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If Roland Emmerich or Michael Bay took charge of 2002's Signs, they would have delivered a brainless action ride involving a cast of stereotypes battling a conventional alien enemy. Under the guidance of writer-director M. Night Shyamalan, however, Signs is anything but conventional or dumb. Eschewing a blockbuster approach, Shyamalan uses the possibility that we are not alone in the universe as the foundation for an engaging character drama with messages about religious beliefs and faith. It is essentially the low-key flipside to Independence Day, and the film's proceedings are probably closer to what the experience of an alien invasion would be like for most families around the globe. Moreover, Signs is one of the most effectively bone-chilling motion pictures of the noughties - a science fiction horror picture in the classical Hitchcockian mould where less is more.
Set in a small Pennsylvania farming community, the story concerns former reverend Graham Hess (Mel Gibson). After tragically losing his wife, Colleen (Patricia Kalember), in a tragic car accident, Graham no longer has faith and is left to raise his two kids, Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin), with the help of his brother, Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix). One morning, the family awakens to find chilling crop circles in their cornfield. While Graham and local police officer Caroline (Cherry Jones) are willing to dismiss the occurrence as the work of pranksters, similar crop signs begin appearing across the planet at a rapid rate. As the phenomenon grips the world and consumes Graham's family, strange events continue to transpire, supporting the nerve-jangling notion that extraterrestrials may have arrived on Earth to stage an attack.
Shyamalan has a gift for careful pacing and precise camerawork, and Signs demonstrates both qualities. Each frame is meticulously composed and visually interesting, and the narrative shifts forward at an unhurried but enthralling pace. The movie is a tad slow by design, and it is directly because of this slow build that Signs is so terrifying since Shyamalan lulls us into a false sense of security. Shyamalan is a master of suspense and tension, as we mostly see ominous shadows, silhouettes or limbs throughout the film, making the big reveal even more of a spine-chilling moment. Indeed, a scene in which Merrill witnesses news footage of one of the aliens is a nerve-shredding "shit your pants" moment, and Merrill's gaping response of terror is contagious. Laudably, Shyamalan accomplishes goosebump-inducing scares like these without requiring blood or gore. James Newton Howard's pitch-perfect original score also deserves praise. The compositions are so simple and low-key, yet that is precisely why they work to such an unsettling extent.
Another key strength of Signs is its sense of humanity. Shyamalan's reputation as a filmmaker is imperfect, but at the height of his powers here, he can scare you one minute and make you cry the next without feeling manipulative. For instance, a late scene involving the characters sitting at a dinner table, believing that the end is near, becomes almost too poignant to bear, thanks to the performances and the dialogue instead of heavy music. Later, following an extremely intense scene, Shyamalan cuts to a flashback illuminating the affecting events on the night when Graham's wife was killed. It's a low-key, dialogue-driven scene, yet it is emotionally fatiguing. Additionally, an underlying sense of humour prevents the movie from becoming serious to a drab extent. If there's a problem with Signs, the digital effects are a tad below par and do not entirely hold up. The alien design is brilliant, but the CGI giving them life is iffy, and one scene towards the end loses some of its effectiveness due to this. While the digital aliens aren't terrible per se, they are too obvious, making them feel out of place in a film otherwise concerned with patience and restraint.
Say whatever you will about Mel Gibson's controversial personal life, but you cannot deny his talent as a performer. Signs spotlights one of Gibson's best and most nuanced performances to date - he looks 100% focused in every frame, and there's never a line or a moment exhibiting any degree of artificiality. Gibson also carries a believable, effortless rapport with Joaquin Phoenix, who's just as impressive as Merrill. Many years separate Gibson and Phoenix, yet buying them as brothers is easy. Against all odds, even the child actors are excellent here - Rory Culkin and a pre-stardom Abigail Breslin (who was five years old at the time of filming) are exquisite. Shyamalan's strength with actors is his ability to strip the Hollywood out of them. Thus, the performances here are not about showboating or Oscar-baiting - instead, the actors all seem real.
Shyamalan is renowned for twist endings, but Signs does not strictly adhere to this trademark. While the climax brings about a revelation, it's not a twist - instead, the ending ingeniously ties together several earlier plot points in an unexpected way that strengthens the whole story's reason for occurring. With this thoughtfulness in the screenplay, Signs is not disposable or forgettable. It's just a bonus that this enthralling film will creep the living hell out of you and coax screams of terror out of the most jaded filmgoer. Without a doubt, Signs is an instant classic with infinite replay value.
9.1/10
