Two Shyamalan Films this Summer : The Watchers and Trap

The summer movie season, which is usually the most important sesaon for the Hollywood blockbusters, started last month. However, this May's box office was below average, with a few Hollywood blockbusters not doing as well as they should have. Would some of the smaller horror and thriller films, like the two films directed by Shyamalan, be able to stand out from the rest? When you hear the name Shyamalan, you may immediately think of M. Night Shyamalan, the director of The Sixth Sense and Split. However, here it refers to not just one Shyamalan, but two - M. Night Shyamalan and his daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan. Their latest films Trap and The Watchers will be released in August and June respectively.

Ishana Night Shyamalan worked as a second unit director in the last two films directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Old and Knock at the Cabin, as well as a writer and director in Apple TV+’s horror series, Servant, in which M. Night Shyamalan worked as the showrunner. The Watchers will be her feature film directional debut.

The Watchers, to be released in Canada on June 7

Based on the novel of the same name, the film is written and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan, produced by her father, M. Night Shyamalan, and stars Dakota Fanning (The Equalizers 3), Georgina Campbell (Barbarian), Oliver Finnegan and Olwen Fouéré (Mandy).

The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.

Trap, to be released in Canada on August 9

A father and teen daughter attend a pop concert, where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, the film stars Josh Hartnett (Oppenheimer), Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan (also the director’s daughter), Hayley Mills and Alison Pill (Vice). The director’s films in the mid-2000s to the early 2010s, Lady in the Water, The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth were all critically panned. Since The Visit in 2015, his films received mixed to generally positive reviews. Let’s wait and see if Trap is indeed, a trap.

If you are interested in upcoming movies to be released in Canada, please visit the Movie Release Schedule page on this website!

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures