Top M. Night Shyamalan Films Ordered in Rank

M. Night Shyamalan, the acclaimed director known for his distinctive style and iconic twist endings, has had a varied and intriguing career spanning over three decades. His movies, often featuring a hushed tone, comic moments, and supernatural, uncanny, or plot twist themes, have aimed for a wide mainstream audience, similar to those of Spielberg or Hitchcock, but are too unique in style to be easily mistaken for others.

Shyamalan's journey began with his first movie, "Praying with Anger" (1992), a film written, directed, and starring him, which, unfortunately, never received a commercial release. The movie, a personal exploration of Shyamalan as a young man returning to India to reconnect with his family and mourn his departed father, is not considered one of his best works. It is often difficult to find, even for streaming, and an archived stream is the best way to watch it, as it looks like a copy of a copy of an old DVD.

Despite the initial success of "The Sixth Sense" in 1999, Shyamalan's career seemed to be in decline ten years ago, following a string of ill-regarded movies. However, the release of "The Visit" in 2015 marked a new phase in his career, often referred to as M. Night 2.0. This found-footage thriller was a critical and commercial success, helping to reestablish Shyamalan as a force in the industry.

In between these highs and lows, Shyamalan's movies have been a mixed bag. "The Last Airbender" (2010), an adaptation of a beloved Nickelodeon TV show, is not considered one of his best movies, ranking 15th in his filmography. Similarly, "Praying with Anger" is not considered a fine companion piece to Mira Nair's "Mississippi Masala," released around the same time.

Currently, a Lincoln Center retrospective is running, showcasing most of Shyamalan's movies in double features with various film selections. The retrospective includes "The Happening," another of Shyamalan's movies, and offers a unique opportunity for fans to revisit his work.

Despite the ups and downs in his career, Shyamalan is still primarily associated with "The Sixth Sense." His performance in "Praying with Anger" is his morose leading-man turn, and his subsequent work as a character actor may be appreciated more. Today, Shyamalan is known as a niche-ified filmmaker to certain film enthusiasts, a testament to his unique storytelling style that continues to captivate audiences.