M. Night Shyalaman is not a name synonymous with quality fare as of late. Some would say he started his higher profile career off strong, I would say it landed on the decent end. But after only a few edgier products he soon began to deteriorate, recycling ideas and offering up ludicrous twists that didn't register with audiences. I wanted to look back on his career in lieu of the fantastic looking Split( I will posting that review tomorrow) which has gotten a ton of great buzz and it's being said that it's his return him to form. But below is more than enough proof to leave audiences questioning if he ever had that form to begin with.
SIGNS: Written, Directed and Produced by him in 2002 the movie was a big hit. Centering on a sort of small scale alien invasion. A family find themselves questioning their sanity as something terrifying from the skies seems to be targeting their farm. Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix and Abigail Breslin star. Although the twist at the end was a little hokey it is his best film in my opinion. Although borrowed, his execution reflected a more classic feel of Hitchcockian suspense and left viewers both baffled and on the edge of their seats. ****.25/5 Box Office: $408,247,917 Budget: $72,000,000
DEVIL: Although he only wrote and produced this is by far one of the best film's he's been associated with. Taut and edgy, directed solidly by John Erick Dowdle the film came after a slew of bombs from in 2008 but still managed to find a small audience with solid word of mouth. Starring Logan Marshall Green (So good in The Invitation). The film centered on a group of people trapped in an elevator and a rising body count. ****.25/5 Box Office: $62, 695,489 Budget: $18,000,000
THE SIXTH SENSE: Many were blown away in 1999 by his first big feature. Powered by a very solid Haley Joel Osment it centered on a young boy who saw dead people. The movie in my opinion was too obvious, I picked up it being weird that no one was actually talking to Bruce Willis's character early on. I actually thought it was just bad directing. Still the film manages some solid thrills and well executed suspense. It made a huge impact with audiences and was the base to Shyalaman's career for better or worse. ***.25/5 Box Office: $672,806,292 Budget: $40,000,000
THE VILLAGE: I remember seeing this film opening night and the ending being booed by the audience in a packed theater. Released in 2004 the film had an intriguing premise about a colony of people back in the day unable to leave their village because of the monsters in the woods. None of the film's promises come to fruition and almost every turn is a let down. I personally called the film's twist a quarter of the way through because I felt that either the film had bad set decoration or they were living in modern times. Although not a bad film Village didn't inspire much faith in what he had to offer but did spotlight a strong performance from Bryce Dallas Howard in her film debut. ***/5 Box Office: $256,697,520 Budget: $60,000,000
LADY IN THE WATER: I know people really hate this film but although I didn't think it was good by any means I found myself marginally entertained by what was on the screen. I also found the film one of his most ambitious and original creations that although mostly falls flat deserves credit in that he tried something new. The film centers on a quirky group of tenants in an apartment building who discover they are part of a prophecy to protect a mermaid of sorts against some beasties hunting her. It's hokey but some of the dialogue is fun and at least it's unpredictable. ***/5 Box Office: $72,785,169 Budget: $70,000,000 (flop)
THE VISIT: He tried to make a comeback in 2015 and did a little with this insipid, slightly offensive found footage thriller about two kids at their grandparents house. The film sadly resorts to jump scares and making fun of dementia. It's only mildly successful when playing the concept up for laughs. Crude and unoriginal. **/5 Box Office: $98,450,062 Budget: $5,000,000
UNBREAKABLE: Although this film hit earlier in his career in 2000 I consider it to be one of the worst films I've ever seen. I know it registers with a good amount of people. I found the film dreadfully boring with unintentionally funny performances especially from Samuel L. Jackson as Mr. Glass. At one point I had made fun of the movie saying "what is he a superhero". Well the joke ended up being on me as I suffered through the drawn out proceedings miserably. *.5/5 Box Office: $248,118,121 budget: $75,000,000
THE HAPPENING: Despite a string of bad choices I still showed up for this supposedly darker and more hardcore Shyalaman film with excitement mainly because of it's intriguing premise and R rating. Once again the joke was on me and boy was it a huge joke. The solid cast embarrasses themselves through this hokey, generic bargain basement horror film about Mother nature taking the world back from us polluting humans. Laughably executed with a ridiculous twist the film managed to do a little money at the box office but put the last nail in his cinematic coffin. */5 Box Office: $163,403,799 Budget: $48,000,000
THE LAST AIRBENDER: Ugh how he ruined the Avatar anime. Although what's on screen is pretty much what happens during book one. It's executed in the most garish, amateur, ridiculously bad way. White washing the characters, everything about this production felt insincere and desperate. Although it sports some solid effects it's one of the most unwatchable cinematic disasters of all time. .5/5 Box Office: $319,713,881 Budget: $150,000,000
AFTER EARTH: What is there to even say. This movie pretty much killed Smith's career and it is absolutely abysmal. Dreadfully boring and confusing with a generic premise that has no originality. 0/5 Box Office: $243,843,127 box office: $130,000,000
UNSEEN:
SPLIT: I plan on seeing Split tonight and have some high hopes for it. I've heard some great buzz and the critical reviews are solid at 78% on rotten tomatoes and the audience is favorable at 81%. Hopefully it's not a travesty but at the very least I can expect a powerhouse performance from James McAvoy and some creepy thrills.
WIDE AWAKE (1998): Something about a ten yr. old who goes looking for god after his grandfather passes away with Rosie O' Donnell. Count me out.
PRAYING WITH ANGER (1992): An alienated, Americanized teenager of East Indian heritage is sent back to India where he discovers not only his roots but a lot about himself. Sounds interesting but reviews aren't great and it's his first piece of work, so I'm thinking no.
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