I totally agree with you that the the movie was too straightforward in its ending. I didn’t mind the change on Wen and Andrew surviving, but the movie could’ve ended with Wen and Andrew embracing in the treehouse and not have the answer of whether the apocalypse ended or was even real. And my interpretation of the hopeful ending in the movie is that the hope isn’t so much for humanity but hope for Andrew and Wen. I viewed Eric’s sacrifice as a passing of hope onto Andrew that he’ll break out of his jadedness and raise Wen from a place of love rather than fear-based self-preservation.
The ending really just feels like it's trying to be something it's not. We didn't need an answer the whole point of the book was that the answer was not clear and we didn't know if it was real or not.
I liked the movie up until it diverged from the book. I dont think adaptations need to 100% faithful to be good, but the aspects I found most compelling about the novel (religious indoctrination, brainwashing, ecochambers and the ways media can exacerbate these) are lost completely by the changed ending. The movie felt like a watered-down hollywoodified version of the novel.
It really felt like the book was always saying let's not bury our gays, and then the movie was like let's absolutely do that. The whole point of the book was kind of showing that they are just people to and the movie just makes them skeptical and gay stereotypes that really rubbed me wrong.
I think M was the wrong director for this. He's always going for the gotcha moment, and this story doesn't work that way. The change to the Wen part (trying not to spoiler too much) was just too much for me - it is *THE* pivotal plot point. I would have loved to see what someone like Ari Aster could have done with it, keeping it as written originally
It's interesting because I haven't read the book, but while watching I kept thinking, "what happens if one of them dies accidentally?" Turns out the book answered that. There were probably even hints toward it before it was rewriten.
It wasn’t Night’s project at first, it was brought to him, to develop. It was planned to be directed by someone else, but that fell through and eventually Night decided to do it. He’s a good director but should stop meddling with the scripts.
I agree, they should have just got someone to do a proper adaptation, rather than just stealing the plot of a novel and doing whatever you want with it. 😐
@@paoi18SPOILERS: Wen accidently gets shot and dies in the book, and that influences the couple's final decision at the end. The entire third act was different. The book is MUCH better & the theme is the total opposite of the movie. M Night tried to recreate Signs instead of letting the story be what it was intended to be, which is about the danger of religious fanatics and news fear mongering. I think he did it to create a "gotcha" moment he's known for, but since we expect that from him I already suspected what he was going to do going in so even ignoring the way he ruined the message of the book, the new ending was a let down for me.
Totally agree! I watched this yesterday and told my mom I wish the end was just them walking away. I always say a bad ending ruins a whole movie for me
What bothered me most (apart from the ending) was the reasoning behind the four horsemen dying. In the book, they sacrifice themselves because the family won't, in the hope that it will stop the apocalypse. But in the film, they say that the killings will bring about the tragedies. So, just don't do it... I loved and hated the ambiguity of the book - are they telling the truth, are they just four people taking advantage of events, are they part of a bigger group? Who knows! And I literally said when we came out that M. Night was just the wrong choice for director so snap! Hope parenthood is treating you both well and Little Miss is doing ok. Sending much love and blessings xxx
Yeah the whole point of the killings is supposed to have a reason behind it not just some mindless killings. But this movie just sort of takes it in the direction of you have to do it and it's real, but it was supposed to be ambiguous on if they were crazy or not.
Hearing the original ending makes me think that would be a lot better. The Mist had a really messed up ending but people remember it to this day. I was also a bit disappointed because I love disaster movies and was hoping for more of those scenes.
If it had ended like the book it would have truly been powerful and painful. To kill off one of the gays goes against the book entirely and we're not supposed to lose one of them because it's supposed to be about them, together, handling whatever horrible things happen to them. And a horrible thing happens to them.
I think that the book ending really wasn't that ambiguous. There's mention of the sky darkening after Sabrina dies and Leonard said that the final stage of the apocalypse will be darkness that descends upon humanity. So I think that in the book Andrew and Eric refuse the sacrifice and the apocalypse happens cause their world already ended when Wen died
the whole situation about the movie trying to have a happier ending seems like the studios intervened there. it reminds me a lot of the Little Shop of Horrors film adaptation, where they had to change the original ending because test audiences said it was too sad/not hopeful enough
@@thunderspikes4064 there’s really nothing bad about happy endings, but it’s the way the story is that it needed a very tragic ending. It was the point of the story
@@Topdoggie7 even the damn author was like “I prefer my ending 😭” I know I hate when they do remakes so earlie but like- This movie needs a remake, use the same set, use the same actors(they all fit them so well especially Dave Batista and Ben Aldridge) just change Directors and use the original ending
Watched the first half of this when you posted it. Stopped when you got to book spoilers. Having JUST finished the book, came immediately back to this. I 100% agree with everything you said. I saw the movie first, loved it, so read the book (mainly because you recommended it) and loved the book even more! You’ve turned me into a reader again. Next up is The Deep by Nick Cutter.
Yeah, it sounds like the ending to the book, while darker and more tragic in many respects, was also more thoughtful and reflective. The worst thing that could happen to this family has already happened, and it happened for nothing. It would be so easy for them to be broken by that, and to become nihilistic and complacent. But instead they refuse to be complicit. They refuse to be the tools of whatever unknowable force it is that perpetrates this cruelty. They reject its terms. They opt to wither with tenderness rather than live in subservience to an unconscionable force. I do think there is a tiny grain of hope in that, for all its tragedy.
I was so excited in the first half because it felt so faithful and then the ending was a huge letdown! I would have given a pass for the lack of gore/brutality if he went through with the book ending. The story lost a lot of meaning with the decisions the writers made :( Edit: Bad things aside, I really liked how Shyamalan translated the figure in the light as well as the flashbacks :)
I loved this book, but I've not seen the film bc I fell ill the weekend it opened 😭. But I couldn't resist hearing how it ended. (Spoilers) I can't help but feel they just played it so safe. Plus, I hate the idea of killing a loved one for the good of the world. I liked how, in the book, they challenged the notion whether the world was worth saving if this was the cost, like Tremblay said himself. I still intend to watch the film as soon as I'm able.
Haven’t watched the movie yet but I read the book after watching your most anticipated for 2023 video and I loved it. Also cried when reading it. Sad to hear about the changes in the movie but still look forward to watching it
I have not read the book, so it's very interesting to hear the changes made to them from someone who has! I may just pick up the book and re-experience it for myself. I feel the same way about the movie, it's decent and I definitely got teary at the peak of the movie, but I may have hyped myself up too much after seeing the cast and the R-Rating, which leaves me desiring just a little more.
