There's a kind of subtlety to how we approach the scares and the darkness

AS SERIES THREE OF SERVANT LANDS ON APPLE TV+, DANIELLE DE WOLFE DISCOVERS MORE FROM THE THRILLER’S EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR M NIGHT SHYAMALAN, AS WELL AS STARS RUPERT GRINT AND TOBY KEBBELL

PSYCHOLOGICAL thriller Servant is an intriguing proposition.

Tentatively balancing the harsh realities of bereavement with the undeniably surreal world inhabited by its fictional Philadelphia couple Sean and Dorothy Turner, the series continues to attract horror fans in their droves.

“It’s in the writing,” says director M Night 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 Shyamalan’s own genre-specific tastes, the Bafta and Academy Award nominee reflects on how Servant naturally “mimics” his personal likes and dislikes.

“When we’re dealing with this kind of horror element, they’re very subtle and insinuated,” he says.

“Then you can have fun with the comedy, 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, Shyamalan’s 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 directed four episodes across the series.

The unsettling-feeling Servant turns the classic haunted house horror trope 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, and despite being fundamentally underpinned by tragedy, the show finally allows hope to shine through.