What's scary isn't the scare -- it's the waiting

Rating: Null/10 (26 January 2003)

M. Night Shyamalan continues to prove his ability to create genuinely suspenseful mood and scene construction in this film. As in "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable," the strength of the story is not so much in the delivery of an elaborate structure but rather Night's uncanny knack for individual moments. In general, an ex-reverend in rural PA begins to suspect that aliens are invading 1) Earth and 2) more specifically, his backyard. Don't expect "Independence Day" here. Think of the use of silence as a scare tactic in "The Exorcist." Think of anticipation of the threat in 70s horror pictures like "The Legend of Boggy Creek." Think of the best parts in "Close Encounters." Plus the characters are funny, and you care about their struggle to survive the thrills and each other. The movie stars Mel Gibson, but the real attraction is M. Night Shyamalan. Get in line now for his next film.