Unbreakable / Split / Glass (M. Night Shyamalan, 2000-2019)

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The Narrator Returns
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Unbreakable / Split / Glass (M. Night Shyamalan, 2000-2019)

#1 Post by The Narrator Returns » Tue Sep 27, 2016 11:42 am

Shyamalan's latest film, Split (starring James McAvoy and The Witch's Anya Taylor-Joy, and shot by It Follows's Mike Gioulakis), made its surprise debut at Fantastic Fest last night, and is getting maybe his best reviews since Sixth Sense.

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Roger Ryan
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Re: M. Night Shyamalan

#2 Post by Roger Ryan » Tue Sep 27, 2016 12:05 pm

The Narrator Returns wrote:Shyamalan's latest film, Split (starring James McAvoy and The Witch's Anya Taylor-Joy, and shot by It Follows's Mike Gioulakis), made its surprise debut at Fantastic Fest last night, and is getting maybe his best reviews since Sixth Sense.
Take that Hitchcock and DePalma: 23, count 'em, 23 distinct personalities! I can't see this playing as anything but camp. And I think it's safe to say that the twist this time is...
SpoilerShow
...the McAvoy character is a werewolf in addition to suffering from dissociative identity disorder.

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: M. Night Shyamalan

#3 Post by The Narrator Returns » Wed Jan 25, 2017 2:50 am

I saw Split last weekend, and I'm honestly considering going back this weekend. This is terrific, with all the elements Shyamalan delivered in his heyday (creeping dread, formal rigor, oddball comedy, unexpected pathos) being present, in addition to two of the very finest performances in any Shyamalan film, from McAvoy and Taylor-Joy (Shyamalan puts a lot of faith in both throughout the movie, and they succeed at every turn). I also have to give credit to everyone who saw it at Fantastic Fest and didn't fess up to the movie's actual surprise ending (Roger Ryan's guess is close to the reality of what happens in the film, but that's much more a basic plot point than it is a spoiler)

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Brian C
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Re: M. Night Shyamalan

#4 Post by Brian C » Wed Jan 25, 2017 8:18 pm

I will say only that I'm surprised, because I've read enough of you on this forum to know that you're an intelligent fellow, and so your praise of the film is meaningful and I do not dismiss it lightly, but ... damn if it doesn't look like just about the worst thing ever made.

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Re: M. Night Shyamalan

#5 Post by pzadvance » Wed Jan 25, 2017 8:41 pm

I will also vouch for it being a blast, and even moreso than last year's refreshingly solid The Visit, this displays a lot of what made Shyamalan's work so interesting and exciting once upon a time. Any former Shyamalan fans that have even the slightest interest in seeing this whatsoever, I would implore you to hit the theaters before the ending gets spoilt. Watching it unfold was the most visceral and unforgettable experience I've had at the cinema for a long while...
I'm keeping it vague, but seriously, don't click this if you wan…Show
though that's largely due to what a huge role his previous work occupied in my life as a high school-aged budding cinephile. When *that* music started creeping in, and I recognized what it meant, my whole body was consumed with chills and I started laughing uncontrollably out of sheer joy. I didn't expect, in this day and age, that a surprise of this sort would even be possible to pull off.

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Re: M. Night Shyamalan

#6 Post by colinr0380 » Thu Jan 26, 2017 1:23 pm

I'm just wondering how much of Raising Cain is in this film.

(I'm trying to think of other multiple personality disorder films and the only one that's not a horror is Sally Field in Sybil!)

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Re: M. Night Shyamalan

#7 Post by cdnchris » Thu Jan 26, 2017 1:44 pm

Me, Myself & Irene was technically not a horror film.

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Re: M. Night Shyamalan

#8 Post by knives » Thu Jan 26, 2017 1:52 pm

Three Faces of Eve is a pretty good non-horror example.

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hearthesilence
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Re: The Films of 2017

#9 Post by hearthesilence » Sun Apr 02, 2017 10:48 pm

swo17 wrote:The world hasn't quite ended yet so people will presumably keep making movies. See here if you don't believe me. Some highlights:

- M. Night Shyamalan makes a thematic sequel to Unbreakable
- Lasse Hallström remembers how much people liked his last movie about dogs
- You're going to have to hear about 50 Shades of Grey again
- Zhang Yimou makes his obligatory Matt Damon-starring vehicle
- A Power Rangers movie not directed by Joseph Kahn
Man, is this year off to a ****ty start or what?

