Shyamlan's Most Underrated

Rating: 8/10 (5 May 2016)

Signs is directed by M. Night Shyamalan, a name that used to mean that we are in for a real treat at the movies, considering he had brought us The Sixth Sense. Signs is probably, in my opinion, the second best M. Night Shyamalan movie, after The Sixth Sense.
It tells the story of one family as they try to investigate and piece together what caused the huge signs left in their crop field, which eventually turns out to be the act of an alien invasion. That alone is a simple plot, nothing we haven't seen before, with aliens and all of that weird stuff. However, the film remarkably focuses on the moral dilemma of the family instead of just aliens blowing things up and whatnot. This allows for some great storytelling, as we get some great exploration of the emotional crisis the family is caught in the middle of.
One thing this movie gets a lot of criticism for is the fact that the aliens' weakness is water, and that it makes no sense for them to travel to a world that is 70% water. My argument is that the aliens may not have known the Earth was covered in water, as surely there are other blue planets out there.
The other major concern people have about this movie is the way that the two kids act. Unlike the water issue, this one does bother me a bit like the majority of people. The kids consistently say things that no normal child would say. Their language feels very out of place, when they remark things like, "everything they wrote in science books is about to change", or "the water has his amoebas in it". It's just not how 8 to 10-year-old kids talk. I have nothing against the actors, but this does become an issue after a while.
Despite that criticism, Signs outshines that because of how extraordinarily creepy it is. It's simply a very riveting story that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The scares work the way they need to: they give the audience chills and allow them to crave more. It's some great cinematic work what they manage to pull off.
All in all, Signs is a frightening, exciting thriller that will surely deliver the thrills.
Rating: A-