It was only a matter of time before I was going to write something about the filmmaker who deserves an honorary section on the No. Bad. Films. platform – M. Night Shyamalan. I can think of no other film industry professional that has been more viciously maligned by critics than this director, except for maybe Michael Bay – but I will address that particular grievance in a later blog.
I, as you have probably guessed by now, do not agree with all the Night hate.
Shyamalan left me and millions of other moviegoers around the world completely stunned when he burst into cinemas during the late Nineties with the megahit The Sixth Sense (1999). Not since Alfred Hitchcock had there been a filmmaker whose name became so inextricably connected to a specific genre. I saw it on the big screen the moment it came out, and was just so in awe of what I had just seen...
I grew up watching and loving films by Steven Spielberg and James Cameron and when Shyamalan threw his hat into the ring, he was just instantly up there with these guys for me. Suddenly, here was one those rare talents that does everything. Shyamalan writes, directs and produces most of his films and on top of that – like his genre-companion Hitchcock – sneaks in a fun cameo whenever the story lends itself to it. Pure cinema.
Expectations were high after TSS, and any other director would understandably feel daunted by the pressures of sophomore angst. Shyamalan did not appear to be fazed though. Just one year later, the multi-hyphenate blew everyone away a second time with the alternative Superhero-film Unbreakable (2000).
Although I love Unbreakable and was delighted when many years later it actually turned out to be the first part of a “surprise trilogy” with Split (2016) and Glass (2019), it is not in my Night top 3. Shyamalan’s third wide release Signs (2002) however, very much is. There are two things in film that scare me more than anything – ghosts and evil aliens. I am not in the least disturbed by chainsaw-wielding maniacs or vicious monsters, but the supernatural and extra-terrestrial make me want to hide under the sheets.
Signs, a minimalist alien-invasion film, feeds into those fears in spades. You know those moments when you watch a scary film and you just want to cover your eyes because you know what is coming? These days, with Horror films being more popular than ever, it has become a cliché. But when Signs was released back in 2002, audiences still were somewhat virginal when it came to jump scares – or at least, I was. I re-watch Signs at least twice a year and although I know exactly when the scary moments are coming, they still get me Every. Single. Time.
Signs was a huge financial success but as always, there were lots of smartass reviews that questioned the film’s logic. For instance – if the aliens’ only weakness is water, why would they pick a planet that is covered for 70% in the stuff? There is, of course, no way to dispute such a patronizing observation. But here’s my truth – I don’t care. To me, Signs is one of the most perfectly structured films ever. Take another look at the buildup to the final fight that has been foreshadowed throughout the film with the little girl leaving glasses of water all over the place. It just really, really works for me and makes me gleefully ignore any lack of logic.
I could go on and on and tell you how much I love The Village (2004) – definitely in my Night top 3 – and how I don’t understand that so many people hated Lady in the Water (2006), a beautiful, multi-layered parable that was inspired by a bedtime story the director used to tell his children. Or how often I listen to the amazing music James Newton Howard composed for many of Shyamalan’s films. It won’t matter. If you don’t feel Night, you will never understand.
After releasing his phenomenal film hat-trick TSS, Unbreakable and Signs through Disney, everybody wanted to be in the Night business, and the director proceeded to make films for every major Hollywood studio. However, the fallout over LitW and further “critical” and commercial flops like The Happening (2008), The Last Airbender (2010) and After Earth (2013), almost made Shyamalan Persona Non Grata in Hollywood.
I was always a fan, even through the lesser years. That is why it is so gratifying to see that after all the big-budget studio bullshit and character assassination, Shyamalan reinvented himself and reverted to what he was always great at – producing original content. Ever since TSS – which he gave to Disney only after they agreed to let him direct – the filmmaker had always been in control of his own material. However, when budgets grew, so did studio interference. And when AE did not connect with audiences, Shyamalan all but disappeared from the film landscape.
But then suddenly, there was The Visit (2015). An independently produced, low-budget Horror story that reminded us why exactly we fell in love with this writer-director in the first place. Like TSS, The Visit connects with audiences because it has a fantastic concept and a stunning twist. Not long after, the filmmaker followed up with the similarly constructed productions Split and Glass. Shyamalan was back.
The photo you see above this blog was actually taken in Germany during Berlinale many years ago. I was trying to buy a film that would mark the third collaboration between Shyamalan and Bruce Willis after TSS and Unbreakable – this was waaaaay before Split and Glass – but the project stalled and remains in development hell to this day. It is significant to me though, because I realize now that the director was already plotting his escape from the studio system by testing the water of the independent film markets. Not long after this picture was taken, it was announced that Shyamalan would join forces with Jason Blum’s Blumhouse to produce The Visit. Once again, I was close, but not close enough.
While I was writing this blog, I had LitW playing on my big screen TV. Later, I will go outside for a walk and listen to music, probably the soundtrack of a Shyamalan film.
I feel Night.
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Twitter (X): Robin Logjes | The Screen Addict