Peace, the bird, hang loose. These are signs, hand signs. Of course hand, signs or even road signs, are not what M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film Signs, is all about. The writer/director who has brought us Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense now attempts to scare us with, or make us think about, crop circles (maybe it’s both).

The film begins with good old Australian Mel Gibson (We Were Soldiers) raising his American farmer family in rural Pennsylvania. Gibson is Graham Hess, a former minister who gave up the cloth after losing faith in God when his wife Colleen (Patricia Kalember) is killed while out on a walk. This seemed senseless to Graham, and thus felt that there could not be a higher power directing the action here on Earth. Shortly into the film, Graham’s two kids Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin) find crop circles out in the cornfields. At first Graham and his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix, Quills) think it is a couple of trouble making brothers and call the police. However, after Officer Caroline Paski (Cherry Jones, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood) arrives, more strange stuff starts to happen (mainly involving the dogs). Soon the family discovers that there are many, many more of these crop circles around the globe, and then lights in the sky start to show up. This leads to hysteria amongst the people as a wide variety of theories circulate around as to what all these events signify. Is it aliens, is it the apocalypse, or is everyone smoking some funky weed? And if it is visitors from another planet, are they just stopping by to say hello, or is their visit far more ominous?

The acting in Signs was good, with standout performances by Gibson as the minister who has lost his way. However, the real standout feature of the film is the writing of Shyamalan. There is a great conversation that takes place between Gibson’s and Phoenix’s characters that really gives you the meaning of the film when Gibson basically explains the difference between faith and coincidence. And don’t worry, there are plenty of goose bumps, thrills, and scares, and all without an overabundance of special effects.

Other cast members are Merritt Wever, Michael Showalter, Ted Sutton, Rhonda Overby, plus a bunch of others with minimal screen time. Shyamalan also has a cameo in his film.

Signs is a frightening movie that makes you think, much like The Sixth Sense did (or for a non-Shyamalan film, how Spielberg’s A.I. makes you think). M. Night Shyamalan uses all his tricks with near perfection, while leaving those little foreshadowing clues for those paying attention to the details. My beef with the film is that in the end the, how in the Hell do aliens play into religion?

Signs is a good movie, but not good enough for a perfect score, but nine couches is still pretty good.

Last updated: Thursday, March 20, 2008 02:47:51 AM

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