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I'm honestly shocked this has a 6.8 on IMDb.

A bunch of people used to a 'twist'?

A bunch of people who think all alien movies must contain explosions?

A combination of both?

Great casting.

Great acting.

Great writing.

Lots of tension.

One of the most serious explorations of faith in cinema.

Just an all around really good movie.

Joaquin Phoenix steals the show.

I will say, it does have a very morose vibe - being the back drop is everyone being sad because the mom had died. I wonder if that is what turned people off. The subject of aliens plays second fiddle to it.

Yeah, if I had to put my finger on it, I'd bet that's it.

I don't think this film deserved the poor reviews that some gave it. I've only seen 3 of Night Shylaman's films (6th Sense, Unbreakable) and this one is the most sophisticated in my mind in terms of the director manipulating the viewers into seeing and believing what he wants you to believe.

This is not Gibson's worst film by any means. If anything he gets to try to portray an understated, confused, and emotionally scarred character and I think he soft-sells it very well. Joaquin Phoenix also has a similar character to play and he too soft-sells it well. That was probably not an accident as their calm, sullen personalities contrast with the unbearable situation they find themselves in.

If you haven't already, see it - and keep an open mind.

Signs is written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin and Cherry Jones. Music is scored by James Newton Howard and cinematography by Tak Fujimoto.

Still reeling from the death of his wife, former man of the cloth Graham Hess (Gibson) lives and works on his farm with his two young children and younger brother. When the family awakes one morning to find a huge crop circle in their plantation, it is asked if it's a prank or the sign of alien contact?

I don't know if M. Night Shyamalan discouraged the marketing of Signs? Where evidence very much pointed to it being an alien invasion movie for all the family to enjoy? But Signs is anything but a family alien invasion movie. The trailers were deliberately vague, there was a mystery element hanging over the picture and with the Shyamalan CV already boasting the phenomenally successful The Sixth Sense and the divisive, but very moody, Unbreakable, hopes were pitched somewhere between excited and intrigued. Gibson on board, and Phoenix as well, good selling points without a doubt. However, Signs is a grower, a film that pays better dividends on further viewings once armed with the knowledge of what sort of theme drives it on. Yet it still frustrates greatly and you can see why it proved so divisive.

Shyamalan's movie is primarily about faith, the loss of such, the alien visitors are merely a component of this theme, they act as the catalyst that takes Graham to the pinnacle of his voyage of discovery. The meditations on faith and grief are subtle initially but they drive the picture forward, but then Manoj Shyamalan slips into sermonising and his picture strives for a huge ending to justify it, which unfortunately never arrives, this after having been tickled and baited by the mystery of what the aliens want, friend or foe? Questions leap out such as will the Hess family come through this latest crisis in one piece? And will this "invasion" marry up with the director's thematics that he is so keen for us to open our hearts to? The answers to these questions are mixed, and take further viewings to digest fully. That is if you can forgive the downright idiocy of the alien visitors in the first place?

The last third has killed the film for many, which is a shame given the excellence on offer in the first hour. Shyamalan's camera is wonderfully fluid, his mise en scène is ace and he garners wonderfully low-key performances from his cast. While as much as his critics hate to acknowledge it, the director has a brilliant knack for building suspense, the ability to draw the viewer into his world, playing on our basic inquisitive nature. That he hasn't delivered on his promise, both here with the finale to the film and later in his overall directing career (though this writer personally loves The Village), is hard to argue against, but there is major talent there buried in his egocentric/confused make up. Elsewhere, James Newton Howard's score is channelling Herrmann and Fujimoto's photography is sublime, this really is a beautiful movie to look at.

