More thrills from Shyamalan...

Rating: 8/10 (26 May 2005)

One day I would love to work with M. Night Shyamalan for two reasons: 1) he generally films in Pennsylvania, my home state, and 2) I am quickly becoming a fan of his movies. I loved "The Sixth Sense" and "The Village" was decent, but "Signs" is my favorite of his movies. The entire movie, start to finish, has a tense, creepy atmosphere (partially due to James Newton Howard's score).
"Signs" is about the Hess family living on a farm in rural Pennsylvania. Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) is a former Reverend who lost his faith in religion after the loss of his wife. Joaquin Phoenix plays his brother, Merrill. Mysterious crop circles appear overnight in the Hess' corn field, and soon begin sprouting up in locations all over the world. Tensions soon rise both in the Hess home and worldwide as the meaning of these symbols is gradually made clear. This movie touches on the topics of faith and the belief that everything happens for a reason.
I wouldn't say this movie is very deep, despite its thought-provoking conversations, but it is definitely fun to watch. I love how Shyamalan's movie once again proves that showing less can be scarier than showing everything. The suspense builds as you are right there with the Hess family as they are terrorized by an unseen enemy.
The acting in this movie has a coldness to it, every line delivered with seriousness. Even by the children. While I thought it awkward at first, I soon overlooked it as it added to the mood. For fans of Shyamalan, this movie is a must.