There’s an episode of the 2000s version of The Twilight Zone which is very very reminiscent of this, but featuring cave explorers who uncover an ancient Mayan tomb and similar events occur. Has to make a sacrifice to stop the end of the world…. but was it actually necessary? Etc the book Cabin At The End Of The World sounds very good multilayered, but unfortunately the movie version just felt completely ripped off that episode of the twilight zone.
Totally agree - I liked the ambiguity of the book and the overall direction it took so much more. Still appreciate the movie for what it is, but I was expecting it to feel much more heavy and it lacked that for me compared to the book.
I never read the book, but for me it was one of those where the trailer was better and more exciting than the movie. I had high expectations too, and expected some sort of twist! And wow, Wen dying wouldve definitely added more to the film!
Btw great video as always. I saw this movie yesterday and I was a little disappointed for various reasons, but I hadn't read the book. Adding that to my list 😉
Yeah, I honestly thought as soon as I read the book that it was not suited for the Shyamalan treatment. The book works because of the ambiguity, and he just does not do ambiguity.
You & I have the exact same opinion on this movie. Tremblay is my favorite author as well and I really don't feel like they should have changed what they did when it was going to be R rated anyway. I gave it a 3 and a half on Letterboxd because I did enjoy Dave Bautista's acting a lot and enjoyed the movie up until the last half.
When we left the theater I said to my boyfriend “there was no twist” 😂 i did like the movie, I hadn’t read the book but hearing what happens now I do agree with you that would have been better. My boyfriend actually predicted that to happen for the movie even though he never read the book.
I, for one, was glad that the ending wasn't ambiguous. I haven't read the book (so, that probably allowed me to enjoy it more). I thought it was a really good movie, and thought Bautista did a great job.
Some of the things you mentioned are the same things I said after watching it. Especially the fact of it being too straightforward, I felt like after the first twenty minutes I knew everything that was going to happen. Also a 3/5 for me.
I really enjoyed this movie! I also really loved Bautista in this roll I thought he was great! Edit: now hearing more about the book I think I would actually have liked that ending a bit more.
I have to agree with you, that I preferred the book over the movie. While I enjoyed the movie and thought the cast did a great job, there was something unfulfilling after watching. The choices Paul Tremblay made in the book were much darker and heavier, but it is what makes the book so good and complex! I was disappointed when the movie steered away from the book, but I also should have known better with M.Night. It is almost like the twist in the movie was how it was different than the book, lol.
*SPOILER* ALSO am I the only one who was surprised that the movie decided to actually make Redmond be O'Bannon and proved it? I liked the idea of not knowing forsure if it was him or not in the book, lol.
Hey Sarah! Just wanted to thank you for guiding me to Paul Tremblay a books! I’ve always been a big Chiken towards scary movies but watching your videos helped start in the genre and the first scary book I read was head full of ghosts and I really pushed my own boundaries and I really loved it! I’ve know read cabin and pet semetary (which is the worst I’ve read) and just bought only the good Indians! So thank you for helping me enter the community (slowly but surely) and I want to recommend The Dangers of Smoking in Bed! It’s a short story collection and I’ve been liking it and finding it pretty disturbing so hope you can read it and share your thoughts! Love from Mexico🧡
I haven't seen the movie but I did read the book when I heard this was going to be made into a movie and it was coming out this year. I read this during the end of last year and really liked the book. Without seeing any spoiler reviews (I don't mind if it's spoiled for me), I had a feeling that the person who dies would be changed. I can guess why they changed it because people don't like to see children dying but it did make the story more intense with that especially when we learn that the death wasn't counted as a sacrifice and it was really for nothing. I do want to see the movie though and I did really enjoy the book, I am also tired of everyone going to the safer places when making movies just for catering to the audience too. This book was so good and there was a lot of violence that could have made it with an r rated movie but they of course didn't do that and isn't that what horror is all about? Making us feel uncomfortable and scared? I think so. Great review!
Wen surviving reminded me of the movie Cujo where the boy lives but in the book he dies. It was a gut punch in both books when the kids died. I always tell people to watch the movie then read the book. I usually sit in the theater furious because they never do the book justice.
From what I understand of the book, haven not read it, if Adriene saw Wen die and decided to stop the mission and killed Leonard and then Sabrina sacrificed herself, it might have been a better movie for me. They tried to keep if vague for the first few minutes of them all introducing each other, I believed them not fully explaining meant that they were lying. We saw the bar in a flashback and Andrew getting stitches, which made me believe that's where they all met. I also think the bar fight scene had both the harry potter actor and another guy to confuse us.
Spoiler: I think the point about the apocalypse being so straight forward is interesting because as someone who hasn’t read the book I came away from the movie wishing we could have seen more of the horseman’s struggle with what they were going and their belief in it. We see bits and pieces, like their almost relief when they think they see signs that it’s actually happening, because otherwise they would have just killed someone for nothing. Or when they refuse to go look at the Id because at that point they didn’t want to question it, the idea of being wrong is too horrifying. Especially when they were displayed as such normal people, (the I don’t have a homophobic bone in my body scene was especially funny because it just encapsulated that idea that these people were dropped into this completely unprepared just as the family was) I would have liked to see the movie explore that idea that maybe they indoctrinated each other and the idea of egging each others delusions along, and if it was real or not and the implications of that. It’s why I was kind of disappointed when the planes just started falling from the sky by the 100’s. There was no real way to justify that. The first two times could be easily questioned but then it just erased all that tension.
Thanks to you I started reading Paul. He’s now my favorite writer; so I was pumped for this movie. I left very disappointed from the ending. Especially after reading how M Night thought his ending was better.
I felt that the story went... nowhere. The dynamic with the Apocalypse4, their stories, their despair, what must have been going on in their minds... I found that side of the movie very interesting and moving. I wasn't moved by the daddies. Eric was too 'soft' and Andrew too much of an A-Hole. Impossible to put myself in their shoes, I was very detached from their struggle, no sympathy for them. The only thing that surprised me and the only reason I'd watch that movie again... Bautista. He is an amazing actor.
I haven't read the book yet but I had the same opinions about the movie anyway. One of the first things I said after watching is that if they had shown the deaths it would have felt more intense. And the second was that Wen didn't do anything for the story which I thought was weird and hearing that she dies in the book explains a lot. The actual very first thing I said is that I did not like the ending. I would have enjoyed it more if we either found out that they didn't have to sacrifice someone OR that we just didn't know. I still liked the movie but it really wasn't as strong as it could have been which is a shame..
