The Collab No One Would Guess
M. Night Shyamalan’s new movie, Remain, has a twist before you even see the film this time. The twist? He collaborated with The Notebook‘s Nicholas Sparks on developing the story. Remain follows Tate Donovan as he arrives in Cape Cod to work on an architectural project while trying to put his life back together. His encounter with Wren changes everything, as the two form an immediate connection neither of them expected. But Wren’s seemingly idyllic life hides disturbing secrets, and Tate soon finds himself caught up in a mystery involving the supernatural.
Early Reactions
Another twist happened before the film even opened. The twist? The movie has had a surprise screening at Beyond Fest. After the surprise screening, the audience in attendance had gone to their social media to post their early impressions. So, what are people saying about M. Night Shyamalan’s new film?
Film critic Carlos Aguilar had some positivity for it, saying, “Watched a surprise screening of M. Night Shyamalan’s REMAIN at @BeyondFest. A really enjoyable, consistently funny ghost story. There’s, of course, no subtlety, but that’s part of the package with the peculiar blend of Shyamalan & Nicholas Sparks. Jake Gyllenhaal is wonderful.”
Creator and host of Film Speak, Griffin Schiller, called it a throwback to Shyamalan’s early work, saying, “#Remain is Shyamalan at his most earnest and sincere. Such a heartfelt and romantic throwback to his early work bolstered by another sensation James Newton Howard score. Arguably his most achingly vulnerable since Signs. A beautiful film about openness, intimacy, self love, and the denial of someone’s ownership over your soul; about rekindling the spark within and fighting to live at every moment. Gyllenhaal is a perfect Shyamalan lead; subdued but soulful. Phoebe Dynevor is MAGNETIC balancing torment and tenderness with such charm and jubilance. Truly felt the classic Night magic with this one. #BeyondFest”
Accordingtoseth has some high praise for the film, saying it might even be his favorite of the director’s, “REMAIN is unlike anything M. Night Shyamalan has ever done. His funniest film yet, but also heartbreaking, heartwarming, scary, romantic, and just absolutely beautiful. The score pierces your soul, and Phoebe Dynevor and Jake Gyllenhaal are ELECTRIC together. Their romance feels real, the twists and turns kept me guessing, and at times it feels like an Agatha Christie novel brought to life. Call it recency bias, but man… I think this might be my favorite M. Night film. I’m utterly blown away. THIS IS MY SHIT. #remain #MNightShyamalan #remainmovie”
Actor and Filmmaker Luke Barnett raved, “REMAIN is going to crush. A great reminder that nobody does ‘fun, movie theater horror’ like M. Night. Has the humor of Signs with tight emotional ghosty story of Sixth Sense. Lot of great scares. See it big and loud when it comes out.”
Will Landman also had nothing but praise, saying, “After watching many of Night’s films with@BeyondFest we were treated to the new M Night film a bit early — coming in Feb 2027. REMAIN is M Night at his most calibrated – mixing romance, comedy, and horror in a pitch perfect way that he truly has mastered since The Visit. He’s even experimenting with new kinds of shots (for him) that evokes a dreamlike quality in a new way from his past works. Gyllenhaal and Dynevor are both incredible in this. With 17 films now, it’s so clear that M Night is master at making movies and Remain is another gem in this era of a director who continues to take risks and bets on himself. #remain#MNightShyamalan#remainmovie”
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