Definitely not a family film, and not really an alien invasion film, with it showcasing both the good and bad aspects of its director. Yet still compelling and pretty enough to warrant a second viewing me thinks. 7/10

In last week's issue of Newsweek, M. Night Shyamalan is quoted as saying to his accomplices in crime, "If I did 'Pokemon 5,' would you come? Come on! I could turn it into a metaphor for the human condition!" The scary thing about that comment is not only that he probably *could* do it if afforded the opportunity, but also that he pulls off a similar trick in "Signs," which from an artistic standpoint is easily the best film he's ever done.

The greater picture of the film is the crop signs that suddenly and quickly start appearing worldwide - and the question of whether they mean anything for mankind as a whole. But once the greater picture is laid out in the first twenty minutes, it takes a complete backseat to Shyamalan's happy & pained family of four, and focuses on their feelings, their worries, their doubts; as the horror of what's transpiring in the greater picture creeps closer to them.

When Merrill says, "It's like War of the Worlds," it's NOT hyperbole, even though we never see what transpires in the greater picture. Instead, Shyamalan focuses on the subtle nuances of the fear of the individual. Instead of seeing hundreds of soldiers fighting in hand-to-hand combat with gigantic bugs, we gain an appreciation of what it's like for those who aren't blessed with such courage - or, in Graham Hess' case, being able to find it again.

This is the first horror movie I've ever seen that both genuinely scared me - because you sympathize with the family's plight, even without seeing it - and made me laugh at the same time, because the family's reaction to the terror unfolding in the world is a sign itself of a strength that most don't have - the ability to be levelheaded and always keep things in perspective, no matter how scary or "out-there" the situation is.

As usual, Shyamalan gets excellent performances out of all of his actors, especially Willis & Breslin as Graham & Bo. As usual, everything you see means something - the trick, like with "Sixth Sense" & "Unbreakable, is whether or not you can put them all together. I'd be shocked, though, if this film doesn't get nominated for its sound - the soundtrack is Hitchcockian-creepy, and Shyamalan is a master at using sound effects to create the terror that the visual effects normally do.

Don't go to "Signs" expecting a monster movie, or a shock ending, but definitely see it before the summer's out, and be prepared to be moved in ways that you previously couldn't have imagined from a horror or suspense film. It's been said that a genius of film is one who knows how to transcend or reinvent a genre - and with this film, M. Night Shyamalan is decidedly on his way there, if he hasn't already reached it. 10/10

During the course of the film Joaquin Phoenix's character remarks that the situation they're in seems like The War Of The Worlds. It certainly is, but the small picture of it.

Whereas H.G. Wells wrote on the grand scale about what nations and governments were doing to fight an alien invasion, M. Night Shyamalan's Signs concerns itself with the small picture, what is happening in one tiny corner of the world, to be precise Bucks County, Pennsylvania and very specifically Mel Gibson and his family.

One day farmer Gibson who used to be a minister woke up and found that his cornfield had been systematically decimated and a precise geographical pattern was laid out that could be seen from the air. He concluded it was some kind of prank which would have been the normal reaction of anyone. But when reports of the world wide similar crop defilings and then sitings of shadowy alien figures than the world is in a crisis mode.

But the world is on the back-burner for Gibson. He was a clergyman but gave it up after the death of his wife who was hit by a drunk driver. He's got his own issues to deal with if he can get himself, his children Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin and brother Joaquin Phoenix through the ordeal. All this without knowing how the world in general is coping. Gibson and the family can only speculate and that's where imaginations run wild.

I have to say that Mel Gibson does a thoroughly good job as an everyman caught up in a global crisis. When War Of The Words was made by George Pal in the Fifties, the leads Gene Barry and Ann Robinson were scientists who had vital information for the survival of the world. The globe is still at risk in Signs, but Mel and his family can't worry about that, just in keeping themselves alive.

Signs is thinking science fiction ranking up there with the best work of Ray Bradbury and John Heinlein. It's both entertaining and engrossing, you can't ask for more from a film.

!!!!! MILD SPOILERS !!!!!