I liked the ambiguity of the books ending, and I think if the price of saving the world is murdering your loved one that world isn't worth saving. Ps. I wrot that before watching till the end and Tremblaya opinion. That was my thoughts exactly and why the ending pissed me off.
The director missed the entire point of the book 🤦♀️. It didn’t matter if the apocalypse was real. Their world had ended. It was an apocalypse for them.
M Night is usually a hit for me. I loved this movie until the ending. I still enjoyed it. But thought the ending was diluted. The brutal ending of the book fits the story better in my opinion.
I haven't read the book, but yeah the movie seemed so... Simple. And like there were no twists, despite not knowing whether the visions were true or not, I kept thinking "yeah it IS true and they need to stop it" and then they do and the movie ends. I don't know, while I enjoyed the movie I wouldn't have spent my money going to the cinema, it felt more like a movie you watch at home eating some pizza. I agree with your review and even more so now that I know the changes they made.
I liked it. I wish it had more gore. I like when movies aren’t vague at the end. One part that got me was he said the book was too dark to put on screen for audiences and my thought was why put it on screen though. Now, after this video, I’m going to read the book.
The change in the ending was a pleasant surprise to me! I didn’t like the book ending and wanted some form of resolution and felt like it put a decent but still ambiguous button on the movie!
I feel like the whole thing was really a mess because if they die anyway at the end, dying as a couple would be better than just them both grieving the loss of a father and lover and the world ending anyway. Because it's not really a hundred percent certain if the world will be saved regardless. The book was also about those two homosexual lovers overcoming everything, even the bad things, and a bad thing happening and them still overcoming it. So now without that we have a bury your gay overcoming everything for nought.
I 100% agree that people should see the movie first. I love the book and I was so disappointed with the movie. I really hope that the book does get an adaptation that is closer to the book eventually.
I watched the movie a couple weeks ago, and just finished the book yesterday and the book was substantially better, it's a real shame M. Night ruined it. I'd be fine with changes made for an adaptation if it actually worked but in this case it didnt. It was incredibly underwhelming
Last movie I saw in the theater before giving birth was Men. Ugh. Lol. I didn't get back out to the theater until she was 5 months, hubby and I saw The Menu. I'm so glad you could get out to the movies!
I haven't read the book and I really enjoyed the film. I do think the apocalyptic imagery was really haunting and agree that there film would have benefited from more gore.
I watched it today and haven't read the book. I didn't interpret the ending as vague at all. It seemed very matter of fact that the apocalypse ended as soon as Eric died. Jeez, the book ending sounds bleak! Don't know how I would have reacted to that if they'd used it in the film. The fact that Eric would be the one to die felt sign-posted very early on as soon as they mentioned his faith a second time.
i loved the book, and i loved the ambiguous ending. i also loved the movie, i felt like it was one interpretation that could’ve occurred based on the book ending, except of course without wens death. i’m someone who loves to know what’s going on, so the movie version gave me some closure i needed. BUT i also love the openness of the book ending. guess i loved it all 😂but i agree on the gore, i wanted so much more horror
I enjoyed it enough but of course I didn’t read the book. When people ask if I recommend this I ask if they liked 10 clover field lane. If so then yeah they’ll probably like it.
A read the book over a year ago. Great ..like you said. Not gonna watch the movie. When a great book gets adapted, why change it. The people that loved the book will not be happy. One of my all time favorite books is The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. AMC bought the rights to the book now a series called The Mayfair Witches. It is terrible. It is so different and getting lambasted by lovers of the book. Getting ones and twos out of ten on IMDB by viewers. Why do screen writers think they can improve on National Bestselling Books. As a book and movie lover it is so disappointing. Great Review though.
It's crazy to me that in production, they can look at a masterpiece, and look at all the little details that makes a novel absolutely incredible, and then they say "okay we need to change everything."
It felt gripping until the third act and now hearing how the book ends is a bit frustrating. Frank Darabont had real balls with the way he ended “The Mist”, but I guess Night didn’t want to depress the audience. But a bland ending is worse than a sad one.
I went into this movie blind of the original story...It didn't work for me. I was not attached to anyone but Wei, and they told us right away that she wouldn't be hurt. The story said there was tension, but since it was utterly straightforward, I was not tense.
Just watched it, and it was very good I thought 7.5/10, much much better than Old. Very surprised to hear the differences to the book, I liked what the ending of the movie meant really, I think I prefer it to the open ending that the book seems to have.
First, I want to say a big thank you! I discovered Cabin when I stumbled upon one of your book videos about a year back. I'm glad I got to enjoy this story before I knew there would be a movie. Please keep those reading recommendations coming! I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who was disappointed with the omissions of the film. Wen being the biggest. My gut reaction was cowardice in adapting the story. Now knowing the "great ending" quote, I'm even more disappointed with choices made. Overall I enjoyed the film, and casting was spot on. The opening scene was shot for shot how I imagined that scene playing out. I only wish they played it less safe and stayed true to the tension and ambiguity of the novel.
Sarah I'm not sure if you saw my comment on your last video, but I really think you were hacked because someone pretending to be you keeps hitting me up on Telegram for money. Keeps saying I won all this stuff from your giveaways but I owe $160.00 for shipping. I even got another message yesterday about it. I ended up having to delete Telegram, but I still wanted to give you a heads up about this.
I wasn’t hacked it’s a bot that leaves comments on ALL of my comments but they block me so I can’t actually see them! just please try to report it when you see it
I always send them this link to Charlotte Dobre's video of her confronting her comment scammer pretending to be her lol. th-cam.com/video/5OgUi8IpU7I/w-d-xo.html
After your review I really want to read the book now, because it's defenitely going to be more entertaining. The movie was okay, but the story had so many holes that just didn't make it more interesting and the ending was so predictable from 30mins in.
Dave Baustista is one of the four armed strangers? I would've thought he was one of the hostages. Edit: This puts a different spin on this movie for me now.
I don't like this book and couldn't make myself finish it. But I heard positive reviews from people who also didn't like the book and hoped I'd love it. I didn't. As soon as I saw the light in the mirror I knew how it would end. Bautista was good though.
