Hi all!

Today I am ranking all of M. Night Shyamalan’s directed horror/thrillers! I am a huge fan of him. Did you know – just like Alfred Hitchcock – he makes a cameo in many of his films? Quick disclaimer: I will not be covering Praying with Anger, Wide Awake, The Last Airbender and After Earth, because they do not fall under the aforementioned genres. Without further ado, let’s get into it! 

1.) The Sixth Sense 

In first place, we have M. Night’s most famous and beloved masterpiece: The Sixth Sense. This was the first horror movie I ever saw, launching my undying love for the genre. I owe it a lot. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to mention the iconic line: “I see dead people.” At the time, that twist blew everyone’s minds. Now, I see how obvious everything was. The story follows a boy haunted by spirits. Bruce Willis, a psychologist, befriends the child, trying to help him channel his gift in a positive way. I don’t know what more to say. It’s his best film. Period!

2.) The Visit 

This may be controversial but in second place, we have The Visit. It is one of my favourite found footage movies. The reason I love this film, is it reminds me very strongly of The Folcroft Ghosts by Darcy Coates. Becca and Tyler plan a week-long stay at their grandparents’ place, whom they have never met. Little do they know; their visit will be the most terrifying experience of their lives. The kids are definitely the best part of the story. They are sassy, funny and intelligent. Furthermore, the scares are extremely effective. The scene where the grandmother chases them under the house, caused me to have nightmares afterwards. There is a great twist at the end, with plenty of suspense to keep you interested. 

3.) Old 

In third place, we have Old. This film really had audiences divided. Some found the concept unique and interesting. Others found it ridiculous. I am of the former opinion. The story follows a family on a tropical holiday, who discover a secluded beach that causes them to age rapidly, reducing their lifespan into a single day. I love that M. Night directed this horrifying movie against such a stunning backdrop. The visuals really grabbed me. The twist isn’t anything mind-blowing but the story itself is excellent and definitely worthy of my top three.

4.) Signs 

In fourth place, we have Signs. The movie follows Father Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) and his family, who migrate to a farmhouse, that later becomes the site of strange crop circles, suggesting the existence of alien life. Fun fact – M. Night doesn’t care for CGI, so the crop circles you see in the film are real. Signs stayed with me long after it ended. I’ll never forget that bone-chilling moment, where we witness the alien walk across the road, during the birthday party. It had such a profound impact on audiences at the time. I daresay most M. Night fans would have this sci-fi thriller in their top five.

5.) The Village

In fifth place, we have The Village. Similar to Old, this movie had people talking. A large number of viewers were dissatisfied with the twist ending. I however, thought it was clever. An isolated town lives in fear of an unknown monster from the surrounding woods. But when one from the community is badly injured, a blind girl sets out to find help from beyond. Firstly, I have to commend the stand-out performances from Adrien Brody, Joaquin Phoenix and Bryce Dallas Howard. They completely stole the show. Secondly, I want to stress how beautiful this film is. The cinematography is top tier. I wish there had been more horror elements, but I can accept The Village is more of a slow-burn thriller.

6.) Knock at the Cabin

Knock at the Cabin is based off Paul Tremblay’s novel: The Cabin at the End of the World. Check out my spoiler-free review here. I enjoyed it for the most part but found the ending quite lacklustre. It was also devoid of the signature M. Night twist we’ve grown to expect from him. Out of everything, I was most impressed by the casting choices. Every single character played their part to perfection. The standout performances were from Kristen Cui, Rupert Grint, Jonathan Groff and Dave Bautista. It was a solid adaptation, but the consensus seems to be, the book was better.

7.) The Happening

The Happening typically tends to land at the bottom of most people’s rankings. However, I quite enjoyed it. An apocalyptic threat to humanity arrives out of the clear blue sky, with a series of violent, inexplicable deaths spreading across the country. The cause of the terrifying phenomenon remains unknown, prompting science teacher, Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg), his wife, Alma (Zooey Deschanel) and his colleague, Julian (John Leguizamo), to evade the invisible killer in Pennsylvania’s farmland. Soon it becomes clear – no one is safe. M. Night sets the majority of his films in Pennsylvania, where he was raised. The reason this movie was so unpopular, was the twist ending. It has been deemed the worst and most unsatisfying from his filmography. I didn’t hate it but Mark Wahlberg has since expressed his regret at taking on the role. Ouch!

Update: This is where I would rank Trap. Check out my spoiler-free review here. 

8.) Lady in the Water

Lady in the Water is M. Night’s take on a fantasy thriller. When Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti), rescues an enigmatic young woman (Bryce Dallas Howard), from danger, little does he know, she is a mystical being trying to return to her world. As Cleveland falls further in love with her, he begins to realise he and his fellow tenants, are also characters in the fable. They must work together to protect her. This movie is based on a bedtime story M. Night used to read to his children. He actually has a starring role in this film, as opposed to a cameo. Unfortunately, his character of a writer, whose words will change the world, earned him a ton of criticism, stating he was a narcissist for thinking himself so important. The feature on the whole was received negatively. Do I agree? Somewhat. I thought Paul Giamatti’s acting was superb. If you lean into the strangeness, you just might enjoy it.

9.) Split

The Unbreakable trilogy are my least favourite movies from M. Night’s filmography. Mainly because I’m not a fan of the superhero genre. Never have been, never will be. However, I believe Split is the best of the three. It possessed horror elements the other two didn’t have. Though Kevin (James McAvoy) has provided evidence of his 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher, there remains one still submerged, set to materialise, dominating all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls, Kevin reaches a war for survival among those contained within him – including everyone around him – as the walls between his compartment’s shatters. James’s phenomenal acting is undeniable but because I had never seen Unbreakable or Glass before Split, the twist ending made no sense to me. I wish I had watched them in order.

10.) Unbreakable

In second last place, we have Unbreakable, the first film in the trilogy. A security guard (Bruce Willis), having been the sole survivor of a high-fatality train crash, finds himself at the centre of a mysterious theory, that explains his consistent physical good fortune. When news of his survival is made public, a man (Samuel L. Jackson), whose own body is excessively weak, tracks him down in an attempt to explain his unique unbreakable nature. This movie had so much potential, but the pacing was far too slow. By the time things began to pick up, I didn’t care anymore. I enjoyed the twist, but the first half let the rest down. 

11.) Glass

In last place, we have Glass. This is the third and final film in the Unbreakable trilogy. David Dunn (Bruce Willis), tries to stay one step ahead of the law, delivering vigilante justice on the streets of Philadelphia. His special talents soon put him on a collision course with the Beast – the psychotic madman (James McAvoy), who has superhuman strength and 23 distinct personalities. Their epic showdown leads them to an encounter with the mysterious Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), a criminal mastermind holding critical secrets for both men. In my opinion, the movie was too long and boring. The fight scene at the end could not have been more anticlimactic, taking place in a parking lot. This is by far his worst directorial feature and I know I’m not the only one that feels that way.

Thank you so much for reading! How would you rank M. Night’s works? 

Peace & Love xoxo