"Signs" (2002)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I know a lot of people like this movie, but at the same time, many other people have already pointed out how flawed it is, so I don't feel I have anything significant to add.
I understand what the movie was going for: an alien invasion scenario that focuses entirely on an ordinary rural family and how the crisis unfolds from their perspective. In this regard, the movie could have worked. Other movies, like Night of the Living Dead, have used that idea of a limited focus to great effect. But here, it's all ruined by terrible acting and some really stupid writing – too many examples to get into.
Yes, the acting is a major problem with this movie. No one ever shows any emotion whatsoever, which completely kills any tension. I know Shyamalan usually goes for a downbeat tone, but for a movie like this, you really need something more realistic.
To sum it up, this is basically Wasted Potential: The Movie. It has its moments, and could easily have been an engrossing and bone-chilling horror film, if only the story had been thought out a little better and the acting had actually been competent.

My rating: 45%