After his breakout and highly acclaimed hit in 1999 with The Sixth Sense, that peak has certainly been hard to match.
Despite that, he still made some pretty good features like Unbreakable in 2000 and Signs in 2002. The downfall then started to show a couple of years later with The Village which was a mixed bag in my eyes. Then he hit rock bottom with Lady In The Water, The Happening, The Last Airbender and After Earth. I personally think Lady In The Water and The Happening is ok. But I get the hate for them. After Earth is definitely not that good, and I have yet to see The Last Airbender. But I am excited to see how bad it is.
Then in 2015 he released The Visit, which began somewhat of a small rise as it got mixed reviews. In relation to his latest project, the fallout from the film festivals Shyamalan was showcasing it, was getting largely positive reviews. Hearing that, made me excited and yet still weary that it would not transcend well from the critics to the audiences views.
I'll answer the first question that everyone is asking, "Is Shyamalan back?". It is a big fat yes. It's as if the Shyamalan we loved and saw greats things in, has returned back into his body making great films again.
The premise is certainly one that would perk anyone's interest levels. But what Shyamalan manages to do, is managing to make go with this and I was pretty captivated by it.
This film is all about one man, James McAvoy. He is nothing but spectacular in this. I think he is one of the hardest working actors around at the moment, and every so often there is a stand-out that reminds everyone how good he really is. He gives this role 100% and really went for it. This suprasses his role in Filth, which I previously thought to be his best. It is a shame at the timing of the release of this film, as I truly believe this deserves an Oscar nomination.
As for the other performances, I was so happy to see Anya Taylor-Joy in another role as I have seen great potential in her after performances in The Witch and Morgan. Taylor-Joy continues to prove to me that she is the biggest young talent in the industry right now.
Another role that was worth mentioning is Betty Buckley. She plays her role really well. Her character manages to shine, even with McAvoy controlling the majority of the film.
One thing I was not expecting, was the solid amount of comedy. But when you think about, there is a strange amount of good comedy in his hits. When Shyamalan can do comedy well, it is highly memorable, and this films is no different.
From a technical side, the cinematography really works in the environment. Afterwards, I realised that it was the same cinematographer from It Follows. That certainly explains a lot. Also, score by West Dylan Thordson is wonderfully subtle and creepy for the most part.
The only negative that I had with it is just a minor. A couple of supporting characters felt a bit out of place at times. But I only really noticed it long after seeing the film.
I think it is safe to say that Shyamalan is back with this fun, tense and exciting horror thriller. I never thought I would have this much fun and enjoyment from an M. Night Shyamalan film ever again. I seriously hope this is not a one-off.
For me, this is his best film since Signs. When Shyamalan gets it right, he manages to make you want to see it again straight away. I think when you see it again, you will see it in a different light and the enjoyment will still be there.
I love the gamble Shyamalan and his team seemed to take. The way the story was told was as if he relied a lot on the audience to fully get the film themselves.
I'll echo my praise to McAvoy again. The more you understand his character, the more interesting, exciting and tense the entire film gets. Also, anytime when you think the film is slowing down, McAvoy always seems to be there to pick up the pace again.
I will end this without spoiling anything. But all I will say is, that it is vintage Shyamalan. He's back!
Rating: 8/10
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