Shyamalan's Best Film To Date

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2006)

M. Night Shyamalan has a knack for making some really good movies and some really bad movies. Although "The Sixth Sense" was a very entertaining thriller, M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" is overall a better film, and it could be one of the best alien films of all time.
Graham Hess lives with his two children and his brother on a farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. As if losing his wife in a car accident wasn't enough devastation for his family, they are told that the strange formations being found in their crop circles are the work of aliens, looking to invade our planet. Although skeptical at first, Graham slowly figures out that the world really is being invaded, and that he and his family could very well be near their deaths....
The film wastes no time in getting the story started. Less than five minutes into the movie, the crop circles are already there and the authorities are notified. Yet the film still manages to spend enough time with the characters for us to get to know them well and for us to really care about them. Shymalan proves that he is a master at keeping the tension going throughout the whole film, even when its pitch-black or dead-silent. He even manages to add in some pretty funny moments to the film. The acting is generally well-done, from Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix to even the child actors.
Some people are not going to like the film's ending, for whatever reason. Some may not like the fact that we actually get to see the aliens at point-blank range, while others may not like the aliens' weakness. I feel a little bit of both, but they're very minor things when looking at the film as a whole.
"Signs" is probably the best alien film I have ever seen (apart from "Men In Black"), and is so close to being a four-star film in my book. Its one of the few films I have ever seen (probably the only one) that has actually terrified me just because of its realism. Everything about it is just that close to perfection. Its not an alien movie just for science-fiction fans, its a high-stakes drama for anyone.
Rating: ***1/2
P.S. When the newscaster on the television says that the footage may be disturbing, believe her.