You almost had me, M. Night...

Rating: Null/10 (11 August 2002)

Having seen the intense trailers for Signs, I went into the movie with high expectations. I had enjoyed The Sixth Sense immensely and tolerated Unbreakable, but was ready to try M. Night Shyamalan's latest offering. I must say, the first hour and a half were absolutely spectacular. Being a huge fan of classic movies by Hitchcock, I enjoyed the suspenseful way that the story unfolded and drew me in. More of Hollywood needs to understand that in a truly excellent suspense movie, less is more, as demonstrated through the buildup of this movie. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
However, the last ten minutes of the movie cheapened the effect for me. While Shyamalan has become well known for his fantastic twist endings, this one felt silly and tacked on. And once I saw what was so carefully and meticulously hidden throughout the rest of the movie, I was disappointed.

M. Night Shyamalan is a talented director and writer, and his ideas are very original and refreshing. However, he as of yet is no Hitchcock. Hopefully his next offering will buoy him up again in my mind.