I saw this last night with having never read the book and not ever hearing of the story. I left feeling like it was OK but there was something missing. I didn’t feel like there was much depth, and I felt like the Apocalypse storyline was really spoonfed to the audience. It didn’t give us a chance to decipher it for ourselves. I I just left feeling like it had a lot of potential with the story, but it just felt like it wasn’t quite there and maybe now I need to read the book.
choosing to be sacrificed to save the world is tricky since you'll never know if it's true. if you chose to be a sacrifice, or choose someone else to be sacrificed, and the world never ended, you'll likely think that it was a hoax. and if the world did end and no one chooses the sacrifice, they'll never know if the world actually ended cause everyone's dead.
My friend saw the movie but didn't read the book. I asked him if it was super sad and he said no. I can't believe they didn't kill Wen! Less excited to see it but I will eventually.
i liked the movie (haven't read the book) but i can't say that i was surprised by anything, and i could probably have written the same scenario easily. that said the actors were all very good in it !!
I definitely want to read the book now! My partner and I liked the movie until the end. So this makes a lot of sense. The ending felt so off with Eric saying he basically saw a figure and everything will be okay. Seemed too much like a test from God type moral story. Glad to know the book is different! Also, just wanna brag that I called it in the beginning when I realized there was four of them, I turned to my boyfriend and said they're the four horsemen 😎
(Spoiler) After Redmond's death I literally thought to myself if it was even an R rating because I expected so much more. The book is just much better and I agree that the movie was just too straightforward
this was 14a (which is canada's pg-13 in canada) and tbh I can see this just being a PG movie, like nothing happens on screen and theres no real horror other than maybe the tsnunami scene, which is literally seen in the trailer. In fact, every single major plot point up until the very end is in the trailer.
My boyfriend read a joke saying Bautista was dead the whole time and went into the movie thinking that was a spoiler… and we both thought of all these crazy twists. I thought the end would have been similar to Old and he thought Bautista was someone that the husband with the gun killed and that the 4 were ghosts. We still loved this movie. 100% did not have to be R rated. It was my favorite movie of his. No one builds tension like M Night lol.
Haven’t seen the movie or read the book, although I do want to read the book. But I agree with your thoughts on moviemaking. SIGNS was the last movie I saw, until SPLIT and GLASS. After SIGNS I felt like his movies got too preachy.
I wanted to watch the movie prior to reading the source material (because when is the book NOT better than the movie?) so I am not going to watch the full video so I can enjoy the book with no spoilers BUT I did enjoy the film, I want to see Bautista in more serious roles, my partner doesn't cry often when watching movies and he actually teared up during our after watch discussion. I thought the pacing was great because nothing felt slow or boring, I thought the end was VERY M. Night with the song playing on the radio, felt like Daddy Eric was telling them he was okay 🥺 can't wait to read the book, though!
I stopped watching at “I’m going to spoil the book”. Thanks for the heads up! You are right: watch the movie first. But I think it is always true. It is very difficult to enjoy a movie for what it is when you have preconceived ideas from the book, but I don’t think watching a movie first will ever ruin a good book.
i knew nothing about the film or the book before watching and i absolutely loved it. but i understand why people who had high expectations bc of the book would be disappointed
The first two news reports (the earthquakes and flu outbreak) were really good at making you wonder whether the four intruders were telling the truth or did they see the news earlier and convinced themselves that their visions were true. But the plane report, while obviously visually cool, removed any doubt. There's no way to explain why more than 700 planes would just fall out of the sky other than something otherworldly occurring. So i'm confused as to how the people behind the movie could argue that it's a vague ending.
I think their explanation why it is a vague ending is that we don't know whether Eric's death actually stopped the apocalypse, or if it was coincidence. Which is ridiculous. It stopped *immediately* after he died. It was going on for days and they're trying to say that Eric dying and the apocalypse ending within the space of 20 minutes is a coincidence..
I rated it 3 stars overall because I loved the set and I think it was shot beautifully, but it definitely was not my favorite M. Night film for 2 main reasons. 1. I wish that instead of having all the fire and brimstone action in the forest at the end it had just been quiet with birds chirping to really make you question if anything actually happened. Then when the characters go to town you could still have the same ending but I think it would be more ambiguous because they haven’t actually experienced the disaster themselves, have only seen it on TV. 2. Having never read the book, I can say that I also wished that the movie was a bit longer. I would’ve liked more character development not only for the main couple but also for the four horsemen and how they came together. I think the film tried to cover too many plot points in too little time and as a result the characters felt one dimensional.
4:01 I disagree. The movie still didn't have any tension for me and i had not read the book. I just finished the book yesterday and it was significantly better than the movie. I don't understand the choices M. Night made with this.
I totally agree with you that the the movie was too straightforward in its ending. I didn’t mind the change on Wen and Andrew surviving, but the movie could’ve ended with Wen and Andrew embracing in the treehouse and not have the answer of whether the apocalypse ended or was even real.
And my interpretation of the hopeful ending in the movie is that the hope isn’t so much for humanity but hope for Andrew and Wen. I viewed Eric’s sacrifice as a passing of hope onto Andrew that he’ll break out of his jadedness and raise Wen from a place of love rather than fear-based self-preservation.
Yeah, my one criticism is the ending lingered way too much.
The ending really just feels like it's trying to be something it's not. We didn't need an answer the whole point of the book was that the answer was not clear and we didn't know if it was real or not.
I liked the movie up until it diverged from the book. I dont think adaptations need to 100% faithful to be good, but the aspects I found most compelling about the novel (religious indoctrination, brainwashing, ecochambers and the ways media can exacerbate these) are lost completely by the changed ending. The movie felt like a watered-down hollywoodified version of the novel.
Now I need to read the book because the ending of the film was so...blah.
@@TheWitchsRattle I thought the whole movie was kinda...blah. I'll have to check out the book though. It sounds way better than the movie.
@@WoahLookAtThatFreak the book is much better by a long shot! He doesn't spoon-feed his readers.
It really felt like the book was always saying let's not bury our gays, and then the movie was like let's absolutely do that. The whole point of the book was kind of showing that they are just people to and the movie just makes them skeptical and gay stereotypes that really rubbed me wrong.
I think M was the wrong director for this. He's always going for the gotcha moment, and this story doesn't work that way. The change to the Wen part (trying not to spoiler too much) was just too much for me - it is *THE* pivotal plot point. I would have loved to see what someone like Ari Aster could have done with it, keeping it as written originally
It's interesting because I haven't read the book, but while watching I kept thinking, "what happens if one of them dies accidentally?" Turns out the book answered that. There were probably even hints toward it before it was rewriten.
