Signs of suspense, fear, and the unkown... trust me they exist!

Rating: Null/10 (28 July 2002)

Gosh, what a phenomenally creepy thriller! It starts with James Newton Howard's music extravaganza, followed by a bedroom scene with Mel Gibson's Graham Hess character. The edginess, suspense and horror never seem to cease from there onwards. until the very end! Oh yes, there are plenty of unavoidable shock waves that will keep the viewers awake and intriguingly attentive!
Believe me, this film is proof of what an incredibly fabulous and brilliant storyteller and director M. Night Shyamalan is! He never fails to allow every one of his characters to push the viewers through their journey of utter fear and suspense, in the hope of defining what's amiss and solving the mystery. Oh yeah, Shyamalan's application of the supernatural does exist here, as with his previous films. Oh yeah, he sure can make a family's home far from being their safe haven. And he sure does know how to introduce the voice of the media to keep the family in touch with the outsiders! The viewers will find themselves interacting non-stop with every character in the story. There's no way the viewers would want to blink their eyes. at least not with this film, for fear they'd be missing out something. That's how powerful this film is.
A talented cast for a brilliant plot. It does not matter whether it's Graham Hess or his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), or even his children, Morgan and Bo (Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin) you're watching. And I do enjoy watching the Merrill character as he does pump up that uncanny intrigue to his presence with the family. Yep, all the characters will keep the viewers completely tensed and fearful, one way or another, in anticipation of the unknown. Watch out! Shyamalan is not only making his Hitchcockian-style cameo appearances, this talented guy actually holds an acting role that is truly relevant to the sub-plots! Man, oh man, his appearances are a real treat to his fans! Overall, all the actors' performances do give credibility to their characters. Truly great facial expressions from all, especially with those provided by young Abigail Breslin! Gosh, just watch her incredible eyes!
James Newton Howard's music soundtrack is a real treasure. It creates tension before and within each scope of events. Tak Fujimoto's cinematography is beyond words of description, except for `Wow, wow, wow, oh WOW!' My mind was totally filled with awe as I observed the stretches of lush cornfields. And these takes almost made me lose sight of the momentary humor that comes with the characters' acts. Oh yes, the humor is clearly needed as a relief from the continuous development of crouching suspense and fear. Even the episode nearing the end of the story will succumb the viewers to a further climatic and edgy appeal. Just stay on top with your hearing. You'll probably grasp like I did at the finale, and might even be led to say `gosh, how appropriate!'
Call this movie a science fiction, or a mystery, or even a tale about faith, if you wish, but this film is bound to psychologically plague the viewers' boggling minds with a need to search for clues to the characters' questions at every change of frame. A great masterpiece of mystery and apprehension! Even the film's editing is flawlessly excellent, no matter how utterly chaotic the scenes may be! This amazing film puts the viewers right in the heart of every scene, all the way through it. Oh yes, I'm definitely seeing it again. Oh yes, I'm definitely adding its DVD to my movie collection!