History Main / UncannyVillage

* ''Series/ThePrisoner'' has The Village, the former trope namer, a sunny seaside resort with quaint and charming architecture inhabited by people with numbers instead of names who are under the strict control of 'Number Two' enforced by eerie white orbs. And nobody leaves, ever.

%%* Can you say [[VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry Hinamizawa]]? A gorgeous little Japanese town in the country where everyone knows everyone's name [[BlatantLies can't possibly be bad]].

* Creator/MNightShyamalan's ''Film/TheVillage''-the [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes former]] TropeNamer-looks like an idyllic 19th century village but is it's surrounded dense forest inhabited by nameless, unseen beings that seems to be holding the inhabitants captive.

%%* Omelas from ''Literature/TheOnesWhoWalkAwayFromOmelas''

* ''Series/ThePrisoner'' has The Village, the former trope namer, a sunny seaside resort with quaint and charming architecture inhabited by people with numbers instead of names who are under the strict control of 'Number Two' enforced by eerie white orbs.

%%* ''Series/TheInvisibleMan'' TV series had an episode set in "The Community", a Village for secret agents who blew their cover.

* ''Series/StargateSG1'' had an episode "Revisions" featuring a town under a dome on an otherwise uninhabitable planet so bucolically pretty and perfect that viewers knew at once the Team was in deep trouble. SG1 soon notices that villagers are not just disappearing but but being written out of the memories of their friends and families, better still the area of the dome is shrinking...

%%* The second half of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" centers on The Island, an AffectionateParody of The Village from ''Series/ThePrisoner''.

* Andale from ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' is made all the more jarring by being smack in the middle of an irradiated, mutant-strewn wasteland, and one of the few settlements not surrounded by scrap walls and armed guards. [[MookHorrorShow There's good reason]] [[CannibalClan for that]].

* Creator/MNightShyamalan's ''Film/TheVillage'', looks like an idyllic 19th century village but is it's surrounded dense forest inhabited by nameless, unseen beings that seems to be holding the inhabitants captive [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes former]] TropeNamer.

%%* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': "There is no war in Ba Sing Se."
%%** And the SecretPolice in [[NiceHat Nice Green Hats]] ''will'' drag you away if you make trouble, and kill you if you're lucky.

%%* Sandford from ''Film/HotFuzz'' is a textbook example of this setting.

%%[[/folder]]

%%* ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheCuriousVillage''. The title says it all.
%%* ''VideoGame/StoryOfTheBlanks'', Sunny Town.

* ''VideoGame/NelsonTethersPuzzleAgent'', the people in Scoggins are part of a brotherhood that worships the "Hidden People"(gnomes), [[spoiler: they allow them to take people, because they were chosen by them to help them get home.]]

* Creator/MNightShyamalan's ''Film/TheVillage'', looks like an idyllic 19th century village but is its surrounded dense forest inhabited by nameless, unseen beings that seems to be holding the inhabitants captive [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes former]] TropeNamer.

* The ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' had a number of episodes featuring Uncanny Villages. "The Return of the Archons" features a peaceful low tech society of mindlessly smiling people policed by creepy hooded figures. "The Apple" and "This Side of Paradise" are set on literally Edenic worlds of great natural beauty with carefree populations living lives of prelasparian happiness. "Errand of Mercy" gives us such a society under threat from the Klingons and refusing to raise a hand in their own defense. ''Franchise/StarTrek'' had a thing for this trope and the {{Aesop}} Utopia ain't possible.

* Creator/MNightShyamalan's ''Film/TheVillage'', seems idyllic but is actually surrounded and controlled by a nameless, unseen threat that seems to be holding the inhabitants captive [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes former]] TropeNamer.

%%* The ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episodes "The Return of the Archons", "The Apple", "Shore Leave", "This Side of Paradise", "Errand of Mercy", "Plato's Stepchildren" (Though that one's more a TownWithADarkSecret), and "The Cloud Minders". ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' had "Encounter At Farpoint" and "Justice".
%%** The ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise has a thing for this trope and the {{Aesop}} Utopia ain't possible.

