Dunn is a forty-year-old security guard whose marriage and relationship with his son have grown distant, and who finds little meaning in his daily routine. After a train crash in Philadelphia kills 131 people, he is the only one who walks away unharmed, and the news draws attention from the press and the authorities. Soon afterwards, Elijah Price, who runs a comic book gallery, offers him a theory about people of extreme fragility and about their opposite, someone unbreakable who has been sent to protect others. David starts out skeptical, but he begins to notice that his body and his instincts are not quite ordinary, and he must decide what to do about it.

How it was made

The concept grew out of the three-part structure common in superhero comics: the hero's birth, his struggles against lesser criminals, and a final showdown with his archenemy. Shyamalan became drawn to the first section and wrote the story as an origin tale. While working on The Sixth Sense, he had already approached Bruce Willis for the role of David Dunn, and the screenplay was shaped with Willis in mind and with Samuel L. Jackson in mind for Elijah. Filming took place from April to July 2000. The film has a restrained look, with cinematography by Eduardo Serra, editing by Dylan Tichenor, and a score by James Newton Howard that drew particular praise.

Reception and legacy

Released in the United States on November 22, 2000, through Buena Vista Pictures, the film received generally positive reviews, with praise for its direction, screenplay, performances, visual style and music. Over time it has built a strong cult following, and many regard it as one of Shyamalan's best films and one of the finest superhero movies. Time placed it fourth on its 2011 list of the ten greatest superhero films of all time, and Quentin Tarantino included it among the twenty best films released between 1992 and 2009. Years later came Split (2017) and Glass (2019), which together make up a series with it.

Stills

Trailer

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Trivia

A recurring role

Shyamalan makes a brief appearance as a drug dealer at the stadium, a role he repeats in Split and Glass.

A link to Split

In 2018 Shyamalan confirmed that two characters who bump into David outside the stadium are younger versions of Kevin and Penelope Crumb from Split.

More films by M. Night Shyamalan

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