M. Night Shyamalan's Most Underrated Twist Ending Is Not the One You Think (2024)

There's no denying that director, writer, and producer M. Night Shyamalan remains one of Hollywood's most creative and, at times, ambitious storytellers, constantly taking risks with his movies that sometimes hit with audiences as well as miss. Now, with his latest film, Trap, which stars Josh Hartnett and is set to release in theaters on Aug. 2, audiences are already beginning to speculate what twist Shyamalan may have up his sleeve this time, as Shyamalan and twist endings go together like Zack Snyder and slow-mo action. However, of all the surprising Shyamalan twist endings, there is one that continuously gets left out of the conversation: the one from 1998's Wide Awake, which stars Joseph Cross, Julia Stiles, Denis Leary, and Rosie O'Donnell.

Wide Awake tells the story of a young fifth grader named Joshua Beal and his year-long journey amidst another crazy year at a Catholic school to find both faith and meaning after the passing of his grandfather. Joshua looks for signs from God in his quest for reassurance that his Grandpa is safe in life after death, and he leans on the support of his family, friends, and teachers in the process. Regrettably, due to some heavy-handed post-production influence from both Miramax Studios and Harvey Weinstein, the film struggled to find footing even though it was shot in 1995, three years before its theatrical release. However, while Wide Awake failed to garner the attention it deserved, fans of the film as well as Shyamalan apologists continue to fight for Wide Awake's beautiful and clever surprise ending, understanding its place as Shyamalan's most underrated twist.

A Complicated Production and M. Night Shyamalan's Legacy Hurt 'Wide Awake's' Viewing

Spoilers ahead! Wide Awake, both written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is a family drama that serves as a coming-of-age story when a child is forced to deal with the death of a loved one. 10-year-old Joshua Beal, played by Joseph Cross, isn't sure what to believe regarding the whereabouts of his late grandfather, regardless of the advice given to him by his parents, older sister, friends, or even by his favorite teacher played by Rosie O'Donnell. Determined to make sure his grandfather is okay, Joshua seeks both signs and meaning through what he believes to be divine intervention throughout a chaotic school year. However, it is in Wide Awake's climax that both Joshua and the audience finally get the answer they've been seeking throughout the film's 88-minute runtime. Joshua, who's preparing for his class's end-of-the-year photo shoot, notices a young underclassman in the hallway, seemingly lost. This same quiet boy is present in small doses throughout the film, hiding in the corners or against the brick walls of the playground, keeping an eye on the actions of his Catholic school peers. However, it is in the film's final scene that this young boy gives Josh some heavenly reassurance, revealing himself to be sent down from a higher power to help Joshua in his journey for understanding and closure.

It's a great twist ending, but one that's a bit forgotten about in the Shyamalan pantheon. There are a couple of reasons that could be the case. For starters, Wide Awake came and went without much notice during its initial release. Producer Harvey Weinstein reportedly made life on set tough for the young director, and Mirimax didn't release the film until three years after it was shot. Budgeted at $6 million, Wide Awake made just over $280,000 at the box office — a flop beyond repair that Miramax ultimately buried. Additionally, it's hard to overlook just how monumental the influence of Shyamalan's next film, The Sixth Sense, had on his career. Because of its enormous critical and commercial success, the "I see dead people" thriller, starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment, really became the director's "first film" in the eyes of the public, kicking off a run of twisty thrillers that were very different from the charming family drama of Wide Awake.

'Wide Awake' Features M. Night Shyamalan's Most Wholesome Twist Ending

Still, Wide Awake deserves its spot in the Shyamalan conversation. One thing that can be said about all Shyamalan's twists is that they leave an impact, both for the overall story and the audience watching. Of course, this doesn't mean that audiences have to like all of his surprise endings, as not every twist ending is going to pack the same punch as, let's say, Bruce Willis being dead the whole time in The Sixth Sense or even Samuel L. Jackson being revealed as the villain who has committed multiple mass murders in Unbreakable. Sometimes we get Shyamalan twists like The Happening, where the plants are revealed to be releasing suicidal toxins into the air. They're not all home runs ... even when it's Joaquin Phoenix swinging away in Signs. That being said, while the surprise factor is always present with these twists, none cancompare to the wholesomeness and warm feeling provided by the twist in Wide Awake. It is arguably the one Shyamalan twist that leaves the viewer feeling a sense of joy, specifically due to it being so strongly tied to Joshua's year-long journey. Because it is a coming-of-age story that deals with loss, audiences are also serving as guardian angels for young Joshua as he searches for answers regarding heaven, leaving a sense of fulfillment when he learns that, like the audience, he had somebody watching over him throughout this difficult time.

Finally, what makes the twist ending in Wide Awake so effective is that, while it does offer a satisfying surprise upon first watch, it doesn't define the movie nor change any future viewing experiences, serving as a nice bow on a beautiful present rather than frosting on an entire cake. While the Bruce Willis twist in The Sixth Sense is an all-time classic movie twist, your next viewing of the film is never quite as impactful as that first-time reveal. The same can be said for other Shyamalan films like Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, and The Visit. Wide Awake is not defined by its twist ending; it's complimented by it.

With Trap about to release, the Shyamalan discourse will no doubt pick up once more as it seemingly does every two years upon a new release by the very flawed yet very ambitious filmmaker. His hits are his hits, and his misses are his misses. However, instead of revisiting some of his more publicly despised films for a simple laugh or perhaps to give them a second chance, perhaps consider checking out Wide Awake, a film that even the late Roger Ebert gave a thumbs up to! It's a great way to experience the roots of this generational storyteller with a twist that undoubtedly should be viewed as Shyamalan's most underrated.

Wide Awake is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.

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