%%* ''Series/StargateSG1'' had an episode "Revisions" featuring a town so pretty and perfect that viewers knew at once the Team was in trouble.

%%* ''Series/ThePrisoner'' has The Village, the former trope namer, a sunny seaside resort with quaint and charming architecture whose inhabitants have numbers instead of names.

%%[[folder:Film]]
%%* Creator/MNightShyamalan's ''Film/TheVillage'', [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes former]] TropeNamer.

%%* ''Series/ThePrisoner'' has The Village, the former trope namer.

-->-- '''Mr. Turner''', ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents''

%%* It would probably be faster to list the towns in ''LightNovel/KinosJourney'' that ''don't'' fit in the description, than those that do.
%%** And practically the only ones that don't fit the trope are the ones that are ''obviously'' quirky or dangerous.

* Can you say [[VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry Hinamizawa]]? A gorgeous little Japanese town in the country where everyone knows everyone's name [[BlatantLies can't possibly be bad]].
* It would probably be faster to list the towns in ''LightNovel/KinosJourney'' that ''don't'' fit in the description, than those that do.
** And practically the only ones that don't fit the trope are the ones that are ''obviously'' quirky or dangerous.

[[folder:Film]]
* Creator/MNightShyamalan's ''Film/TheVillage'', [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes former]] TropeNamer.
* Sandford from ''Film/HotFuzz'' is a textbook example of this setting.
* Subverted in ''Film/BigFish'' - the whole town just seems... ''off'', but there's nothing actually ''wrong'' with it.
** Nothing more wrong than the fact that they're something between TheFairFolk and the dead, and want all visitors to stay forever. They don't ''make'' you, though.
** Of course, when he comes back it's turned into a real place, and faded into poverty and age.
* Rockwell Falls in ''Population 436''.
[[/folder]]

* Idyllic Stepford from ''Literature/TheStepfordWives''.

** It's hinted at being a metaphor for socialism. Or, more probably, appeasement.

* This is pretty much the basis of the story "Literature/TheLottery" by Shirley Jackson. Also contains all the [[RuleOfSymbolism creepy tropes associated with such.]]
* Omelas from ''Literature/TheOnesWhoWalkAwayFromOmelas''

* ''Series/ThePrisoner'' has The Village, the former trope namer.
* The ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episodes "The Return of the Archons", "The Apple", "Shore Leave", "This Side of Paradise", "Errand of Mercy", "Plato's Stepchildren" (Though that one's more a TownWithADarkSecret), and "The Cloud Minders". ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' had "Encounter At Farpoint" and "Justice".
** The ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise has a thing for this trope and the {{Aesop}} Utopia ain't possible.
* ''Series/TheInvisibleMan'' TV series had an episode set in "The Community", a Village for secret agents who blew their cover.
* An episode of ''Series/TheAvengers'' called "Murdersville".

* ''Series/StargateSG1'' had an episode "Revisions" featuring a town so pretty and perfect that viewers knew at once the Team was in trouble.
* The village of Milbury in ''Series/ChildrenOfTheStones''.

* ''AmericanGothic'' situates in such a town, with their very own devil acting as the sherif.

[[folder: Other]]
* The LJ-RPG, RolePlay/{{Mayfield}} is built off of this trope.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Podcasts]]
* Podcast/DiceFunk: Rotswald is so nice that the players are immediately and violently suspicious.
[[/folder]]

* ''VideoGame/EarthBound'' has several of these.
** Likewise for its sequel, ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}''. Some places in the game don't even start out as this, but over the course of the game become uncanny villages due to [[spoiler: Porky's influence]].
* In ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'', it is said that Kingsmouth was this before the draug/zombie attack. Looking like a peacefull little coast town, with lots of creepy stuff going on behind the scenes.
* [[spoiler: Haven]] from ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins''.
* Tranquillity Lane from ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}''.
** Andale from the same game, made all the more jarring by being smack in the middle of an irradiated, mutant-strewn wasteland, and one of the few settlements not surrounded by scrap walls and armed guards. [[MookHorrorShow There's good reason]] [[CannibalClan for that]].
* ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheCuriousVillage''. The title says it all.
* ''VideoGame/StoryOfTheBlanks'', Sunny Town.