It wasn’t Night’s project at first, it was brought to him, to develop. It was planned to be directed by someone else, but that fell through and eventually Night decided to do it. He’s a good director but should stop meddling with the scripts.
I have watched the movie but havent read the book, I'm curious what happened to Wen? what change they did?
I agree, they should have just got someone to do a proper adaptation, rather than just stealing the plot of a novel and doing whatever you want with it. 😐
@@paoi18SPOILERS: Wen accidently gets shot and dies in the book, and that influences the couple's final decision at the end. The entire third act was different. The book is MUCH better & the theme is the total opposite of the movie. M Night tried to recreate Signs instead of letting the story be what it was intended to be, which is about the danger of religious fanatics and news fear mongering. I think he did it to create a "gotcha" moment he's known for, but since we expect that from him I already suspected what he was going to do going in so even ignoring the way he ruined the message of the book, the new ending was a let down for me.
I really really liked it until the near end. I preferred the ambiguity in not knowing if they were really capable of averting the apocalypse
Same! I was hoping there was going to be another sting to it, and then there wasn't.
If you want an apocalypse movie that is more ambiguous and doesn't spell things out, I recommend "Take Shelter".
Totally agree! I watched this yesterday and told my mom I wish the end was just them walking away. I always say a bad ending ruins a whole movie for me
@@societycrumblesGotta watch that now.
What bothered me most (apart from the ending) was the reasoning behind the four horsemen dying. In the book, they sacrifice themselves because the family won't, in the hope that it will stop the apocalypse. But in the film, they say that the killings will bring about the tragedies. So, just don't do it...
I loved and hated the ambiguity of the book - are they telling the truth, are they just four people taking advantage of events, are they part of a bigger group? Who knows!
And I literally said when we came out that M. Night was just the wrong choice for director so snap!
Hope parenthood is treating you both well and Little Miss is doing ok.
Sending much love and blessings xxx
Exactly, as I watched I kept saying, if they want to avoid the apocalypse why do they keep killing each other and bringing the plagues?
Yeah the whole point of the killings is supposed to have a reason behind it not just some mindless killings. But this movie just sort of takes it in the direction of you have to do it and it's real, but it was supposed to be ambiguous on if they were crazy or not.
Hearing the original ending makes me think that would be a lot better. The Mist had a really messed up ending but people remember it to this day. I was also a bit disappointed because I love disaster movies and was hoping for more of those scenes.
omg I was hoping that the film finished like The Mist! it could be more powerfull that way
If it had ended like the book it would have truly been powerful and painful. To kill off one of the gays goes against the book entirely and we're not supposed to lose one of them because it's supposed to be about them, together, handling whatever horrible things happen to them. And a horrible thing happens to them.
I think that the book ending really wasn't that ambiguous. There's mention of the sky darkening after Sabrina dies and Leonard said that the final stage of the apocalypse will be darkness that descends upon humanity. So I think that in the book Andrew and Eric refuse the sacrifice and the apocalypse happens cause their world already ended when Wen died
It's ambiguous and not confirmed.
the whole situation about the movie trying to have a happier ending seems like the studios intervened there. it reminds me a lot of the Little Shop of Horrors film adaptation, where they had to change the original ending because test audiences said it was too sad/not hopeful enough
What's wrong with a happy ending?
@@thunderspikes4064 there’s really nothing bad about happy endings, but it’s the way the story is that it needed a very tragic ending. It was the point of the story
@@kaitomastuda6262 This. They erased the point of the book in the movie.
@@Topdoggie7 even the damn author was like “I prefer my ending 😭”
I know I hate when they do remakes so earlie but like-
This movie needs a remake, use the same set, use the same actors(they all fit them so well especially Dave Batista and Ben Aldridge) just change Directors and use the original ending
@@kaitomastuda6262 This. Exactly this. It went into just another bury your gays bs film for the pile.
Watched the first half of this when you posted it. Stopped when you got to book spoilers. Having JUST finished the book, came immediately back to this. I 100% agree with everything you said. I saw the movie first, loved it, so read the book (mainly because you recommended it) and loved the book even more! You’ve turned me into a reader again. Next up is The Deep by Nick Cutter.
Yeah, it sounds like the ending to the book, while darker and more tragic in many respects, was also more thoughtful and reflective.
The worst thing that could happen to this family has already happened, and it happened for nothing. It would be so easy for them to be broken by that, and to become nihilistic and complacent. But instead they refuse to be complicit. They refuse to be the tools of whatever unknowable force it is that perpetrates this cruelty. They reject its terms.
They opt to wither with tenderness rather than live in subservience to an unconscionable force. I do think there is a tiny grain of hope in that, for all its tragedy.
I was so excited in the first half because it felt so faithful and then the ending was a huge letdown! I would have given a pass for the lack of gore/brutality if he went through with the book ending. The story lost a lot of meaning with the decisions the writers made :(
Edit: Bad things aside, I really liked how Shyamalan translated the figure in the light as well as the flashbacks :)
I loved this book, but I've not seen the film bc I fell ill the weekend it opened 😭. But I couldn't resist hearing how it ended. (Spoilers) I can't help but feel they just played it so safe. Plus, I hate the idea of killing a loved one for the good of the world. I liked how, in the book, they challenged the notion whether the world was worth saving if this was the cost, like Tremblay said himself.
I still intend to watch the film as soon as I'm able.
If you want an apocalypse movie that is more ambiguous and doesn't spell things out, I recommend "Take Shelter".
I watched it, but for me at the end was pretty straight forward that the apocalypse is happening.
Haven’t watched the movie yet but I read the book after watching your most anticipated for 2023 video and I loved it. Also cried when reading it. Sad to hear about the changes in the movie but still look forward to watching it
I have not read the book, so it's very interesting to hear the changes made to them from someone who has! I may just pick up the book and re-experience it for myself. I feel the same way about the movie, it's decent and I definitely got teary at the peak of the movie, but I may have hyped myself up too much after seeing the cast and the R-Rating, which leaves me desiring just a little more.
There’s an episode of the 2000s version of The Twilight Zone which is very very reminiscent of this, but featuring cave explorers who uncover an ancient Mayan tomb and similar events occur. Has to make a sacrifice to stop the end of the world…. but was it actually necessary? Etc the book Cabin At The End Of The World sounds very good multilayered, but unfortunately the movie version just felt completely ripped off that episode of the twilight zone.
Yes I really needed that vague element as well! With the way the book plays out this could have been as impactful as the mist.