There's a lot to commend M Night Shyamalan's SIGNS for . It's not often we see such a moody atmospheric thriller about an alien invasion and I will praise this movie later . However Shyamalan shots himself in the foot by the way the story is told

Crop circles appear outside the home of the Hess family and after Graham Hess and his brother Merril find out that it wasn't caused by local pranksters Graham's son Morgan comes up with the answer - It was done by aliens . He knows this because he read a book on the subject . Obviously everyone else in the world has read only one book - The same one as Morgan - because as soon as crop circles appear round the world it's the leading story and can mean only one thing: The aliens are coming . And sure enough just like everyone has predicted lights appear over Planet Earth's cities which herald the start of little green men come to wipe us out

If someone told you crop circles were signs on an alien invasion how would you react ? Exactly but at no point does anyone question a possible invasion because it's taken as read by all the characters in the story which starts to become ridiculous when the world's broadcasters start interrupting programmes showing the world wide phenomenon of crop circles . Let's be honest here jet liners crashing into sky scrapers is a good reason to interrupt TV shows with 24 hour news reports but people finding crop circles all over the world is not

There's one other thing : Ten year old Morgan seems to be channeling the minds of Newton , Darwin and Einstien . Listen to this kid's dialogue " Everything people have written about in science books is about to change " and there's several more instances of this . You can't take this child seriously or believe in him as a three dimensional character

Make that two things : Why would aliens invade a planet whose surface is composed of 70% water ? Isn't the human body two thirds water anyway. Oh and how does Graham's neighbour know that the aliens don't like water anyway ?

Better make that three things because if the subtext is about rediscovering ones faith then why is everyone certain of an approaching invasion ? Surely for this theme to work then Graham should have been shouting from the roof tops that aliens don't exist only to be proved wrong . If he's wrong about aliens then surely he's wrong about the non existence of the lord right ?

It's a great pity that Shyamalan didn't think these things through a bit further because despite not ruining the movie these things stop SIGNS becoming a masterpiece of genre cinema which it certainly had the potential to be . Even a critical viewer like myself who noticed the flaws couldn't help being terrified by the climax in the cellar where for one heart stopping moment it looked like a couple of the characters had been abducted . As for the scene Graham sees the reflection in the TV .... I certainly can't fault the good bits and I will recommend this movie even to those who don't like SF/Horror very much . Certainly it's a radical change to watch a film like this that doesn't have tens of millions spent on special effects and the film works better for it . You reading this Mr Spielberg ?

Shyamalan will best be remembered for THE SIXTH SENSE , a film that I found somewhat overrated while his follow up UNBREAKABLE was a masterpiece in my opinion . SIGNS is slightly different because it doesn't have one of those shock twist endings and when you consider what a poor film THE VILLAGE is one can't help thinking that Shyamalan would be better off abandoning clever endings and concentrating on terrifying audiences and I would wonder if he could get away with directing a Hollywood version of Nigel Kneale's QUATERMASS AND THE PIT . Now that would be worth queuing at the cinema for

Update 30 dec : Some have mentioned that the concept of predestination is very important to understanding the movie ie the plot holes aren't actually plot holes viewed this way and while this makes absolute sense in a metaphysical way it still misses out on logic

The plot of the movie was very interesting and so mysterious. The storyline was very well written, totally different than any other alien movies. The filming location of the movie was basic, just an old farmhouse, but I really liked it! The characters were very interesting, so likeable and well-developed. The casting was really good and the acting was nice. The opening scene of the movie was kinda intense and totally unexpected. Overall, it was an unexpected movie that didn't had many plot twists nor jumpscares. But, it was very intense and so creepy (especially, the scenes that the aliens were shown in the screen). Alien's design was just fine, not very realistic but they were terrifying. In my opinion, it's probably one of the best alien movies I have ever seen! It was so good and I would definitely, recommend it to anyone. Last but not least, the ending scene was totally unexpected and kinda shocking.

