Eek, low-budget xenophobia

Rating: 5/10 (17 January 2003)

I was really looking forward to this one, as friends reported, "a really good ghost story" and the trailers suggested strong suspense. It was tense for a while, but by its conclusion, this film left a sour taste in my mouth. It seems "symbolic", alright, of a US state of mind tuned up to xenophobic hysteria, in the wake of 9-11.
Lacking imagination, all the writers and filmakers could come up with is a confrontation with laughable invading monsters lacking feeling or rational motive, thwarted by fearful but righteous and practical Earthlings, who win out 'cause they're hewers of wood and drawers of water--salt of the earth types. And the Lord, too, IS, on their side, and delivers up miracles to order.
This being Hollywood, we could have at least been treated to some decent effects--sound effects aside. It really is rather low-budget. Pitter-pattering feet were about the biggest scare that Signs could muster. I think Hollywood, or this director, anyway, thinks an American audience hears pitter-pattering at the barricades, and served up some signs made to order.