The Shoutbox
Oh, I didn't realize he did, The Sixth Sense. I really liked it, the one time I seen it.
The obvious picks for his best (and closest to essential) movies are The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. The former was a Best Picture nominee for whatever that's worth (especially in 1999).
Shyamalan. Shamrock. Apple. Bad apple. Luck. Bad luck. Shyamalan movie. Unlucky.
I've seen one of his movies, the one with Joaquin Phoenix. It was in Raul's Top movie countdown so I watched it. That one was OK and kind of fun, not my thing but it had it's moments.
I don't think you'll make it to the end of that one. I doubt anyone here would suggest it as a starting point anyway.
I actually have a Shyamalan DVD that someone gave me, The Happening, I've never watched it...Maybe one day I'll get up my courage and just do it
It was definitely needless to say, lol
Needless to say, it was never going to be for everyone.
Just read this:
"Security guard David Dunn uses his supernatural abilities to track Kevin Wendell Crumb, a disturbed man who has twenty-four personalities." Director Shyamalan

I'll pass.
I remember how overwhelmingly bored I was when I saw the trailer for Glass. It probably doesn't help that I thought Unbreakable and Split were both marginal films.
Yeah, I question how much you can really complain about sequels that take place partway through a serialised narrative, especially when so many of them take the effort to help first-time viewers catch up to speed anyway. Obviously, it's not the same as watching from the start, but it's not like you're totally lost either.