Signs

4/1/2020

_**Is it really about aliens?**_ M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" (2002) is about a disillusioned ex-minister (Mel Gibson) who lives in the country with his son & daughter and brother (Juaquin Phoenix). The reasons for his disillusionment become clear as the story unfolds. When a mysterious crop circle is discovered in their cornfield they wonder if it's a prank or an alien invasion! Although the plot deals with a possible alien invasion, the theme is faith. There are two general views of life: (1) That life and the universe are one big meaningless accident and you're just an insignificant bug that will soon be squashed out of existence and memory. And (2) that there's an intelligent design to the universe and, although it's somehow fallen (i.e. severely messed up), there IS meaning, lov

6/24/2021

Not my favorite M. Night Shyamalan film. Also not my least favorite...

7/8/2022

It's barely over an hour and a half this film, but it seems much longer. Mel Gibson ("Graham") is a widowed former pastor who lives on a farm with his two kids "Morgan" (Rory Culkin) and "Bo" (Abigail Breslin) and his brother "Merrill" (Joaquin Phoenix). Their lives are all rolling along normally until one morning they discover some crop circles amongst the corn fields. Dismissing them as hoaxes, they are intrigued when television reports suggest a proliferation of these things all around the world. Now add to their now heightened suspicions some late night noises and mysterious happenings, and the family begin to suspect that they are being watched - and that their observer is not exactly benign. The last ten minutes or so redeem this story to a degree, but for the most part it is a terri

11/24/2024

This is one of my favourite films ever and a top 2 spot for my favourite thrillers. Signs isn't you're average Alien film, it focuses solely on a widowed reverend and his family but it is still one of the best films ever made and one you can watch over and over and it never bores.

12/14/2024

Rewatching M. Night Shyamalan's Signs brought back the same feelings I had the first time I saw it. The script is solid, the plot is engaging, and the acting, especially from Mel Gibson, is strong. Joaquin Phoenix adds a lot to the movie too, balancing emotional moments with some light humor. But even with all these positives, the movie still feels like it’s missing something—a spark that could’ve made it truly great. The story is told entirely from the family’s perspective, which creates a lot of suspense and intimacy. However, it also leaves the aliens feeling underdeveloped. We never learn much about their intentions, behavior, or even why they’re invading Earth. That final scene with the alien and the child is particularly intriguing. Some theories suggest it wasn’t attacking but mi

7/22/2025

this movie's genuinely convinced it's suspenseful when it's really just a hunk of boring tropes with some christianity thrown on top. it took the whole hitchcock "don't show the monster" way too far, and i audibly laughed when we finally saw the alien. like... THAT'S what you were keeping hidden for the majority of the film? and everyone's so freaked out by it. to be fair, it made my mom shriek, but i could not take this film seriously. especially with all the dialogue about profanity. i can't tell if that was included as a joke, but it was funny. and i'm ex-religious, i grew up saying heck and frick, still didn't relate to any of it. overall just seemed kind of preachy as well. nothing stuck out about this film artistically. i'd recommend signs for bad movie night, it's definitely fun