For years,M. Night Shyamalanhas consistently wowed audiences with his supernatural plots and twist endings. The director often taps into different genres, but he is mostly known for scaring people. Shyamalan’s career hit a peak in the ‘90s when he madeThe Sixth Sense. The movie was nominated for six Oscars and became the second-highest-grossinghorrormovie of all time. Since then, he has done his best to cruise at the same altitude, with varying results.
Like many other great filmmakers, Shyamalan didn’t become skillful out of the blue. Many other films inspired him, and when it comes to horror, he has some of the best recommendations.During conversations with The Talksand Alamo Drafthouse, the celebrated filmmaker picked out some gems, explaining how each of them brings something different. Shyamalan also reminds everyone that there’s more to horror movies than just scares. “There’s some deep philosophy in most horror movies,” noting that even over-the-top horror flicks often have philosophical insights.
Here are 5 of M. Night Shyamalan’s favorite scary movies.
5’The Birds' (1963)
Based on a similarly titled 1952 short story by Daphne du Maurier,The Birdscenters ona series of unexplained violent bird attacks on the residents of Bodega Bay, California, over a few days. The events happen shortly after the socialite Melanie Daniels travels to Bodega Bay to pursue a charming lawyer she met at a pet store. Will an intense love affair develop, played out against a horrific backdrop?
The film was adapted by Evan Hunter, who had written for Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and thepopular television anthology seriesAlfred Hitchcock Presents.Elements of the story were taken from a real-life mass bird attack on the seaside town of Capitola in California on July 13, 2025, where hordes of seabirds began dive-bombing homes.
Shyamalan’s Constellation To Aim For
AboutThe Birds, Shyamalan says,“It’s one of the five movies that hang around me and remind me every day of the north stars and stars of the constellation to aim for.”He added,“The movie’s kind of minimalism and implication of something bigger than us was so beautiful in how it unfolded into its horror.”
This Horror Hall of Fame-inducted film owes its magic to the joyous confluence of exquisite cinematography, terrifying bird calls created by an electroacoustic Mixtur-Trautonium, and the sheer talent of the cast. Tippi Hedren, in particular, was working to the best of her abilities. Her Melanie is at once obsessive, determined, needy, and vulnerable. And Hunter’s script perfectly conveys the message of “larger unexplained forces” that Shyamalan loved. It might not be one of Hitchcock’s most flawless movies, but it’s a must-watch.
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Night of the Living Dead
George A. Romero’sNight of the Living Deadcovers the plight ofa group of individuals who take refuge in an abandoned Pennsylvania farmhouse when corpses from a nearby graveyard reanimate and begin searching for humans to devour. Ben (Duane Jones) does his best to keep everyone calm, but panic can never truly be erased in moments like this, so the situation keeps getting uglier.
The film is reputed for both its plot and its behind-the-scenes stories.Romero completed the film on a mere budget of approximately US$100,000. He achieved this using guerrilla filmmaking techniques he had learned during his days as a director of commercials.
The Wildest Fight for Survival
Romero wisely lets the wild beauty of Pennsylvania take center stage for a great portion of the film, yet once the “barricade horror” begins, you may feel the chills and anxiety simmer. Shyamalan felt the same way, confessing,“Night of the Living Dead, that just shook me up! When the guy gets shot at the end? Really, that was tragic! I was like, “Oh God, this is all a metaphor!”
Indeed, the film was interpreted in various ways when it came out. Several commentators saw it as a critique of American capitalism, noting that the zombies' consumption of humans represents the financial greed of the time. Other critics viewed it as a condemnation of domestic racism and destructive Cold War politics.
3’The Exorcist' (1973)
The Exorcist
The film is noted for having a cursed production, thanks to itsnumerous behind-the-scenes problems. Manyactors and crew were injured, and some unusual accidents delayed shooting. In one bizarre incident, shooting had to be delayed six weeks after a bird flew into a circuit breaker on one of the house sets, triggering a fire that destroyed everything.
Flushing Out Demons by All Means Necessary
Mining the bizarre wit and edgy, intricate plotting of the book, this cool, stylish horror thriller by the director ofThe French Connectionis designed solely for one purpose: to frighten. Jason Miller, trying to escape art-league fame on Broadway, projects all the self-confidence and irresistible resourcefulness in his portrayal of Father Karras.
InThe Exorcist, Shyamalan saw more than just a horror movie.“You’ve got the mother’s sacrifice of the child, good and evil, the sacrifice of the priest… Watching that, I remember feeling this reinforcement that good will triumph over evil. I was terrified… But it really did reinforce those things,”he says. Many things about the movie will stick in the mind, including the scene where the girl’s head rotates, and the spider-walking scene. Unsurprisingly, there were viewing restrictions at different levels across the globe.
2’The Omen' (1976)
InThe Omen, a Roman priestpersuades American diplomat Robert (Gregory Peck) to secretly adopt another boy quickly after his wife delivers a stillborn child. He never tells his wife that the baby isn’t their own. Soon, bizarre things start happening. Damien’s first nanny hangs herself, and when Robert’s wife gets pregnant again, the boy pushes her off a balcony, causing her to miscarry.Upon investigating the boy’s background, he realizes he is the prophesied Antichrist.
Initially, director Richard Donner and writer David Seltzer differed over the ending.Donner favored an ambiguous conclusion, which would have left audiences uncertain whether the boy was the Antichrist or whether the violent deaths were unfortunate accidents. Ultimately, they went with the version that left no doubt.
What if the Events of the Book of Revelation Already Happened?
Shyamalan doesn’t say much about the movie, but he mentions it along with a Steven Spielberg classic as two of his favorites.“The Omen… Jaws… Those ones were really profound for me,”he states. It is expected for someone like him to love this particular movie because of how thematically rich it is. Apart from the scares, it covers great ground when it comes to premillennialism and dispensationalism.
While the events of the film might have felt like a possibility at the time of its release, they’ve now slipped into proper “conspiracy theory” territory. Still, this remains a gem that thrives on visuals as well as sound. At the Oscars, it was nominated for Best Original Score and Best Original Song.
10 Classic Horror Movies With Amazing Performances
There are plenty of classic horror films out there with performances that are, quite frankly, Oscar caliber.
1’Jaws' (1975)
Steven Spielberg’s breakout film,Jaws, followsa marine biologist, a professional shark hunter, and a police chief as they hunt down a great white shark that has been killing vacationers at a New England summer resort town. In classic Hollywood fashion, this mission turns out to be more complex than just a standard spot-and-capture.
This wasthe first major motion picture to be shot in the ocean, somethingSpielberg admitted wasn’t such a good idea. Many crew members became seasick. The mechanical sharks often malfunctioned, too, resulting in increased costs. Thankfully, the end product was very good.
Changing the Hollywood Landscape
Jawsis simply amazing. Apart from being the kind of horror film that is palatable to general audiences, it is regarded as a watershed moment in Hollywood. It is credited with helping to establish the modern “summer blockbuster” business model and with creating a template for “sea creature” horror movies.
All the production aspects are also neat. John Williams’ score earned him an Oscar nomination and was later ranked the sixth-greatest score by the American Film Institute. Beyond that, Bill Butler’s cinematography is unlike anything seen at the time. Consequently, the film as a whole was nominated for Best Picture.
