M. Night Shyamalan is an acclaimed American filmmaker who has captivated audiences of all ages with his thrilling stories and spectacular visual effects. Born in India, Shyamalan grew up in Philadelphia and developed an early love for the movies. His passion for filmmaking began to take shape at a young age when he wrote, directed, and starred in his own short film at age 16. After graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in Film & Television, Shyamalan went on to write, direct, and produce some of Hollywood’s most successful films including “The Sixth Sense”, “Signs”, “Unbreakable”, “The Village”, “Lady in the Water” and “The Happening”.
Shyamalan’s storytelling style often incorporates elements of suspenseful mystery and supernatural horror while exploring themes of morality and faith. His use of cinematic tools—including dramatic lighting, inventive camera angles and intense music—adds further depth to his work. Shyamalan is also known for casting established stars like Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson alongside lesser-known actors like Joaquin Phoenix and Bryce Dallas Howard.
The success of Shyamalan’s movies has earned him numerous awards including several Saturn Awards for Best Director as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for The Sixth Sense (1999). He has also been honored with two Golden Globe nominations—one for Best Director for The Sixth Sense (2000) and one for Best Original Song (“Mystery Of Love”) from Lady In The Water (2006). Additionally, Shyamalan has received critical acclaim throughout his career from publications ranging from Rolling Stone to Time Magazine.
He continues to push boundaries by creating bold new stories that are sure to entertain audiences around the world. With his versatile style that blurs genres between drama and science fiction/fantasy films, M. Night Shyamalan continues to be one of Hollywood’s most innovative directors today. As he puts it himself: “My mission statement is making films that make people think…not making films that tell people what they should think.”
Movies Directed by M. Knight Shyamalan
Praying with Anger (1992)
Wide Awake (1998)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Unbreakable (2000) – Eastrail 177 Trilogy
Signs (2002)
Lady in the Water (2006)
The Happenining (2008)
The Last Airbender (2010)
After Earth (2013)
The Visit (2015)
Split (2016) – Eastrail 177 Trilogy
Glass (2019) – Eastrail 177 Trilogy
Old (2021)
Servant Final Season Four (2022)
Knock at the Cabin (2022)
Awards and Nominations
2000 – nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and for Best Original Screenplay for the movie The Sixth Sense.
2000 – Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best Screeplay for The Sixth Sense
2000 – Nominated for the British Academy Crtics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay
2000 – nominated for teh Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay for the movie The Sixth Sense.
M. Night Shyamalan Quotes
“See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky?”
“When you say ‘fear of the unknown’, that is the definition of fear; fear is the unknown, fear is what you do not know, and it’s genetically within us so that we feel safe. We feel scared of the woods because we’re not familiar with it, and that keeps you safe”.
Video Interview