Totally agree - I liked the ambiguity of the book and the overall direction it took so much more. Still appreciate the movie for what it is, but I was expecting it to feel much more heavy and it lacked that for me compared to the book.
Yeah, I read the book when this was announced a little while back and the movie could have been so much better
I never read the book, but for me it was one of those where the trailer was better and more exciting than the movie. I had high expectations too, and expected some sort of twist! And wow, Wen dying wouldve definitely added more to the film!
Btw great video as always. I saw this movie yesterday and I was a little disappointed for various reasons, but I hadn't read the book. Adding that to my list 😉
Yeah, I honestly thought as soon as I read the book that it was not suited for the Shyamalan treatment. The book works because of the ambiguity, and he just does not do ambiguity.
You & I have the exact same opinion on this movie. Tremblay is my favorite author as well and I really don't feel like they should have changed what they did when it was going to be R rated anyway. I gave it a 3 and a half on Letterboxd because I did enjoy Dave Bautista's acting a lot and enjoyed the movie up until the last half.
When we left the theater I said to my boyfriend “there was no twist” 😂 i did like the movie, I hadn’t read the book but hearing what happens now I do agree with you that would have been better. My boyfriend actually predicted that to happen for the movie even though he never read the book.
I, for one, was glad that the ending wasn't ambiguous. I haven't read the book (so, that probably allowed me to enjoy it more). I thought it was a really good movie, and thought Bautista did a great job.
Some of the things you mentioned are the same things I said after watching it. Especially the fact of it being too straightforward, I felt like after the first twenty minutes I knew everything that was going to happen. Also a 3/5 for me.
I really enjoyed this movie! I also really loved Bautista in this roll I thought he was great!
Edit: now hearing more about the book I think I would actually have liked that ending a bit more.
I have to agree with you, that I preferred the book over the movie. While I enjoyed the movie and thought the cast did a great job, there was something unfulfilling after watching. The choices Paul Tremblay made in the book were much darker and heavier, but it is what makes the book so good and complex! I was disappointed when the movie steered away from the book, but I also should have known better with M.Night. It is almost like the twist in the movie was how it was different than the book, lol.
*SPOILER* ALSO am I the only one who was surprised that the movie decided to actually make Redmond be O'Bannon and proved it? I liked the idea of not knowing forsure if it was him or not in the book, lol.
Hey Sarah! Just wanted to thank you for guiding me to Paul Tremblay a books! I’ve always been a big Chiken towards scary movies but watching your videos helped start in the genre and the first scary book I read was head full of ghosts and I really pushed my own boundaries and I really loved it! I’ve know read cabin and pet semetary (which is the worst I’ve read) and just bought only the good Indians! So thank you for helping me enter the community (slowly but surely) and I want to recommend The Dangers of Smoking in Bed! It’s a short story collection and I’ve been liking it and finding it pretty disturbing so hope you can read it and share your thoughts! Love from Mexico🧡
I haven't seen the movie but I did read the book when I heard this was going to be made into a movie and it was coming out this year. I read this during the end of last year and really liked the book. Without seeing any spoiler reviews (I don't mind if it's spoiled for me), I had a feeling that the person who dies would be changed. I can guess why they changed it because people don't like to see children dying but it did make the story more intense with that especially when we learn that the death wasn't counted as a sacrifice and it was really for nothing. I do want to see the movie though and I did really enjoy the book, I am also tired of everyone going to the safer places when making movies just for catering to the audience too. This book was so good and there was a lot of violence that could have made it with an r rated movie but they of course didn't do that and isn't that what horror is all about? Making us feel uncomfortable and scared? I think so. Great review!
Wen surviving reminded me of the movie Cujo where the boy lives but in the book he dies. It was a gut punch in both books when the kids died. I always tell people to watch the movie then read the book. I usually sit in the theater furious because they never do the book justice.
In Canada it's rated 14A which I think makes a lot more sense, definitely didn't feel like an R rated movie to me
You look so great! Hope baby is doing good :)
I loved the movie. Bautista was my favorite (I'm a wrestling fan, so, no surprise there).
Omg so excited for your review have been waiting for this review
From what I understand of the book, haven not read it, if Adriene saw Wen die and decided to stop the mission and killed Leonard and then Sabrina sacrificed herself, it might have been a better movie for me. They tried to keep if vague for the first few minutes of them all introducing each other, I believed them not fully explaining meant that they were lying. We saw the bar in a flashback and Andrew getting stitches, which made me believe that's where they all met. I also think the bar fight scene had both the harry potter actor and another guy to confuse us.
10:03 this is the face of somebody who's about to spoil the book
I didn’t read the book but I loved this film so much actually
Spoiler:
I think the point about the apocalypse being so straight forward is interesting because as someone who hasn’t read the book I came away from the movie wishing we could have seen more of the horseman’s struggle with what they were going and their belief in it. We see bits and pieces, like their almost relief when they think they see signs that it’s actually happening, because otherwise they would have just killed someone for nothing. Or when they refuse to go look at the Id because at that point they didn’t want to question it, the idea of being wrong is too horrifying. Especially when they were displayed as such normal people, (the I don’t have a homophobic bone in my body scene was especially funny because it just encapsulated that idea that these people were dropped into this completely unprepared just as the family was) I would have liked to see the movie explore that idea that maybe they indoctrinated each other and the idea of egging each others delusions along, and if it was real or not and the implications of that. It’s why I was kind of disappointed when the planes just started falling from the sky by the 100’s. There was no real way to justify that. The first two times could be easily questioned but then it just erased all that tension.
Thanks to you I started reading Paul. He’s now my favorite writer; so I was pumped for this movie. I left very disappointed from the ending. Especially after reading how M Night thought his ending was better.
I felt that the story went... nowhere.
The dynamic with the Apocalypse4, their stories, their despair, what must have been going on in their minds... I found that side of the movie very interesting and moving.
I wasn't moved by the daddies. Eric was too 'soft' and Andrew too much of an A-Hole. Impossible to put myself in their shoes, I was very detached from their struggle, no sympathy for them.
The only thing that surprised me and the only reason I'd watch that movie again... Bautista. He is an amazing actor.
I haven't read the book yet but I had the same opinions about the movie anyway. One of the first things I said after watching is that if they had shown the deaths it would have felt more intense. And the second was that Wen didn't do anything for the story which I thought was weird and hearing that she dies in the book explains a lot. The actual very first thing I said is that I did not like the ending. I would have enjoyed it more if we either found out that they didn't have to sacrifice someone OR that we just didn't know.
