Indian-American filmmaker M Night Shyamalan who has helmed thrillers including ‘The Sixth Sense,’ ‘Split,’ and ‘Unbreakable’ is known for adding suspenseful twists and unanticipated endings to his films. Over the years, the ace director has carved a niche for himself for his unusual style of storytelling. Following the release of ‘Trap,’ the filmmaker revealed his thought process behind developing intriguing films in an interview with PTI. The director’s latest project ‘Trap’ features Josh Hartnett playing Cooper Adams, a father who is secretly a dreaded serial killer known as ‘The Butcher’, with Ariel Donaughue essaying the role of his teenage daughter Riley.
During the interview, M Night Shyamalan stated that he believes that people look forward to new ideas, and his way of making sure that people pay attention is by doubling down on the “bizarreness” factor of the stories he is telling. “It is a belief, maybe a naive one, that people are excited to feel something new if we can get to them… I tell my partners, Warner Bros, the thing that’s different about the movie is the thing to celebrate about it. Double down on how weird and different it is.”
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When asked how difficult it is as a filmmaker to make original movies in an environment where most Hollywood films are franchises or superhero series boasting strong Intellectual Property, ‘The Sixth Sense’ director said that in such an ecosystem there is no point in making something that can be categorised as “usual.” He added that the other aspect is that one needs to sell the bizarreness of their new idea and convince why it is a new tone. “I have an accent in the way I tell stories. Make sure I have that accent. I used to have conversations with the trailer makers. And I would say ‘Don’t cut it like it’s everyone’s movie’. You’re stealing the thing that’s unique about it. And that’s our weapon.”
Talking of his love for strange ideas, the filmmaker revealed his thought process behind ‘Trap.’ He said that on a gut level, the tone and the angle of the story are what seems exciting to him. He revealed that with his stories there is an idea and then an angle to it and he believes that one needs both. In the case of ‘Trap,’ the idea was about a guy trapped at a concert. However, the angle was “you’re with him. You’re the dad, you love him and you have to figure a way out. That’s what made me want to make the movie.”
While the filmmaker boasts an impressive repertoire, he has seen a period of flops where several of his projects like ‘Lady in the Water’ failed to amass success. Reflecting on the string of duds, Shyamalan revealed that it made him realise the pointlessness of doing what the ‘system’ wanted him to. Taking a bold decision, the filmmaker revealed that he had decided that, “I’m just going to make a movie. I’m not going to ask anybody. I’m just going to go shoot a movie and mortgage the house. Let’s see what happens.’”
‘Trap’ premiered at Alice Tully Hall in New York City on July 24 and was released in India by Warner Brothers on August 2.