Effective, creepy, and ultimately excellent

Rating: Null/10 (12 January 2011)

This is not the first time I have seen Signs, but it is the first time I actually get to review the film. I saw it back in 2002 when I was just 9 years old, and it was one of the first horror films I ever saw. I remember being indifferent to it and remember me preferring the other popular horror of the year, The Ring. Having seen it again after 8 years, I can say it is a strong, effective, and emotionally resonant film.
The writing in the film is superb. Shyamalan builds effective scenes with some great dialogue that only benefits the characters more. His direction is also impressive. He make the story itself be creepy and mysterious without showing too much, and that ultimately is what makes this a great film. At first I didn't think I would be able to say it was anything more than a good film, but it is great. The atmosphere and tension is first-class, and in that way it seems already as one of those old classic thrillers. The performances are also great, especially from the two youngsters. Abigail Breslin is of course an Oscar nominee now but still seeing her acting range at this age is marvelous. Rory Culkin also is very impressive, as is Phoenix. Mel Gibson I am mixed about and actually think was the weakest link here. Of course, knowing Gibson's reputation now does not help but I still say he was solid.
Overall, it is a great film, and despite many saying it is not horror, it IS. It handled the subject of another alien existence in a very restrained and different way. The climax is done very well, but the visual effects and the fact that they somehow still did what we didn't really need them to do is probably a backtrack. But it still doesn't ruin the film as a whole. Shyamalan should not be forgotten for making this gem.