I still liked the movie but it really wasn't as strong as it could have been which is a shame..
I thought they needed to make their decision on who to sacrifice before the 4 Horsemen die.
Congratulations on your baby!
I liked the ambiguity of the books ending, and I think if the price of saving the world is murdering your loved one that world isn't worth saving.
Ps. I wrot that before watching till the end and Tremblaya opinion. That was my thoughts exactly and why the ending pissed me off.
The director missed the entire point of the book 🤦♀️. It didn’t matter if the apocalypse was real. Their world had ended. It was an apocalypse for them.
M Night is usually a hit for me. I loved this movie until the ending. I still enjoyed it. But thought the ending was diluted. The brutal ending of the book fits the story better in my opinion.
I haven't read the book, but yeah the movie seemed so... Simple. And like there were no twists, despite not knowing whether the visions were true or not, I kept thinking "yeah it IS true and they need to stop it" and then they do and the movie ends. I don't know, while I enjoyed the movie I wouldn't have spent my money going to the cinema, it felt more like a movie you watch at home eating some pizza. I agree with your review and even more so now that I know the changes they made.
I liked it. I wish it had more gore. I like when movies aren’t vague at the end. One part that got me was he said the book was too dark to put on screen for audiences and my thought was why put it on screen though. Now, after this video, I’m going to read the book.
The change in the ending was a pleasant surprise to me! I didn’t like the book ending and wanted some form of resolution and felt like it put a decent but still ambiguous button on the movie!
I feel like the whole thing was really a mess because if they die anyway at the end, dying as a couple would be better than just them both grieving the loss of a father and lover and the world ending anyway. Because it's not really a hundred percent certain if the world will be saved regardless.
The book was also about those two homosexual lovers overcoming everything, even the bad things, and a bad thing happening and them still overcoming it. So now without that we have a bury your gay overcoming everything for nought.
I 100% agree that people should see the movie first. I love the book and I was so disappointed with the movie.
I really hope that the book does get an adaptation that is closer to the book eventually.
I liked and enjoyed both the book and the movie. I liked getting to see an alternate ending. I prefer the book but I was able to enjoy the movie too.
I watched the movie a couple weeks ago, and just finished the book yesterday and the book was substantially better, it's a real shame M. Night ruined it. I'd be fine with changes made for an adaptation if it actually worked but in this case it didnt. It was incredibly underwhelming
Last movie I saw in the theater before giving birth was Men. Ugh. Lol. I didn't get back out to the theater until she was 5 months, hubby and I saw The Menu. I'm so glad you could get out to the movies!
I haven't read the book and I really enjoyed the film. I do think the apocalyptic imagery was really haunting and agree that there film would have benefited from more gore.
I watched it today and haven't read the book. I didn't interpret the ending as vague at all. It seemed very matter of fact that the apocalypse ended as soon as Eric died. Jeez, the book ending sounds bleak! Don't know how I would have reacted to that if they'd used it in the film. The fact that Eric would be the one to die felt sign-posted very early on as soon as they mentioned his faith a second time.
yes!! ive been dying to hear ur thoughts ever since i saw the film
i loved the book, and i loved the ambiguous ending. i also loved the movie, i felt like it was one interpretation that could’ve occurred based on the book ending, except of course without wens death. i’m someone who loves to know what’s going on, so the movie version gave me some closure i needed. BUT i also love the openness of the book ending. guess i loved it all 😂but i agree on the gore, i wanted so much more horror
I enjoyed it enough but of course I didn’t read the book. When people ask if I recommend this I ask if they liked 10 clover field lane. If so then yeah they’ll probably like it.
I got a DVD copy of "The Tunnel" from the library.
I actually loved that it was straight forward I hated the ambiguity in the mist
A read the book over a year ago. Great ..like you said. Not gonna watch the movie. When a great book gets adapted, why change it. The people that loved the book will not be happy. One of my all time favorite books is The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. AMC bought the rights to the book now a series called The Mayfair Witches. It is terrible. It is so different and getting lambasted by lovers of the book. Getting ones and twos out of ten on IMDB by viewers. Why do screen writers think they can improve on National Bestselling Books. As a book and movie lover it is so disappointing. Great Review though.
It's crazy to me that in production, they can look at a masterpiece, and look at all the little details that makes a novel absolutely incredible, and then they say "okay we need to change everything."
im so glad i saw the movie first because the book sounds a lot better, thankyou for the comparison!
It felt gripping until the third act and now hearing how the book ends is a bit frustrating. Frank Darabont had real balls with the way he ended “The Mist”, but I guess Night didn’t want to depress the audience. But a bland ending is worse than a sad one.
I went into this movie blind of the original story...It didn't work for me. I was not attached to anyone but Wei, and they told us right away that she wouldn't be hurt. The story said there was tension, but since it was utterly straightforward, I was not tense.
Just watched it, and it was very good I thought 7.5/10, much much better than Old. Very surprised to hear the differences to the book, I liked what the ending of the movie meant really, I think I prefer it to the open ending that the book seems to have.
First, I want to say a big thank you! I discovered Cabin when I stumbled upon one of your book videos about a year back. I'm glad I got to enjoy this story before I knew there would be a movie. Please keep those reading recommendations coming!
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who was disappointed with the omissions of the film. Wen being the biggest. My gut reaction was cowardice in adapting the story. Now knowing the "great ending" quote, I'm even more disappointed with choices made. Overall I enjoyed the film, and casting was spot on. The opening scene was shot for shot how I imagined that scene playing out. I only wish they played it less safe and stayed true to the tension and ambiguity of the novel.
@PossessedbyHorror I just wanted to make you aware your account may have been hacked. I sent you an Instagram message elaborating.
The book is so good. I’ll probably catch the movie when it comes on demand, but I didn’t really have high hopes for it.
I'm in the middle of reading the book! If I go see the film , Id be spoiled. Loving the book so far
Maybe they should have found a director under A24? I feel like A24 isn’t afraid to market ambiguous stories.
Sarah I'm not sure if you saw my comment on your last video, but I really think you were hacked because someone pretending to be you keeps hitting me up on Telegram for money. Keeps saying I won all this stuff from your giveaways but I owe $160.00 for shipping. I even got another message yesterday about it. I ended up having to delete Telegram, but I still wanted to give you a heads up about this.
Yeah.
I got a bot comment, too.
Be sure to Report it.
