Ever since he burst onto the scene with the surprise runaway hit The Sixth Sense, M. Night Shyamalan has established himself as one of Hollywood's most unique and in-demand talents. Although he mostly sticks to supernatural thrillers, he has branched out into blockbuster action fare, family dramas and even superhero films. However, what remains consistent throughout his work is his penchant for twist endings and love for his hometown of Philadelphia.

Although his career took a noticeable downturn in the mid-to-late 2000s, he has since made a triumphant comeback with his recent projects, including the Eastrail 177 trilogy. Given that his new film Old is due in July, let's break down the critical reception Shyamalan's feature directorial efforts (excluding the never-officially released Praying with Anger), ranked according to their average Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated July 24, 2021, to include the average score of M. Night Shyamalan's latest release, Old.

RELATED: Avatar: 5 Bending Limitations You Never Noticed

13. The Last Airbender – Average Score: 12.5

Shyamalan's adaptation of the beloved Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender is his worst reviewed film -- and for good reason. The film was lambasted by nearly every critic on release, with John Walsh of The Independent calling it "breathtakingly clueless, misconceived, stupid, humorless, unexciting, dim... the worst film I've seen in years." The film also received controversy for its casting decisions. Fans of the animated source material were not impressed either, and the film remains a dark stain on both Shyamalan's filmography and the legacy of the original show.

12. After Earth – Average Score: 22

The futuristic survival story After Earth received a similarly brutal critical thrashing to The Last Airbender. Developed by Will Smith as a star vehicle for his son Jaden, After Earth saw Will Smith's Cypher Raige, a legendary soldier, go on a mission with his eager son Kitai (Jaden Smith). After their spaceship crashes on Earth, which had been abandoned by humanity centuries before, Kitai is forced to brave the untamed wilderness in a desperate attempt to contact home.

After Earth was panned for its dullness. The performances of both Will and Jaden Smith were also heavily criticized, with their odd accents being especially ridiculed. They both received Razzies for their roles, and Will Smith later remarked, "[After Earth was] the most painful failure in my career."

RELATED: Old: M. Night Shyamalan's New Comic Book Film Drops First Trailer at Super Bowl

11. The Happening – Average Score: 25.5

Mark Wahlberg in the Happening

Shyamalan's eco-thriller The Happening was a supernatural thriller with a heavy-handed environmentalist message. The plot concerned science teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) and his wife Alma (Zoey Deschanel) as they desperately try to escape an invisible force that is causing people to inexplicably commit suicide.

Upon release, reviews were brutal, with many critics noting the film's unintentional hilarity in the performances and filmmaking. However, the movie has recently undergone a critical re-evaluation, with Scott Mendelson from Forbes commenting that The Happening "has aged well in terms of being a bonkers/original premise delivered with a relatively straight-face (and just a hint of knowing camp)," and also compared it favorably to science-fiction films of the 1950s.

RELATED: Yes, M. Night Shyamalan Recognizes The Happening's Eerie Timeliness

10. Lady in the Water – Average Score: 30.5

Bryce Dallas Howard's Story in the poster for Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water.

Lady in the Water was Shyamalan's attempt to translate children's bedtime stories into a modern-day fable, crafting a tale about residents of an apartment complex who come together to aid a water-nymph in her quest to find "The Writer." The movie not only received bad reviews, with Time Out's Trevor Johnston labeling it a "career-threatening catastrophic," but it also was a box office bomb. Shyamalan's self-casting as a brilliant writer whose work would profoundly affect the world in the future also raised eyebrows, with many calling the decision (and the movie as a whole) "self-indulgent."

9. Glass – Average Score: 40

After the ending of Split revealed the film took place in the same universe as Unbreakable, fans were excited about the promise of a sequel reuniting David Dunn (Bruce Willis) and his old nemesis Elijah Price/Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson) and throwing in James McAvoy's Kevin Wendell Crumb into the mix. The film's plot saw both Dunn and Crumb institutionalized alongside a scheming Price, where Dr. Staple (Sarah Paulson) tries to convince them that their perceived superpowers are a delusion.

While the film has its defenders, it received mixed reviews and was deemed a disappointing conclusion to the trilogy. Much of the criticism was aimed at its final act twists. Ben Sachs of the Chicago Reader commented, "[Glass] may not be M. Night Shyamalan’s worst movie, though it’s surely his most disappointing."

RELATED: M. Night Shyamalan Defends Glass' Controversial Ending

8. The Village – Average Score: 43.5

The Village told the atmospheric story of a secluded community that lives in fear of attacks by sinister outside forces (the aptly named "Those We Don't Speak Of"), while two young villagers Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix) and Ivy (Bryce Dallas Howard) fall in love. Despite stunning cinematography by Roger Deakins and an Oscar-nominated score by James Newton Howard, the film split critics, garnering a 43 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metascore of 44.