* The second half of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" centers on The Island, an AffectionateParody of The Village from ''Series/ThePrisoner''.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': "There is no war in Ba Sing Se."
** And the SecretPolice in [[NiceHat Nice Green Hats]] ''will'' drag you away if you make trouble, and kill you if you're lucky.

* ''VideoGame/AlanWake'': Bright Falls, WA is an excellent example, with the twist being that [[spoiler:most of it's denizens are hopelessly unaware of the ongoing horror because it is technically captured inside a Creator/StephenKing-esque horror plot itself, implemented by said dark forces with the help of the human protagonist. In other words, it was literally ''written'' to be this trope]].

* ''NelsonTethersPuzzleAgent'', the people in Scoggins are part of a brotherhood that worships the "Hidden People"(gnomes), [[spoiler: they allow them to take people, because they were chosen by them to help them get home.]]

* ''Series/ThePrisoner'' has The Village, the trope namer.

* [[AlanWake Bright Falls, WA]] is an excellent example, with the twist being that [[spoiler:most of it's denizens are hopelessly unaware of the ongoing horror because it is technically captured inside a Creator/StephenKing-esque horror plot itself, implemented by said dark forces with the help of the human protagonist. In other words, it was literally ''written'' to be this trope]].

* In ''TheSecretWorld'', it is said that Kingsmouth was this before the draug/zombie attack. Looking like a peacefull little coast town, with lots of creepy stuff going on behind the scenes.

* The walker-free fortified town of Woodbury in ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' seems like the safe haven the ''survivors'' have been dreaming of, but it's really not.

->"Ooh, swimming! Ooh, golf! Ooh, waving people! Ooh, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick creepy smiles]]!"

* The setting of ''TheGiver''.

-->"Ooh, swimming! Ooh, golf! Ooh, waving people! Ooh, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick creepy smiles]]!"
-->Mr. Turner, ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents''

A beautiful, seemingly utopian community which is [[BrokenMasquerade not what it seems.]] Often either under control of a morally questionable conspiracy or demented super computer, or protected by a DealWithTheDevil. May even be an entire ''town'' of [[WellIntentionedExtremist Well Intentioned Extremists]].

* Can you say [[VisualNovel/HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi Hinamizawa]]? A gorgeous little Japanese town in the country where everyone knows everyone's name [[BlatantLies can't possibly be bad]].
* It would probably be faster to list the towns in ''KinosJourney'' that ''don't'' fit in the description, than those that do.

* Shyamalan's ''TheVillage'', [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes former]] TropeNamer.
* Sandford from ''HotFuzz'' is a textbook example of this setting.

* Idyllic Stepford from ''TheStepfordWives''.

* In ''WatershipDown'', the rabbits come upon a warren where food is abundant and everything seems perfect, except that the entire place has been set with traps by the local farmer. The inhabitants know this but don't care, even as their population is dying off.

* The village of Milbury in ''ChildrenOfTheStones''.

** Andale from the same game, made all the more jarring by being smack in the middle of an irradiated, mutant-strewn wasteland, and one of the few settlements not surrounded by scrap walls and armed guards.

* In ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', the Winchester brothers visit one or two of these, [[Recap/SupernaturalS01E11Scarecrow they once encountered a town which makes yearly sacrifices to some evil spirit of one man and woman, and a couple conveniently lost in the road is their target. The brothers intervene, and the spirit instead takes a local couple as his tribute.]]