M Night Shyamalan Prefers Lady In The Water Over Sixth Sense

Asked recently by GQ magazine to name “his favorites of his oeuvre,” Shyamalan answered, “The ones I have most affinity for are the ones that have maintained that quirky nature. ‘Unbreakable,’ and ‘Lady in the Water,’ and ‘The Visit,’ and this movie [‘Old’]…the ones that are poky.”

Some moviegoers might be surprised to hear Shyamalan prefers a film like “Lady in the Water” over “The Sixth Sense.” The 2006 release remains one of Shyamalan’s most critically-maligned movies. But Shyamalan told GQ that the quirkiness of “Lady in the Water” appeals to him more than the more-composed polish of “The Sixth Sense.” Related What IndieWire Watches on Halloween, from ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ to ‘Tales from the Crypt’ M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Servant’ Gets Premiere Date – and a Trailer – for Final Apple TV+ Season Related Oscars 2023: Best International Feature Film Predictions The Best True Crime Streaming Now, from ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ to ‘McMillions’ to ‘The Staircase’
As GQ reported: “What about ‘Sixth Sense’? We agree that there’s a decorum, a dignity to that movie, that makes it almost too neat — a ‘suit and tie quality,’ he offered. Whereas a film like ‘Lady in the Water’ does convey the weirdness, the poky appeal of Shyamalan himself.” Discussing his new film “Old,” Shyamalan said it has a similar “poky” quality to the films of his he loves most in that “the edges aren’t rubbed off. I’ve been able to, especially in the photography and the casting and the balance between the tragedy and the oddness of it…it had enough breadth for me to be here and different.” Similar to “Lady in the Water” and “The Village,” the box office-topping “Old” has fiercely divided critics and moviegoers. Shyamalan compared the polarizing reception of his work to a kid on the first day of school who dresses for his own tastes only to discover every other student is “wearing the exact same baggy sweatpants and a t-shirt. And you’re like, ‘Holy fuck. I see myself through their eyes.’ That’s a tough moment. That’s a tough moment. And that happens every single movie. I’m that kid who loves to get weirdly dressed and then I get to school and I’m like, ‘Uh-oh, I’m about to get my ass handed to me.’” “Old” is now playing in theaters nationwide. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.