They don't make movies like this very often, and they should!

Rating: 8/10 (5 August 2002)

Shymalan hits it out of the park again with Signs. Shymalan is the only director I think who could've pulled this movie off in the way that he did.

You probably know the bsics about this story by now, I will try to not elaborate too much on the story as I do not want to possibly spoil anything for you. The way the story plays is like a small corner of a larger story. What's going on on Graham Hess' farm is part of a global phenomenon, yet we only get the bigger picture through bits and pieces of news reports. In one way, it's like if Independence Day was told entirely through the eyes of Russell Case and his family.
Shymalan takes the philosophy of "less is more" and applies it liberally, and to very good effect. He seems to have a good ability to know just how much to show us to let our imaginations fill in the rest. With anyone else, this movie would have been in our face with horror and special effects galore. The way Shymalan does it employs none of this, yet delivers a more profound effect. In many ways, he is the antithesis to the man he is compared to, Steven Spielberg.
The acting in this movie is nothing short of fantastic. Particular kudos go to the children played by Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin. They handled their roles with the polish of seasoned professionals.
Of course, there is the famous Shymalan "suprise ending". I will not spoil the suprise, it's not the shock "The Sixth Sense" was, rather it plays directly to Graham Hess' loss of faith. It brings many seemingly unrelated elements together and brings an entirely new meaning to "the Lord works in mysterious ways".
If you're in for a well acted, well paced, and well thought out story that makes you laugh, cry, and jump in your seat. Follow the Signs and see this movie!
I gave it an 8/10.