Thriller is one for after dark
MNight Shyamalan’s acclaimed psychological thriller Servant has always walked a fine line. Tentatively balancing the harsh realities of bereavement with the undeniably surreal world inhabited by fictional Philadelphia couple Sean and Dorothy Turner, it’s a series that continues to attract classic horror fans in their droves.
“It’s in the writing,” says Shyamalan, 51, of the show’s unique tone. “There’s a kind of subtlety to how we approach the genre part of it, how we approach the scares and the darkness.” A show that in many ways panders to the director’s own genre-specific tastes, former Bafta and Academy Award nominee Shyamalan reflects on how Servant naturally “mimics” his personal likes and dislikes.
“When we’re dealing with these kind of horror elements, they’re very subtle and insinuated,” says the director. “Then you can have fun with the comedy and be broad, and, you know, have a wink towards the audience.”
Best known as the creative force behind hit thrillers like The Sixth Sense and The Village, Oscar-nominated Shyamalan’s latest Apple TV+ project has always remained close to home, undoubtedly drawing influence from the director’s own upbringing in suburban Philadelphia. A concept created by Bafta-nominated writer Tony Basgallop (24, To the Ends of the Earth), Servant is executive-produced by Shyamalan (who also directs four episodes across all three series).
The unsettling feeling Servant exudes is every inch the tale of a haunted house turned on its head.
Featuring a grieving mother in denial, a doll that appears to transform into a living baby and a nanny with a hidden agenda, the show’s premise acts as a blank canvas for mischief. Now, heading into its third series, despite being fundamentally underpinned by tragedy, the show finally allows hope to shine through. As celebrated gastronome Sean (Toby Kebbell) and his wife Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) continue to live within the confines of their lavish brownstone home – this time with the addition of their newly-returned child Jericho, Dorothy’s brother Julian (Rupert Grint) appears to finally be facing his own demons.
“The whole kind of dynamic is very different when we arrive at the Turners this time,” says Grint, 33, best known for playing Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter film franchise. “I mean, everything seems to be running fairly normally; the baby’s back, everyone’s kind of getting on as it seems and Julian has sobered up. He’s not drinking any more. And he’s kind of going on this fitness regime. So, yeah, things are very different.” But it’s a character he’s thoroughly enjoyed sinking his teeth into.
He explains: “He’s very different to me personally… he’s completely the opposite really. He has this real kind of confidence and bullish quality that is really fun to step into. I really enjoy embodying him. He’s just always so kind of sarcastic, and he’s got a great way with words, he can really use language in a great way. So I’ve really had fun playing him.”
With the fourth and final season of the acclaimed show already announced, Servant’s trajectory was predetermined long ago according to Shyamalan.
“I knew from two years ago, I guess, where we were going to go,” recalls the director.
“We’ve written six of the 10 for the next season and four are fully outlined. You know, things do change, but we’ve been pretty accurate. When you see season three, those are the 10 beats that were written on the board a year and a half earlier. The same thing for season four.
“I think audiences, when you’re asking why they’re responding so strongly, it is rare that a show has figured itself out at an earlier stage,” adds the director. Going on to describe how he approaches projects “from a place of worry”, Shyamalan says that despite having “30 episodes that are excellent, I want 40. I want to be able to sit here in front of you a year from now and go ‘now I’m at peace’.”
Streaming on Apple TV+, January 21