Despite being one of the most celebrated and successful filmmakers of the 21st century, M. Night Shyamalan has proven to be one of the most divisive too. His work has been described in wide-ranging terms from brilliant and unique, to underwhelming and narratively manipulating. However, fans of the Indian American director remain unwilling to recant their opinion of him being a visionary. He was once hailed as the next Spielberg, but then publicly flogged by critics who turned their back on him during a spell when his films were performing torridly.