M. Night Shyamalan broke through into the mainstream with his second-feature, the late ’90s horror phenomenon The Sixth Sense. The two similarly successful films that followed (Unbreakable, Signs) was building up Shyamalan as a director of possible Speilbergian talent, though in danger of having his third-act screenplay twists overwhelm his brand. That bore Rotten fruit with The Village and The Happening, which set off a bum streak with big-budget sci-fi and would-be blockbusters: The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth.
The Visit in 2015 would be a back-to-basics, comeback horror effort. Its box office and relative critical success set the stage for the Certified Fresh Split, which brought back the dark superhero world of Unbreakable. Shyamalan closed the trilogy with Glass.
And new from Shyamalan: Trap! See where it places as we rank all M. Night Shyamalan movies by Tomatometer!
#1
Adjusted Score: 93445%
Critics Consensus: M Night Shayamalan’s The Sixth Sense is a twisty ghost story with all the style of a classical Hollywood picture, but all the chills of a modern horror flick.
#2
Adjusted Score: 93026%
Critics Consensus: Split serves as a dramatic tour de force for James McAvoy in multiple roles — and finds writer-director M. Night Shyamalan returning resoundingly to thrilling form.
#3
Adjusted Score: 83341%
Critics Consensus: With Signs, Shyamalan proves once again an expert at building suspense and giving audiences the chills.
#4
Adjusted Score: 77003%
Critics Consensus: With a weaker ending, Unbreakable is not as a good as The Sixth Sense. However, it is a quietly suspenseful film that intrigues and engages, taking the audience through unpredictable twists and turns along the way.
#5
Adjusted Score: 79015%
Critics Consensus: The Visit provides horror fans with a satisfying blend of thrills and laughs — and also signals a welcome return to form for writer-director M. Night Shyamalan.
#6
Adjusted Score: 86500%
Critics Consensus: Although it’s often less than scary and parts of the story don’t bear scrutiny, Knock at the Cabin is a thought-provoking chiller and upper-tier Shyamalan.
#7
Adjusted Score: 61041%
Critics Consensus: An arch thriller given some grounding by Josh Hartnett’s committed performance, Shyamalan’s Trap will ensnare those who appreciate its tongue-in-cheek style while the rest will be eager to wriggle out from it.
#8
Adjusted Score: 67589%
Critics Consensus: Old has no shortage of interesting ideas — and writer-director M. Night Shyamalan’s uneven execution will intrigue or annoy viewers, with little middle ground between.
#9
Adjusted Score: 46309%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#10
Adjusted Score: 51406%
Critics Consensus: The Village is appropriately creepy, but Shyamalan’s signature twist ending disappoints.
#11
Adjusted Score: 58868%
Critics Consensus: Glass displays a few glimmers of M. Night Shyamalan at his twisty world-building best, but ultimately disappoints as the conclusion to the writer-director’s long-gestating trilogy.
#12
Adjusted Score: 33753%
Critics Consensus: A far-fetched story with little suspense and unconvincing scenarios, Lady In The Water feels contrived, pretentious, and rather silly.
#13
Adjusted Score: 25421%
Critics Consensus: The Happening begins with promise, but unfortunately descends into an incoherent and unconvincing trifle.
#14
Adjusted Score: 21661%
Critics Consensus: After Earth is a dull, ploddingly paced exercise in sentimental sci-fi — and the latest setback for director M. Night Shyamalan’s once-promising career.
#15
Adjusted Score: 12621%
Critics Consensus: The Last Airbender squanders its popular source material with incomprehensible plotting, horrible acting, and detached joyless direction.