Love him or hate him, director and writer M. Night Shyamalan’s career success has been all over the board. His most successful movie to date, The Sixth Sense, is also one of his earliest.
In 2000, he attempted to follow up his success from The Sixth Sense with Unbreakable, which also starred Bruce Willis. At the time, he had hoped that the new film would be a trilogy of stories, but disappointing box office sales prevented that from happening. Then, 2016’s Split was somewhat of a surprise hit and loosely served as a “part 2” to the Unbreakable story.
Now this weekend, Shyamalan finally gets the conclusion he was hoping for in Glass. However, the critic ratings for the movie don’t look too promising. At the moment, Rotten Tomatoes has given the film 41% “rotten” score, but that could change before Friday. Even it if doesn’t, it isn’t the director’s lowest scoring movie to date. Here’s how M. Night Shyamalan’s movies rank according to Rotten Tomatoes right now:
The Last Airbender – 5%
In 2010, Shyamalan went against his nature, and instead of writing another original screenplay, he tried his hand at writing an adaptation of Nickelodeon’s hit animated show, Avatar: The Last Airbender. The live adaptation of the series was not a hit with fans or critics alike, as many felt the story strayed too far from the original material. Still, it managed to make a little over $319,000,000 in global ticket sales against the $150,000,000 budget. Hardly a flop.
After Earth – 11%
In 2013, Shyamalan cast Will Smith and his real-life son, Jaden Smith, in an on-screen father-and son-story where the dad leaves his son stranded on an abandoned Earth. The film failed to resonate with American viewers, generating just $60,522,097 in ticket sales against an estimated $130,000,000 budget. The movie recouped its losses and then some, with global ticket sales reaching $243,843,127.
The Happening – 18%
In a setup similar to this year’s Birdbox, 2008’s The Happening starred Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and John Leguizamo and was largely panned by audiences and critics alike. It made over $163,000,000 world-wide.
Lady in the Water – 25%
After her breakout role in Shyamalan’s The Village, Bryce Dallas Howard starred with Paul Giamatti as the Lady in the Water in 2006. Considered by some as a slow and dull movie, the film barely covered its cost in its $72,000,000 worth of ticket sales.
Wide Awake – 40%
Although hardly great, Shyamalan’s first big movie, 1998’s Wide Awake, ranked higher than movies made much later in his career. The coming-of-age film starred a young Joseph Cross, who had questions for the nun Sister Terry (played by Rosie O’Donnell) about God after his grandfather passed away. It made about $258,212,000 in ticket sales.
Glass – 41% (so far)
Although it’s too early to say if Glass will do well in theaters, some estimate that it will be January’s big ticket movie. The movie brings back Unbreakable’s David Dunn (Bruce Willis) and Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) and introduces the two to Split’s Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy) in what has been promised as an ultimate showdown. We’ll have to wait and see if the film delivers on that promise.
The Village – 43%
Although 2004’s The Village didn’t do that well in America, overall the film didn’t do too shabby, with $256,000,000 in worldwide ticket sales. The suspicious village of 60 people starred Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Adrien Brody, Judy Greer, and Joaquin Phoenix, and introduced us to Bryce Dallas Howard.
The Visit – 66%
The Visit was 2015’s bizarre hit movie that began with a brother and sister visiting their grandparents, whom they hardly knew, and ended with the pair trying to save their lives. It generated over $98,000,000 in ticket sales.
Unbreakable – 69%
Released in 2000, Unbreakable was Shyamalan’s follow up to the widely successful and award-winning The Sixth Sense. Having also starred Bruce Willis, the film’s twist ending didn’t live up to the hype from the director’s first film. While making $154,500,000 in ticket sales, it wasn’t enough for Touchstone to justify creating a sequel.
Signs – 73%
Making over $408,000,000 in ticket sales, 2002’s Signs has been Shyamalan’s second-most lucrative movie. The film starred Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin, and Cherry Jones trying to outsmart aliens attacking their farmland.
Split – 76%
In 2016, James McAvoy surprised audiences and critics with his multiple personalities revealed in Split, which also starred Anya Taylor-Joy and Betty Buckley. Although the twist ending didn’t resonate with all viewers, it’s easy to see why it warranted a sequel. Making $278,454,358 in ticket sales didn’t hurt either.
The Sixth Sense – 85%
In 1999, The Sixth Sense introduced us to child actor Haley Joel Osment, who dealt with an odd affliction in that he saw “dead people.” The twist ending to this masterful story surprised everyone and did very well at keeping the secret as to not spoil the movie for others waiting to see it. Starring Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, and Donnie Wahlberg, The Sixth Sense is still considered Shyamalan’s best work
by most people.