Subtlety: Don't expect an over-exaggerated special-effects feast..

Rating: 10/10 (30 June 2006)

This is a film (much like Shyamalan's other films)that requires a viewers full focus, and heightened sense of awareness. Other movies of this genre tend to go too far over the top with the "creep factor" in the place of a good storyline. Because there was no dead girl slithering out of a well and "the creatures" fail to tear the Hess family limb from bloody limb. The concept of this movie can easily be lost on those of a..shall we say...simple minded nature.
Shayamalan's characters (Gibson and Phoenix, mainly) each have their own separate issues coming into this story. Creating "sub-plots" here and there that cause the viewer shift his/her focus away from the aliens, to the human characters. Thus, enhancing the element of surprise when, such creatures, make an appearance. The fact that as a viewer, you are not bombarded with special effects, or CGI creatures at every turn, creates frightening circumstances, and causes the viewer to constantly expect something (anything) to happen at any given moment. The way Shyamalan limits the viewer's sightings of the "beings" is cause for praise.
In the every last scene of this movie, everything, every element, every piece of dialogue fits together like a complete jigsaw puzzle. Even things that appear to be most insignificant suddenly have this profound meaning. A fact which is no cause for surprise given the writer. However for those who fail to see this fact should either re-watch this film, or watch something "a little deeper"...hmm, perhaps "Saw I&II" should do the trick.
No other film out there has ever evoked the feeling of shear terror in the pit of the stomach of the viewer on the level in which Signs does.