M. Night Shyamalan makes movies for scaredy- cats. Sentimentality, so suspect to many horror fans, permeates his films. “The Happening” is no exception but one of his more satisfying efforts. Mark Wahlberg and wide-eyed Zooey Deschanel star as Philly marrieds Elliot and Alma Moore. Like other pairs in a growing number of thrillers as couples therapy, they face the shadow of a marital crisis when something greater overtakes them. A neurotoxin hits New York City. It’s headed along the Eastern Seaboard. Initially the “event” is pinned to terrorism. Like Shyamalan’s “The Village,” the tale grapples with 9/11 anxieties. Flawed (even silly at times) but also engaging, this enviro-thriller reminds us that there is always something at stake in Shyamalan’s films: humanism and connection. John Leguizamo and Ashlyn Sanchez are a father and daughter separated by the disaster. Betty Buckley makes a nicely unhinged appearance as a woman cut off from society. R. 1 hour, 39 minutes. Lisa Kennedy
“You Don’t Mess With the Zohan”
*1/2** In this comedy that teases the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Adam Sandler plays Zohan Dvir. Zohan is the state’s best counterterrorist. He’s so gifted, he’s choppered from his vacation to lead a precision strike against the Phantom (John Turturro). As Zohan reminds his superiors, too willing to exact collateral damage, he “can get it done without the mess.” Fed up with conflict, Zohan fakes his death and heads for the land of milk-and-honey conditioners: Paul Mitchell’s salon in Manhattan. PG-13. 1 hour, 53 minutes. Lisa Kennedy
“The Visitor”
Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is a long-faced Connecticut College economics professor. His wife died, and he’s miserable. Walter is dispatched to speak at a global economics conference in Manhattan, where for years he’s kept a nice, tidy apartment that, unbeknownst to him, is now occupied by a couple — Tarek and Zainab. Tarek plays African drums in the park and in restaurants as part of a band, and in a matter of a few scenes, the professor becomes a student of rhythm. The bond between the two men is as you expect: The white American discovers he has a soul, the Arab guy keeps his temporary home. PG-13. 1 hour, 53 minutes. Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
