A masterpiece.

Rating: 10/10 (2 May 2019)

My dad, who was a die hard M. Night fan, forced me to watch this movie as an older child. Of course, I was traumatized. If you're an adult looking for a thriller solely for the suspense and fun of watching it- this is NOT for you. Sure, it has that aspect of course. But it's much more than that. My dad kept pausing the movie. "Did you listen to that" "yes...?" "No, did you listen to that?" And he would rewind to make sure I caught what I needed to catch...
This movie is much, much more than it seems. Trust me. If you haven't seen this yet, you are missing out on a movie that is so brilliant. I keep a copy of it away from my kids so that nothing happens to it, it's that special to me.
The message in this movie will touch the entire audience- from atheists, to those of faith, to those like me who are in between. It's not just a movie about aliens. It's so so so much more. Shyamalan is known for his Easter eggs and twists- which this movie has, no doubt. This is hands down my favorite M. night film. It's emotional, it's intense, and the layers underneath the surface are incredible to discover- that I didn't discover until watching a second time.
Pay attention in this movie. Listen to all of the conversations being held.
Gibson and Phoenix preformed exceptionally in this movie. This is the movie that first introduced me to Phoenix as an actor. The kids in this movie perform amazingly as well.
All in all, the acting, the story, everything about this movie makes it an iconic piece of art- at least to me. Ignore the critics. This film will always sit on my top shelf next to my Tarantino favorites. And that says a lot.