Signs
Mel Gibson plays a much less macho role in this sci-fi / horror thriller, a disillusioned priest who has left his church after his wife is killed in a bizarre accident. M.Night has done it again in writing, directing and even acting in this excellent movie.
When I first saw the previews, I was afraid that this would be a movie trying to tell us that all the crop circles we have heard about were created by aliens. This bugged me because there have been expose after expose showing that pranksters can and have done them, even to the point of demonstrating for the cameras. (One group even did the History Channel logo in a field for a TV special.) But M. Night sidesteps this issue by dealing with it head on and incorporating that sort of discussion right into the film.
At one point, I realized that I was thinking that this is just what it would be like if there indeed was an attack by aliens... the politics, the isolation, the realization about just how vulnerable we are settles in. But that is balanced by the affirmation that individuals can make a difference, and that we as a race would be pretty tough to beat one-on-one. Some draw parallels with HG Wells War of the Worlds, but I disagree. In War of the Worlds, disease concoured the foe, and humans were just lucky. In Signs, we fight back (with a very simple weapon) and make a difference.
Those deeper issues aside, this is a great film for suspense and tension. Quite a few chills and thrills, and some room for deep thought as well. While it does not match the scare factor of M. Night's Sixth Sense, it is still better than the average. See it in the theater with a crowd if you can... the mass jumps and screams add to the fun.
Chills...
Scuttles
