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This article was originally published on January 18, 2019.
It has been updated with subsequent releases, includingTrap.
(Plus, seriously, man:Stop acting in your movies.)
So where does his latest,Trap, rank among his all-time best?
We promise our list doesnt end witha surprise twist.
16.The Happening(2008)
16.
The fates have to align just right for a movie likeThe Happeningto exist.
Its the strangest big-budget thriller to come out in the last 25 years.
It also might be the worst.
15.After Earth(2013)
15.
(Will Smiths emotionally distant character is named … ## 14.The Lady in the Water(2006)
14.
This was when the U.S.S.Shyamalanreally started to wobble and take on water.
(Classic Roland Emmerich move!)
The whole thing is a disaster.
13.The Last Airbender(2010)
13.
Or,Shyamalan Tries to Sell Out.
Its true thatThe Last Airbenderis better than some of his more personal and ambitious debacles that came before.
But this might be his most disposable offering.
12.Praying With Anger(1992)
12.
11.Glass(2019)
11.
As per norm, Shyamalan conjures up plenty of mood while spinning his web of intrigue and twists.
10.Old(2021)
10.
Is it supposed to be campy?
Is he actually taking all this seriously?
horror-thriller without critics feeling like hes compromised his artistic gifts.
(As forOlds third act, its Hitchcockian only in that its even more preposterous than the mastersPsychofinale.)
9.The Visit(2015)
9.
The movie feelsdifferentthan the lesser Shyamalan films, but not necessarilybetter.
8.Trap(2024)
8.
If only Shyamalan had someone around to tell him.
7.Wide Awake(1998)
7.
But its still a step forward for Shyamalan, who was still honing his art of audience manipulation.
And it should probably be said that Rosie ODonnell is really good in this movie.
(As a nun!)
6.The Village(2004)
6.
Still, though, this cast!
And credit where credit is due: The movie was still a hit.
5.Knock at the Cabin(2023)
5.
(And like Hitch, Shyamalan likes his disconcerting overhead shots.)
4.Split(2017)
4.
Pairing Shyamalan with the Blumhouse crew was a masterstroke.
What Shyamalan has needed more than anything over the last decade was a strong viewpoint other than his own.
3.Signs(2002)
3.
2.Unbreakable(2000)
2.
In the two decades since, weve tuned outUnbreakables cautionary message as the superhero movie seized box-office dominance.
But revisit this somber gem now, and itll still haunt you.
1.The Sixth Sense(1999)
1.
Toni Collette is so damn good as Coles mother, who loves him but cant help him.
Malcolm cannot stop for Death, so Death kindly stops for him.
Its a ghost story featuring a man who has no idea hes been cast as the lead.