In a documentary that accompanies the film on DVD, M. Night Shyamalan admits that SIGNS was greatly influenced by such films as NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and Hitchcock's THE BIRDS--an admission that will come as no surprise to any one who has seen SIGNS in the wake of those films. Although very different, all three have one thing in common: they ultimately focus on a small group of people fighting off an unnatural entity that attempts to invade their very ordinary homes.

The story is an unusual mix of meditative religious and classic sci-fi elements blended together by Shyamalan's remarkable sense of visual style. Mel Gibson is a minister who has lost his faith in the wake of his wife's tragic accidental death and who now rejects the concept of unseen powers entirely--so he is nonplussed when his children discover a crop circle in his own cornfield. He remains skeptical even as television news coverage reports alien crafts hovering over major cities. But his denial is exploded when he and his family have a close encounter of the extremely nasty kind.

The small cast is extremely, extremely good. I generally dislike Mel Gibson as an actor, but he has grown a bit since his macho-bravado BRAVEHEART days, and while he might seem an unlikely choice for the part of a failed minister he carries it extremely well. Joaquin Phoenix is perfectly cast as Gibson's younger brother, and the children--Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin--are flawless.

What isn't flawless is the story. The blend of religious and sci-fi motifs is an interesting idea, but director Shyamalan (who also wrote the script) doesn't quite manage to hold them in balance, and ultimately winds up beating you over the head with the film's religious elements while giving the sci-fi elements the short end of the stick. I did appreciate the fact that the film builds suspense more by what it does not show than what it does, and I have no qualm with that--it's a welcome choice after such special effects overkill as INDEPENDENCE DAY and the like--but several of his plot devices smack of stereotype, and the film's conclusion is such a deus ex machina that it is not to be believed. There is indeed a great deal to admire about the film, but when all is said and done it somehow lacks sincerity and falls just short of the mark. Entertaining nonetheless.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

M. Night Shyamalan has done it again, and this time, better. If 'Unbreakable' left skepticism about the young director, `Signs' will make you a believer again.

Mel Gibson and his family, one boy, one girl, and Gibson's younger brother (Joaquin Phoenix) take residence in the small town of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Gibson's wife is not a member of this household (we find out why, later). Shot over and around a 'Walton's-style' house and surrounded by crops, we get the eerie feeling that we are to be entangled here for the next two hours. Immediately, the children notice gigantic perfect circular shapes or signs as we like to call them, appearing within the crops. Is this a hoax or War of the Worlds? And, that's all you need to know. The rest of film will dazzle you with style, suspense, and downright scariness.

The key ingredients to this recipe for storytelling is one half Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a dash of Stephen King, sprinkled with Orson Wells. Shyamalan also uses Hitchcock like close ups, wicked camera angles, and a blasting score. You are locked in as soon as the movie begins. You will tilt your head in wonder and confusion, as characters in the film do. There is a deep desire to figure this all out, while your stuck in the middle of nowhere, nowhere being Bucks County.

The picture gives us two ultimate dilemmas to wrestle with. Two basic questions we must ask ourselves. Are our daily occurrences and the paths we choose Coincidence? Or, are is it just plain Luck? Shyamalan weaves these posing questions into a subplot, with trickery until the end. From scene to scene, he leaves no fades to black. As one scene ends the other smartly begins. That's what keeps the audience watching as if we were tucked tightly into our beds and rapidly turning pages of a good book. Each page is significant. This movie isn't just about crops. That's what makes Shyamalan such a keen filmmaker. He has the talent and ability to fog up the film, and distract you with different propositions.

Shyamalan uses technique to peak his story, rather than dialogue. His masterful and favorite formula is the usage of flashbacks, which gives the audience a chance to catch up on what they might have missed. He emphasizes his points by re-occurring scenes and replaying them for the grand effect, the 11th hour, until he hits you with the finale. Whether you believe the outcome or not, you cannot deny his aptitude for storytelling.