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Re: The Films of 2017

#10 Post by mfunk9786 » Mon Apr 03, 2017 1:32 am

I think the consensus was pretty darn strong for Split

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Re: The Films of 2017

#11 Post by domino harvey » Mon Apr 03, 2017 1:36 am

Maybe those stars were hiding the word "mighty" (or, for Shyamalan, "twisty")

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Re: The Films of 2017

#12 Post by hearthesilence » Mon Apr 03, 2017 10:24 am


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Re: The Films of 2017

#13 Post by aox » Mon Apr 03, 2017 11:50 am

The people I know who had anything positive to say about Split just seemed more relieved that he made something watchable.

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: Split (M. Night Shyamalan, 2017)

#14 Post by The Narrator Returns » Wed Apr 26, 2017 12:53 pm

Shyamalan's next film will be Glass, a sequel to this
SpoilerShow
and Unbreakable

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Re: Split (M. Night Shyamalan, 2017)

#15 Post by mfunk9786 » Wed Apr 26, 2017 12:56 pm

The only thing I didn't understand (or like - thought this was a pretty great modern De Palma riff) about Split was him making that linkage, so I can't say I'm very optimistic. It's amazing how quickly filmmakers can go from revitalizing their careers to climbing right back up the well-worn path inside their own ass.

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Re: Split (M. Night Shyamalan, 2017)

#16 Post by dda1996a » Wed Apr 26, 2017 1:19 pm

Well I've always though he was extremely overrated. I think Sixth Sense and Unbreakable are solid thrillers, but everything else he made has been utterly ridiculous and not in a good way. Haven't seen Split yet, but I disliked the Visit as well, so I don't have my hopes up

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Re: Split (M. Night Shyamalan, 2017)

#17 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Wed Apr 26, 2017 1:39 pm

The Narrator Returns wrote:Shyamalan's next film will be Glass, a sequel to this
SpoilerShow
and Unbreakable
Now I'm interested.

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Murdoch
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Re: Split (M. Night Shyamalan, 2017)

#18 Post by Murdoch » Fri Apr 28, 2017 7:14 am

I'm tentatively interested. Extended universes are for some reason the go-to for nearly every U.S.-made movie now so it just seems like Shyamalan playing into that trend in the only way he knows how: by revealing it at the end of one of his films. What a twist.
Last edited by Murdoch on Sat Apr 29, 2017 1:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Split (M. Night Shyamalan, 2017)

#19 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Fri Apr 28, 2017 12:40 pm

SpoilerShow
I liked the idea of Unbreakable more than it's execution, but I came away hoping there would be a sequel that would realize that idea more. The fact that we're getting one this late is a pleasant surprise, even to someone who's been all in on the Shyamalan hate train. I just hope they can get James Newton Howard back on board.

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Re: Unbreakable / Split / Glass (M. Night Shyamalan, 2000-2019)

#20 Post by mfunk9786 » Wed Jan 09, 2019 6:12 pm

Reviews for Glass are out, and oh boy, it looks like Shyamalan has gone and made a bad movie (again) at the very moment he needed to make a good movie to get everyone back on board with his career (again) - 41 on Metacritic and not a single positive review

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Re: Unbreakable / Split / Glass (M. Night Shyamalan, 2000-2019)

#21 Post by tenia » Wed Jan 09, 2019 7:00 pm

A colleague of mine just posted his review, and the main takes on the movie are that it's well done but dumb and way too predictable to be anything to remember, though he's slightly positive about it.
Looks like the kind of movies I could try out at home "just in case" or at least because I'll be able to fast forward through it, only to end up remembering while I skipped it in theaters in the first place.

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Re: Unbreakable / Split / Glass (M. Night Shyamalan, 2000-2019)

#22 Post by dda1996a » Thu Jan 10, 2019 1:33 am

It's not like his latest two weren't completely stupid and ridiculous anyway. In fact I'm surprised people liked them as they feature everything that is bad with this guy.

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Murdoch
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Re: Unbreakable / Split / Glass (M. Night Shyamalan, 2000-2019)

#23 Post by Murdoch » Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:00 am

I actually thought Split was the best film he's done. The opening scene was tense yet deceptively casual. I think it really showed that Shyamalan has the ability to be a very good filmmaker but his preoccupation with science fiction/horror focuses him on the least interesting aspects of his films.
Last edited by Murdoch on Thu Jan 10, 2019 1:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Unbreakable / Split / Glass (M. Night Shyamalan, 2000-2019)

#24 Post by tenia » Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:04 am

He's probably a good filmmaker, but his movies just need better scripts.

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Re: Unbreakable / Split / Glass (M. Night Shyamalan, 2000-2019)

#25 Post by colinr0380 » Thu Jan 10, 2019 12:47 pm

And I kind of like The Happening, if just for the scene of Mark Whalberg nervously talking to a potted plant which turns out to be plastic!
Last edited by colinr0380 on Thu Jan 10, 2019 12:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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