9 Great Superhero Movies That Weren’t Based On Comic Books

2) Unbreakable

After films like After Earth and The Happening, most of us have forgotten that The Sixth Sense’s M. Night Shyamalan was once a promising talent. If you need reminding of the good old days when he was still a reliable director, check out his less-famous Bruce Willis vehicle Unbreakable.

David Dunn (you know he’s a superhero because he’s got an alliterative name) survives a train crash and learns that he is, in a word, unbreakable. Under the guidance of Samuel L. Jackson’s comic book fan, he realizes that he should use his abilities to help people. But things aren’t as black and white as they seem…

Before Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films, this was the original gritty and realistic take on the superhero movie. Like the director’s best work, it is a taut, character-driven thriller and one of the smartest superhero moves you will find. Quentin Tarantino even calls it one of his favourite films of the past twenty years.