Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan, known as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian screenwriter, movie director, and producer. Since 1992, he’s been making movies with unforeseeable twists and supernatural elements. His most popular films include The Sixth Sense, starring Bruce Willis, the Unbreakable series, and Signs. The famous filmmaker is inspired by Stephen Spielberg.
Shyamalan sets himself apart from other filmmakers with his personal touches, such as setting stories in the area of Pennsylvania where he was raised and making an appearance in each film. His flair for science fiction and horror, coupled with his surprise endings, puts his movies in their own league. All of them are must-sees, but here are five of the best you absolutely cannot miss.
#1: The Village
The Village, released in 2004, might have the most jaw-dropping twist of all M. Night Shyamalan movies. In the 19th-century village of Covington, nobody leaves. Monsters live in the woods surrounding them, and a blind woman named Ivy, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, is about to venture out into the outside world for the first time to find medicine for her future husband.
The Village is a true thriller with heart-stopping scenes, monster jump-scares, and drama. The best part is the truly unpredictable twist.
#2: The Happening
This movie is not one of M. Night Shyamalan’s most popular, but it still deserves a mention for originality. In The Happening, Mark Wahlberg plays a science teacher named Elliot who must protect his wife Alma and his friend’s daughter Jess from an airborne toxin that is making people commit suicide.
The Happening leaves you guessing until the last minute and it makes you wonder if an event like that can happen and if it did, how would you react? There’s no twist ending, but it’s still just as thrilling.
#3: Knock At The Cabin
Based on the book The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay, 2023’s Knock at the Cabin tells the story of four strangers who break into Eric, Andrew, and their daughter Wen’s cabin to force one of them to sacrifice themselves to stop the apocalypse.
Knock at the Cabin does what M. Night Shyamalan does best; make you think. It’s exciting, emotional, and, at times, horrifying, but amazing.
#4: Old
In Old, families visit a secluded beach for a day on vacation. After a few hours, they discover that they are rapidly aging. Not only do all the adults have health problems, but they’re progressing at a dangerous rate. They band together to find a way out before it’s too late.
Old is classic M. Night Shyamalan: scary, thrilling, and thoughtful. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll never guess the twist ending.
#5: The Visit
Siblings Becca and Tyler are excited to visit their estranged grandparents, but they’re not what they expected. Their weird rules–nobody can leave their rooms after 9:30 pm and they can’t go into the basement because of mold. These things in addition to their odd behavior make the siblings wonder if there’s something wrong with their grandparents.
This 2015 horror film was truly scary and featured a trademark M. Night Shyamalan twist. The movie is in found footage format, and it feels like viewers are right there alongside Becca and Tyler. If you’re a horror movie fan, The Visit is the movie for you.