This nervous and paranoid feature film with a heart-pounding ending is terrific. I was still thinking about it when I left the theater. You too, will enjoy the ride. But, when it's over, say your prayers, get into bed, pull the sheets over your head, breathe a sigh of relief, and close the book!

I had the advantage of hearing nothing but bad things about this film before I saw it, so my expectations were low. Often times, I am pleasantly surprised after hearing all those negative remarks. I'd include this as another film "better than I expected, "but not good enough to watch a second time. The second half of the film, I was told, was extremely hokey but I found it okay, although I could see where people would say that.

However, I just watched it as a piece of entertainment, nothing else, and appreciated the sharp photography, too. In other words, I didn't read into anything with the story which so many others have seemed to do.

Mel Gibson plays Hollywood's favorite type of clergyman: the kind who has lost his faith. That is, until, the strange turn of events at the end of the movie.

Hey, it's an entertaining movie, with good suspense and very little offensive material. This is the typical M. Night Shyamaian movie, which means it does a good job of hooking you into the story but doesn't always give you a satisfying ending.

A widowed ex-minister in Pennsylvania, living on a farm with his kids and his ex-ball player brother, believes the crop circles on his land (as well as the ones profiled on the news) may be indicative of something other-worldly. Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan, who understands commercial movie-making these days as well as any other filmmaker, tends to get bogged down in pretensions, but where his dialogue is sometimes gummy, his characters are complicated and relatable. Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix are wonderfully convincing as the brothers unexpectedly caught up in the supernatural, never letting their lived-in relationship hit a false note. Shyamalan is terrific at staging a big scary moment, and any of the sequences involving Gibson and his family are enjoyable, but the more intimate, two-character scenes stall the momentum (particularly one involving Shyamalan himself as a co-star). Still, with all its faults--and a too-literal final act--"Signs" knows how to get reactions from its audience, and it is clever and canny if not quite hair-raising. *** from ****

You know, you'd have to be seriously worried if you were Mel's wife in film. Black men in 1970s action flicks have a more tenacious grip on life. At least they generally cark it at the end of the film, gallantly laying down their lives when victory is at hand so the goody-goody white boy can ride off into the white-only sunset with a tasty bit of crumpet.

Mel's wives/girlfriends/love interests rarely make it past the opening credits.

Yep, Mad Mel has lost his Mrs and is mean as hell. But this time its god he's p* ssed with. Can even Mad Mel mess with the messiah? Sure he can.

Oh, and there are some aliens as well… Ho Hum.

Signs is the third of the almost invariably enjoyable M Night Shyamalan films. It is a long way from being his best.

This is not, as many have said, because the film contains little in the way of "twist". Last time I checked, many great films had no twist at all and were still great. And Shyamalan's style is far more dependent on building suspense than pulling an unusually coloured rabbit out of the hat at the end of the last real. But such is the joy of Hollywood. Make one film with a great twist, and be forced to repeat it.

Shyamalan once again does a great job with suspense. Once again, family is integral to the plot. But the real core of this film is faith. Mel, you see, has a dead Mrs, and he knows who's responsible. Apparently, it's none other than god. Phwewee, somebody's gonna get hurt. Reeeal Bad!

Okay, this is mildly diverting for a while. Mystic Mel does a pretty good job of the whole "I'm not wasting another moment of my life on prayer" thing. Possibly the pain of him having to say these lines happily coincided with the pain of the character. Or am I being cynical? Mel can certainly act when he can be bothered, as he frequently showed – sometime south of 1986.

The supporting cast is also superb. Joachim Phoenix is excellent, as are the two kids. Cherry Jones does an excellent job as the benevolent, Fargo-esquire local copper shorn of all the Coenisms.

There was some great comedy. Mel walking into his living room to find Joachim and the two kids on the sofa with two boxes of bacofoil on their heads was a fantastic touch. And, dare I say it, Mel's personal leitmotif – the untimely demise of his better half – left a genuine lump in my throat.

But there are two fundamental problems with the film.