It happens on most youtube channels so just be aware the bots are on 98% comments you and others post
I wasn’t hacked it’s a bot that leaves comments on ALL of my comments but they block me so I can’t actually see them! just please try to report it when you see it
I always send them this link to Charlotte Dobre's video of her confronting her comment scammer pretending to be her lol.
th-cam.com/video/5OgUi8IpU7I/w-d-xo.html
I still have no idea why I let it talk me into downloading Telegram 🤣🥴
The ending was my biggest issue. As a fan of the book, I was slightly disappointed. It’s definitely not a “great ending now.” It was bad LOL
After your review I really want to read the book now, because it's defenitely going to be more entertaining. The movie was okay, but the story had so many holes that just didn't make it more interesting and the ending was so predictable from 30mins in.
Omg super excited for your review!!!!!! 🍿
Man having a baby looks great on you! You look healthy and happy!!
I heard this is similar to the 2nd cloverfield movie
Dave Baustista is one of the four armed strangers?
I would've thought he was one of the hostages.
Edit: This puts a different spin on this movie for me now.
I don't like this book and couldn't make myself finish it. But I heard positive reviews from people who also didn't like the book and hoped I'd love it. I didn't. As soon as I saw the light in the mirror I knew how it would end. Bautista was good though.
I saw this last night with having never read the book and not ever hearing of the story. I left feeling like it was OK but there was something missing. I didn’t feel like there was much depth, and I felt like the Apocalypse storyline was really spoonfed to the audience. It didn’t give us a chance to decipher it for ourselves. I I just left feeling like it had a lot of potential with the story, but it just felt like it wasn’t quite there and maybe now I need to read the book.
I liked this film, but I went in without reading the book. Yes, the story was repeated ALOT! But I thought Bautista did an amazing job in this.
choosing to be sacrificed to save the world is tricky since you'll never know if it's true. if you chose to be a sacrifice, or choose someone else to be sacrificed, and the world never ended, you'll likely think that it was a hoax. and if the world did end and no one chooses the sacrifice, they'll never know if the world actually ended cause everyone's dead.
My friend saw the movie but didn't read the book. I asked him if it was super sad and he said no. I can't believe they didn't kill Wen! Less excited to see it but I will eventually.
I SPRINTED to my phone to pause when you said you were gonna spoil the book. I was too late 😂 not watching from afar with my AirPods anymore.
i liked the movie (haven't read the book) but i can't say that i was surprised by anything, and i could probably have written the same scenario easily. that said the actors were all very good in it !!
I’ve not been in the theatre in nearly 3 yrs
I definitely want to read the book now! My partner and I liked the movie until the end. So this makes a lot of sense. The ending felt so off with Eric saying he basically saw a figure and everything will be okay. Seemed too much like a test from God type moral story. Glad to know the book is different!
Also, just wanna brag that I called it in the beginning when I realized there was four of them, I turned to my boyfriend and said they're the four horsemen 😎
(Spoiler) After Redmond's death I literally thought to myself if it was even an R rating because I expected so much more. The book is just much better and I agree that the movie was just too straightforward
Love seeing new content from you! And your baby is the most precious girl!
this was 14a (which is canada's pg-13 in canada) and tbh I can see this just being a PG movie, like nothing happens on screen and theres no real horror other than maybe the tsnunami scene, which is literally seen in the trailer. In fact, every single major plot point up until the very end is in the trailer.
when i watched it in theaters i cried
I thought it was Pg13 haha. Really did not like the movie adaptation. The book was so much better, agree.
My boyfriend read a joke saying Bautista was dead the whole time and went into the movie thinking that was a spoiler… and we both thought of all these crazy twists. I thought the end would have been similar to Old and he thought Bautista was someone that the husband with the gun killed and that the 4 were ghosts. We still loved this movie. 100% did not have to be R rated. It was my favorite movie of his. No one builds tension like M Night lol.
Haven’t seen the movie or read the book, although I do want to read the book. But I agree with your thoughts on moviemaking. SIGNS was the last movie I saw, until SPLIT and GLASS. After SIGNS I felt like his movies got too preachy.
I wanted to watch the movie prior to reading the source material (because when is the book NOT better than the movie?) so I am not going to watch the full video so I can enjoy the book with no spoilers BUT I did enjoy the film, I want to see Bautista in more serious roles, my partner doesn't cry often when watching movies and he actually teared up during our after watch discussion. I thought the pacing was great because nothing felt slow or boring, I thought the end was VERY M. Night with the song playing on the radio, felt like Daddy Eric was telling them he was okay 🥺 can't wait to read the book, though!
I stopped watching at “I’m going to spoil the book”. Thanks for the heads up!
You are right: watch the movie first. But I think it is always true. It is very difficult to enjoy a movie for what it is when you have preconceived ideas from the book, but I don’t think watching a movie first will ever ruin a good book.
Congrats on the baby
i knew nothing about the film or the book before watching and i absolutely loved it. but i understand why people who had high expectations bc of the book would be disappointed
The first two news reports (the earthquakes and flu outbreak) were really good at making you wonder whether the four intruders were telling the truth or did they see the news earlier and convinced themselves that their visions were true. But the plane report, while obviously visually cool, removed any doubt. There's no way to explain why more than 700 planes would just fall out of the sky other than something otherworldly occurring. So i'm confused as to how the people behind the movie could argue that it's a vague ending.
I think their explanation why it is a vague ending is that we don't know whether Eric's death actually stopped the apocalypse, or if it was coincidence.
Which is ridiculous. It stopped *immediately* after he died. It was going on for days and they're trying to say that Eric dying and the apocalypse ending within the space of 20 minutes is a coincidence..
Lovely review ❤️
I rated it 3 stars overall because I loved the set and I think it was shot beautifully, but it definitely was not my favorite M. Night film for 2 main reasons.
1. I wish that instead of having all the fire and brimstone action in the forest at the end it had just been quiet with birds chirping to really make you question if anything actually happened. Then when the characters go to town you could still have the same ending but I think it would be more ambiguous because they haven’t actually experienced the disaster themselves, have only seen it on TV.
2. Having never read the book, I can say that I also wished that the movie was a bit longer. I would’ve liked more character development not only for the main couple but also for the four horsemen and how they came together. I think the film tried to cover too many plot points in too little time and as a result the characters felt one dimensional.
4:01 I disagree. The movie still didn't have any tension for me and i had not read the book. I just finished the book yesterday and it was significantly better than the movie. I don't understand the choices M. Night made with this.