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The Village

The Village

There is no turning back

2004108 minPG-13Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Director
M. Night Shyamalan
Starring
Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt

When a willful young man tries to venture beyond his sequestered Pennsylvania hamlet, his actions set off a chain of chilling incidents that will alter the community forever.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Village?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Village streaming on Hulu and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Village?

The Village earns 11 badges, led by Standout soundtrack and Visual feast.

Show 3 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Village worth watching?

The Village's Midcredits score is the 64th percentile of all films, from 665K ratings across 6 sources. 59% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

64th percentile

Better received than 64% of films

65th percentile among Drama62nd percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)61st
Approval (how many liked it)65th

65 /100

61st percentile of all films

62nd percentile among Drama60th percentile among 2000s

Critics 44 · Audience 66

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

59% liked it

65th percentile of all films

65th percentile among Drama62nd percentile among 2000s
59% rated it 7–1041% rated it 1–6

Critics 43% · Audience 57%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 4 wins / 24 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

98th percentile

665K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama97th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 40% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$60M
Opening weekend$51M
Domestic gross$114M
Worldwide gross$257M

Returned 4.3× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film relies heavily on a major twist that recontextualizes the entire story, and that the romantic drama between Ivy and Lucius is the emotional core.

Fans praised

  • Bryce Dallas Howard's performance as Ivy Walker
  • James Newton Howard's haunting score
  • Atmospheric cinematography and period setting

Detractors panned

  • Twist ending feels cheap and illogical
  • Slow pacing and meandering narrative
  • Stilted, unnatural dialogue

What stands out

Cinematography80

Roger Deakins' lush, painterly visuals widely praised

AtmosphereDivisive78

Eerie, isolated village and foreboding forest create strong mood

ActingDivisive75

Howard's debut praised as stunning; Phoenix and Brody earnest but some find Brody over-the-top

CharactersDivisive60

Ivy and Lucius well-developed; elders underused, Noah's motivation unclear

OriginalityDivisive55

Unique concept of constructed utopia through fear; detractors call it derivative of Twilight Zone

Plot and storyDivisive45

Divisive twist redefines story; logic holes in premise and execution

PacingDivisive40

Slow build works for some; others find it tedious and drawn-out

EndingDivisive30

Twist leaves many feeling cheated; fans say it recontextualizes the story

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 11 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 9 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Village like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It takes its time and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
DreadMelancholicHopeful
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Warm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its premise with gravity and sincerity, presenting the village's fear and the love story earnestly.
The rideThe film sustains a lingering sense of dread throughout, with the heaviest emotional weight landing in Ivy's journey and the revelations at the end.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from village life through the crisis to the journey and revelation.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with a sense of hope for Ivy's success and a lingering question about the lengths people go to protect themselves.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% (this title) · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

with Mystery underneath

Why this archetypeIvy's journey to retrieve medicine and save Lucius drives the story, framed by the mystery of the monsters and the village's secrets.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% (this title) · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% (this title) · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Oppression · 4% of filmsDeception · 9% of filmsIsolation · 5% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how the elders maintain control through a fabricated threat and enforced isolation, and how that deception oppresses the younger generation.
StanceThe film questions whether oppressive control justified by protecting a community is ultimately harmful, without fully condemning or celebrating the elders' actions.

The world

ContemporaryRuralWildernessStylized realism
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · James Newton Howard
SettingThe isolated 19th-century-style village of Covington in present-day Pennsylvania inside a wildlife preserve.
MusicThe score uses lush, foreboding strings and folk-like melodies to underscore the film's tension and period illusion.

Content guide

Is The Village okay for kids?

PG-13

The Village is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for a scene of violence and frightening situations” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (56/100), sexual content at minimal (11/100), language at minimal (5/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (7/100) and frightening material at intense (68/100). Overall it is heavier than 61% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 21 other countries
  • UK12A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland15
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil14
  • Belgium18
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hungary18
  • LTN-13
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway15
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/12
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 38% of all filmsHeavier than 61% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 63%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 12%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 1%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 6%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 88%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what PG-13-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Village have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Village?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Bryce Dallas Howard
as Ivy Walker
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Joaquin Phoenix
as Lucius Hunt
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Adrien Brody
as Noah Percy
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
William Hurt
as Edward Walker
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Sigourney Weaver
as Alice Hunt
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Brendan Gleeson
as August Nicholson
Cherry Jones
as Mrs. Clack
Celia Weston
as Vivian Percy
John Christopher Jones
as Robert Percy
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Frank Collison
as Victor
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Village?

Movies like The Village include Signs (2002), Lady in the Water (2006) and The Visit (2015). Of the 12 closest matches, most are psychological thrillers, and several are films about isolation.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

M. Night Shyamalan wrote and directed 5 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Village?

1.8K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: friends to lovers. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.