The first is the aliens. They just get in the way. Okay, they provide the basis for the suspense. Okay, there are some interesting parallels to be drawn between faith in god and the nutters out looking for aliens in prairie country. And I suppose the fact that the nutters are right in Signs adds some significance to Mel's own character development. But I can't help thinking that it is attempting to juxtapose the essentially frivolous with the deadly serious - and not very well – The Village does it much better. So, in M Night's film the nutters are right. But we all know (don't we?) that in reality, they're just nutters. So is it an apt metaphor or just all hogwash? The second problem is the finale. I'm biased possibly but to me it just didn't make sense. "The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away – seemingly on the basis of his own personal whimsy". I'm not convinced that this is a good basis for the massive character shift undergone by Melvine the Terrible, and you're left with the conclusion that either he's not a very clear thinker at all, or he's been throwing a rather childish tantrum for most of the rest of the film. Neither lend the script credibility.

Watch the Village is my recommendation. It's a massively under-estimated film (possibly Shyamalan's best). In many respects it is a half-remake of Signs, and is somehow less… trite.

A minor work of a very good filmmaker. 6/10.

There's not much to say after so many other reviews, so I'll say only this:

There are 2 types of people watching this movie: 1) People who don't get what the movie is really talking about and don't feel much for the movie. 2) People who get it and are deeply moved because they have experienced it in their own lives (not the aliens, but the real topic of the movie) - and for them, this movie is one of the most brilliant movies ever.

That said, whatever group you belong in, there aren't many movies with such moving acting chemistry, believable dialogue and emotional buildup.

And in the end, even if you don't get it, I'd recommend you keep the idea of the movie in the back of your mind. There may come a time when it will become relevant to you.

10/10

The acting was perfect, the atmosphere was tense, but ...

Somebody forgot to review the script.

The entire concept of a large alien invasion by the most stupid alien race in the story of moviemaking.

Yes they are stupid. I wonder how a race of beings that are unable to open wood doors were able to develop space travel.

Not to mention the fact they forgot to check the little detail that the target planet were almost 3/4 covered with a substance that is lethal to then.

And they don´t use clothes...

Most of the people that comment on this movie are going to relate the fact that they were disappointed. And that's okay- your opinion of a movie should always include your pre-showing as well as post-showing emotions. But to those people I just have to say, "You just don't get it." Everyone is going into this movie thinking it is some kind of chilling horror, or blood-and-gore slasher flick. Shyamalan doesn't do those tired genres, thankfully. Instead, he gives us a warm, funny, emotionally-charged, and yes, suspenseful thriller which manages to compact an entire list of genres into one whole film.

I have seen the movie twice already- the first time for myself, and the second time just for crowd reactions. I wasn't bored through either showing. This is in part to some great acting by Phoenix, and some PHENOMENAL acting by the two child leads! Gibson isn't too bad either, but I have to admit, his part could have been played by anyone (sorry Mel :)

I think for the first time Shyamalan really brings us a film that doesn't rely on smoke and mirrors to please the audience. For all those naysayers out there, I would suggest that you view the film again, either now, or when it is available for home use. Look- and listen closer. You might just be able to make out the 'Signs.'

Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) lives on a corn farm outside of Philadelphia with his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), his kids Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin). Local man Ray Reddy (M. Night Shyamalan) had caused a traffic accident that killed his wife and he stopped being a priest. He discovers a crop circle and other strange things keep occurring. Bo thinks something is wrong with the water and puts glasses of water everywhere. Then aliens invade.

There is no doubt that M. Night Shyamalan is a good technical director. He creates some great tension. He peppers the movie with little comedic moments. It's a great little non-explosion filled alien invasion movie. It's a tense fun little horror movie. And then the reveal happens. The movie goes into disbelief. Honestly I try to excuse it from time to time but there are no excuses. Somebody must have noticed the problem but I guess nobody was willing to challenge Shyamalan back in the day.