raises more questions than it answers (not a bad thing)

Rating: 9/10 (12 August 2002)

**SPOILERS** **SPOILERS** **SPOILERS**
This film raises more questions than it answers, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
* Why does everyone (including most in the audience) assume the aliens have to be hostile? Why is a random book on aliens taken by all involved to be gospel truth? Maybe the aliens are merely observing us. This would eliminate questions about why they don't break down doors, or why they come to Earth despite the abundance of water.
* Is the writer/director making a thematic statement by casting himself as the driver who kills Mel's wife? Creator as destroyer, perhaps?
* Was all of this the ultimate divine hoax, intended to help Mel regain his faith?
The two child actors give incredibly realistic and natural performances. The cinematography and music combine with the script to create a very tense atmosphere, where even the occasional cliched-haunted-house-movie-gimmick seems fresh.