Our Favorite M. Night Shyamalan Movie Moments
Assorted Flavors features listicles and other movie-related goodies.
M. Night Shyamalan’s new movie Trap arrives in theaters on August 2, so as certified Shyamalan Stans™ we decided to swing away at the moments from the writer/director‘s filmography that have haunted, inspired, and thrilled us over the last 25 years.
Spoilers ahead!
The Kitchen Cupboards - The Sixth Sense
When Toni Collette’s character in The Sixth Sense leaves the kitchen for 10 seconds and returns to find all the cupboards and drawers opened, it’s about as terrifying as anything I’ve ever seen in a movie. And perhaps most impressive is its proof that you don’t need smoke-and-mirrors or CGI to deliver said terror. —Kevin Prchal
The Reveal - The Sixth Sense
Even now, witnessing the work that went into concealing Bruce Willis’ reality in The Sixth Sense is astonishing. The nature of his work as a child psychologist is one of quiet observance, allowing him to blend into everyday situations and casually converse with Haley Joel Osment’s character without a hint of the supernatural. This film is masterfully designed and the big reveal remains one of the great OMG moments in M. Night’s filmography and in movies at large. —Kevin Prchal
The Bench Press - Unbreakable
Combining a stony seriousness, light comedic touches, patient cinematography, and a hushed yet heroic score from James Newton Howard, this sequence of Bruce Willis’ David testing the limits of his powers with his awed son at his side serves as a key moment in his transformation from regular man into reluctant legend. —Chad Comello
Kitchen Showdown - Unbreakable
In the nearly 25 years of superhero cinema since this movie’s release, we’ve seen cities decimated and half of all life snapped out of existence, but none of that felt as real or as emotionally raw as this kitchen confrontation between a doubting dad and a son who desperately wants to believe. —Chad Comello
Brazilian Birthday Party - Signs
Shyamalan recently shared a photo of a fan holding a sign saying “Thanks For The Childhood Trauma” with a screenshot from this scene. There are several excellently eerie jump-scares in this 2002 thriller, but this one deserves special props for how such grainy, shaky footage of an alien encounter burned itself so vividly into the psyche of so many. —Chad Comello
“Swing Away” - Signs
Its trailers teased of aliens and scares, but we had no idea the truest suspense in Signs would come from the tension between faith and doubt, miracles and luck. All the coincidences in the film come to a head when Graham (Mel Gibson) finally takes a leap of faith and utters the final words of his wife, unlocking the secret to saving his family. I get chills just thinking about it. —Natalie Pohorski
The Hand - The Village
A wedding reception abruptly comes to an end as the creatures approach, and Ivy and Lucius are separated as the village goes into hiding. Ivy reaches out a shaking hand hoping Lucius will reappear and we watch in terror as one of the creatures approaches instead. It’s a powerful representation of love conquering fear, underscored by James Newton Howard’s incredible score, and precedes one of the most romantic monologues in cinema. —Natalie Pohorski
The Stab - The Village
In a quiet house in a hidden village, two men in love with the same woman come face to face. One distraught and jealous (Noah), the other speechless and petrified (Lucius). The camera cuts down and we see, as plain and quiet as the house itself, that Lucius has been stabbed in the stomach. It’s an unforgettable scene that pushes the movie’s plot forward all the way to its bittersweet end. —Kevin Prchal
“Those Aren’t Your Grandparents” - The Visit
After several puzzling creative swings, M. Night made his heroic bootstrap comeback with the lo-fi indie hit The Visit. The entire film is a hoot, but this scene in particular ushered him back into the trust zone of audiences and proved once again his commitment to giving us a wild and unforgettable time at the movies. —Kevin Prchal
The Diner - Split
The hype was real for Split after the unexpectedly warm reception for The Visit. The trailers touted the performances of Anya Taylor-Joy and James McAvoy, and with a hook like “a man with multiple personalities kidnapping teenagers” we Shyamalan fans came in hordes. But until the last thirty seconds of the film we had no idea it was a sequel to his early hit Unbreakable. The simultaneous disorientation and pure glee when we hear Bruce Willis speak the words “Mr. Glass” was electrifying. —Natalie Pohorski