DirectorM. Night Shyamalanis known for his stylish thrillers, which are defined by impeccable blocking and brilliant scene construction, but one thing that audiences often overlook about his naturally gifted skill-set is his ability to extract great performances from his actors, particularly children.Toni ColletteandHaley Joel Osmentboth earned Academy Award nods for their performances in Shyamalan’s breakout movie,The Sixth Sense. More recently,James McAvoydelivered a memorably showy performance in the filmSplit.
In a new interview withVariety, the filmmaker revealed that even though he encourages experimentation when it comes to portraying fear on screen, there is one emotion that is strictly forbidden in his films.
Over the course of his admittedly rocky career, Shyamalan has displayed a sincerity in his films that has often backfired on him. Many of his movies, for instance, have been criticized for stilted dialogue and a stone-faced seriousness even in ridiculous scenarios. Shyamalan revealed that the more grounded in emotion a performance is, the easier it becomes to convey fear, which he described as “a secondary aspect that comes out of the situation.” In his own words:
“The only thing I don’t allow actors to do in the movies is feel sorry for themselves. I think audiences can find that indulgent in a way that’s offensive. But as soon as characters feel sorry for themselves, audiences are like: ‘I’m out.’ You can show anger, you can show fighting, you can be funny, but you have to be active in your own survival. If you feel sorry for yourself, that’s a form of giving up, and that’s not a circumstance I want to put them in.”
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Shyamalan was hailed as the next big thing after the blockbuster success ofThe Sixth Sense. He followed it up with the successful thrillersUnbreakableandSigns, but things began to get uncertain after the release ofThe Villagein 2004. Probably a victim of high expectations, the film has since been reappraised in a more favorable light. But Shyamalan’s career wouldn’t bounce back until after the back-to-back disappointments ofLady in the Water,The Happening,The Last AirbenderandAfter Earth. He then resolved to self-financehis movies, and went on to direct the relatively small-scale hitsThe Visit,Split,GlassandOld.
Shyamalan’s ‘Knock at the Cabin’ Debuted to Positive Critical Response
His most recent release is the apocalyptic thrillerKnock at the Cabin, which debuted last week to moderately positive response. Produced on a reported budget of $20 million, the film has grossed $26 million globally so far. Collider’s ownRoss Bonaimegave it a positivereview, and wrote, “Knock at the Cabinworks because it reminds of the early days of Shyamalan, when he felt like the next coming ofAlfredHitchcock, and his films would leave the audience talking for days after.”
Knock at the Cabinis currently playing in theaters.Servant, the Apple TV+ series that he exec produced and showran, recently debuted itsfourth and final season. You can watch our interview with Shyamalan here, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