7. Wide Awake – Average Score: 45

Shyalaman's first studio film was a family drama that followed a young Catholic boy as he goes on a spiritual journey after the death of his grandfather. Featuring big names like Rosie O'Donnell and Denis Leary, Wide Awake received decidedly mixed reviews. Roger Ebert gave the film two stars, calling it an "entertaining film" and praising O'Donnell's performance, but lamenting the film's "contrived goals." The film's reception may partially be blamed on post-production interference by disgraced Miramax producer Harvey Weinstein, who had reportedly brought both Shyamalan and O'Donnel to tears with his meddling and insults.

RELATED: M. Night Shyamalan Breaks Silence on HBO Max's Movie Move

6. Old - Average Score: 52.5

A man rapidly ages on the beach in M. Night Shyamalan's Old

M. Night Shyamalan's 2021 release, Old transforms a family's tropical vacation into horror when a secluded beach somehow triggers rapid aging, so that they live an entire lifetime over the course of a single day.

Although some critics were intrigued by the film's premise, which is inspired by the Swiss graphic novel Sandcastle, the consensus is that Shyamalan's execution is annoyingly uneven. "Shyamalan doesn't seem to recognize the beauty of this premise lies in its simplicity," Sandy Schaefer wrote for CBR. "Instead, his script for Old tries to explain not only the mechanics of how the story's fantastical setting works but also why these particular strangers ended up in this terrifying situation. He turns what might've been a creepy yet poignant meditation on the inevitability of death into a frustrating mixed bag of a thriller with muddled execution."

5. The Visit – Average Score: 61.5

the visit

The Visit tells the story of two teen siblings recording their first visit with their grandparents, whom they never met before due to past family estrangement. However, the happy mood shifts when the grandparents start displaying bizarre behaviors that go far beyond that of age-related dementia.

The found-footage horror-comedy was widely seen as a return to form for Shyamalan after suffering a nearly decade-long career slump, with Jason Bailey of Flavorwire saying, "Shyamalan shows an awareness of his missteps, and created a film that allowed him, in many ways, to get back to basics."

RELATED: M. Night Shyamalan Reveals Old's 'Risky' Shooting Conditions

4. Unbreakable – Average Score: 66

Bruce Willis Unbreakable Bad On-Set Behavior

Unbreakable starred Bruce Willis as David Dunn, a man who miraculously survives a train accident without a scratch on him. He is soon contacted by comic-book obsessive Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), who believes David has hidden superpowers that explain his apparent invulnerability and surprising strength.

While not a hit upon release, Unbreakable has slowly become regarded as a modern classic and a smart deconstruction of the superhero film genre. Matthew Rozsa of Salon wrote the film "both predicted the superhero boom that has overtaken popular cinema in the early 21st century and offered insightful commentary on it." The film has even become a favorite of director Quentin Tarantino.

RELATED: American Gods: Technical Boy's True Purpose Is Revealed

3. Signs – Average Score: 66.5

Shyamalan entered the science-fiction arena with 2002's Signs. Set in rural Pennsylvania, Signs builds tension around a grieving family who discover crop circles etched into their cornfield, and soon the threat of an alien invasion becomes more probable each day. The film received mostly positive reviews, with Roger Ebert giving it a full four stars and praising it as "the work of a born filmmaker..." However, Signs had its detractors, with Mick Lasalle knocking it for "murky cinematography, dull stretches and a halfhearted sci-fi plot..."

2. Split – Average Score: 69.5

James Mcavoy in the psychological thriller/horror Split

Following up 2015's redemptive hit The Visit, the thriller Split was yet another pleasant surprise for most reviewers. Wendy Ide of Observer called it "a definite return to form for Shyamalan." Split featured a show-stealing performance by James McAvoy, playing a man who has twenty-three distinct personalities and kidnaps three teenage girls. However, despite overall positive reviews, it also received a fair amount of controversy surrounding its depiction of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).

1. The Sixth Sense – Average Score: 75

Cole Sear lying in bed, scared from The Sixth Sense

M. Night Shyamalan's breakout 1999 hit remains his highest critical achievement to date, with an average score of 75 between RT and Metacritic. The Sixth Sense follows child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) as he seeks personal and professional redemption by treating a new patient, Cole (Haley Joel Osment). However, it becomes clear there is more than meets the eye with Cole, who makes the startling confession that he can "see dead people."

The Sixth Sense was able to balance effective scares with emotional drama, and its sharp direction and iconic twist established Shyamalan as a creative force to be reckoned with. The film was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and both Supporting Actor categories.

KEEP READING: Old: M. Night Shyamalan's First Comic Book Movie Is an Existential Nightmare