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An inexplicable deadly event strikes New England, causing the precious few survivors to run for their lives. Among those seeking a way out: high school science teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg), his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel) and colleague Julian (John Leguizamo).

Big question: Is “Sixth Sense” director M. Night Shyamalan’s first R-rated film good enough to erase the bad vibes still lingering from back-to-back disappointments “The Village” and “Lady in the Water”?

Skip it: There’s the germ of a great B-movie here, but rather than the down and dirty freakout fans were hoping for, Shyamalan’s latest is the sad spectacle of a talented artist self-destructing over his utter lack of inspiration. (With the exception of one moment involving a riding lawnmower, he doesn’t even make good use of the R-rating.) That sluggishness has an almost universally negative effect on his skilled collaborators, with Wahlberg and Deschanel faring the worst simply because they’re on screen the most.

Catch it: There are few things more unintentionally hilarious than Wahlberg rattling off scientific theories, so at least “The Happening” has that going for it.

Bottom line: Loaded with laughable dialogue, embarrassing performances and a terrifying lack of scares, the true disaster on display in “The Happening” is Shyamalan’s career hitting rock bottom. A likely contender for one of the worst films of the year, this is where the divisive director finally crosses over from disappointing to flat out awful.

Bonus: Wahlberg talks to his teenage students like they’re in kindergarten, which is apparently where Shyamalan belongs based on the relationship insight he displays in crafting Alma’s “adulterous” secret.

Watch a video review of "The Happening."

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