Why M. Night Shyamalan Thinks Hollywood Is a “Sick Industry”
M. Night Shyamalan has been a part of Hollywood for more than three decades, and he’s seen the industry go through major changes. In an older interview with The Independent, the filmmaker didn’t hold back when describing the state of the business.
“If you look at the industry right now… there are movies that feel inc******, they’re just mast******… It’s just Hollywood talking to themselves,” Shyamalan said.
He also criticized studios for underestimating audiences. “And then there are movies where they’re saying: the audience is dumb, so we’re going to take all the soul out, and we’re just going to do it by numbers… These are signs of complete dysfunction.”
He compared today’s Hollywood to the late 1990s, when he released The Sixth Sense. The film earned six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, competing against films like American Beauty and The Insider.
Shyamalan said he misses that level of quality and competition. “The industry was different then. It was aimed at — how do you get the best storytellers to tell stories for the widest audience? That’s not the case now,” he explained.
The director admitted he eventually stepped away from the studio system to keep making the kind of movies he wanted. He began financing his own projects, even when that meant working with smaller budgets.
“I found the only way is to leave the system and pay for it myself… to make small movies but take huge risks — not having to ask whether they like having a gay couple at the centre, or whether I should hire a wrestler,” Shyamalan said.
Taking risks is something he says keeps him going in what he calls a “sick industry.” He added, “This is my way of staying healthy after spending a long time in a kind of sick industry. Even until late in the writing of the movie I was like, how many times can I flip you back and forth? Because I had thought of another way, and I was worried the audience are going to get whiplash if I do one more.”
Shyamalan’s career has always been polarizing. His early success with The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs earned him a reputation as a master of suspense.
But later films like The Happening and The Last Airbender were heavily criticized, making him one of the most divisive directors in the business. Some praise him for originality and bold choices, while others see him as inconsistent. Still, his ability to keep audiences talking, whether they love or hate his work, has kept him relevant.
Shyamalan is right when he says Hollywood often feels soulless or repetitive. His willingness to make smaller, riskier films has given him a unique place in the industry. But do you agree with him that Hollywood is a “sick industry” today? Share your thoughts in the comments.
