“Lady In The Water” is a bizarre fantasy picture that is less of a movie and more of ego trip for director M. Night Shyamalan (“Signs”, “The Sixth Sense”). “Lady In The Water” is arguably the most self-indulgent movie ever made.

An apartment building caretaker by the name of Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti “Sideways”) encounters a water nymph (Bryce Dallas Howard “Jurassic World”), who has somehow emerged straight out of a bedtime story. She is here to tell a writer (Shyamalan) that he is destined to write a book that will help save the entire world. After her mission is complete, she must return home but the tenants of the apartment building must protect her from strange creatures determined to stop her.

We never understand much about the water nymph character nor do we really understand about any of the strange creatures after her. Bryce Dallas Howard gives a dull performance. Paul Giamatti is bland as Cleveland. Shyamalan regularly gives himself a cameo role for his movies but here, the entire story is centred around his character. His role so clearly parallels his own vision of himself that the film also features a snobby film critic character. It’s unbelievable that Shyamalan was delusional enough to cast himself in such a prophetic role.

“Lady In The Water” is a highly strange film. Nothing in here makes any real sense and it’s a shame because there are individual ideas that seem sort-of original and creative but there is just no getting away from the fact that this Shyamalan telling himself how great he is. It’s definitely not Shyamalan’s worst effort but it is certainly him at his narcissistic peak. Everybody always wants to know the twist when it comes to a Shyamalan; this movie’s twist is that it won’t be remembered when he’s gone.