If there’s one thing that M. Night Shyamalan is known for, it’s the twist endings in his films. After The Sixth Sense, he had everyone looking for ghosts. With Signs, he made everyone afraid of aliens. But with Knock at the Cabin, he managed to convince viewers that Dave Bautista might be the nicest apocalypse messenger on Earth. Now, he’s preparing for a new twist with his upcoming film, Remain, and it’s already testing better than every film he’s ever made.
Remain, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor, was originally meant to release in October 2026, but has been moved to February 5, 2027. But it’s not because it’s not ready yet. It’s because the supernatural romantic thriller would work better around Valentine’s Day.
Speaking during Warner Bros. Discovery’s upfront presentation in New York, Shyamalan revealed that it could become one of his most successful works yet. “Just between us, it’s my highest-testing movie of my career,” he said. “We’re now in post-production, finding every detail. Honestly, my hope is that when you experience Remain, you feel both sides of it at once — full of love and that quiet, lingering unease that doesn’t let you go.”
And, of course, this is a director who knows a thing or two about “lingering unease that doesn’t let you go”. Just look at Knock at the Cabin, for example. The metaphysical home invasion drama tasks a family with a complex moral situation that could eventually define the fate of the rest of the world. In typical Shyamalan fashion, the film does feature a plot twist – only this time, it surprises the audience due to how literal it is. With such complex themes as the biblical interpretations of the apocalypse and the intricate nature of human morality, Knock at the Cabin can leave its viewers more than a bit perplexed if you’re watching it for the first time.
Remain might be very similar territory for Shyamalan. But this time, Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook author) joins him with the writing.
In Remain, Tate Donovan, a New York architect, is recovering after a psychiatric stay after his sister’s death. He tries to rebuild his life in Cape Cod, where he meets Wren, a mysterious woman who turns his world upside down.
Of course, in recent years, M. Night Shyamalan has more than redeemed himself after a series of awful films in the 2000s. In fact, his last film, Trap, was well received and made $83 million from a small $30 million budget. That’s the kind of box office win Warner Bros. is banking on.
The biggest twist now would be if Remain doesn’t need a shocking ending at all to become one of M. Night Shyamalan’s best films.
