Suspense with a twist of science fiction

Rating: 8/10 (2 August 2002)

From the opening shot to the very last, Signs takes you on a trip that creeps into your subconscious, instilling actual fear into your heart instead of creating bad sound effects to instill terror. While M. Night Shyamalan has yet to top The Sixth Sense, this is easily his second best film, making a movie packed with suspense and imagination unlike recent horror flicks.
Overall, the film as a whole is quite good. With the exception of some nitpicky details within the film (like the ending and the boffo alien make-up), this stands as one of the cooler films to come out this summer, if not the coolest. Mel Gibson's portrayal as a tortured ex-reverend is wonderfully portrayed, especially moments where his faith is put deeply into doubt. I would most likely watch this film again, for too few films this summer could carry that distinction.
What I especially enjoyed about this film was the relatively fast pace. While Shyamalan's films have been notorious for being painfully slow due to the lack of editing, this film moves along to a different tempo. I also give kudos to the sound department, who excelled mightily in establishing mood and tension through the simple sounds of footsteps and creaking floors. This also was a change of pace for Shyamalan in regards to pacing. Instead of waiting for a good forty minutes to introduce us to the gist of the story, we get a look at the aliens right away, making the viewer long for more.