Signs (August 2/02)

Signs, like M. Night Shyamalan's previous two films The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, is virtually impossible to talk about without spoiling something. Signs, one of the scariest movies to ever hit movie theaters, is probably far more enjoyable for the viewer who knows next-to-nothing about the plot. Bearing that in mind, I'll try to tiptoe around the major story developments.

Mel Gibson stars as a former preacher who's lost his faith after the death of his wife, and now lives with his two children and brother (Joaquin Phoenix) on a farm. Though he's finding it increasingly difficult to communicate with his children, the family is united by the appearance of an enormous pattern in their crops. Gibson is initially certain that the whole thing is a prank by local punks, but as more and more distinctive clues pile up, he begins to wonder if it isn't something more.

Unlike the majority of so-called scary movies (including Shyamalan's own Sixth Sense), Signs contains a good deal of frightening images and genuinely suspenseful moments. There are no oh-it-was-just-the-cat moments here; every suspenseful sequence belongs within the context of the movie. When Gibson goes out into his field in the middle of the night after hearing odd noises, that scene is incredibly tense because you just know he's going to see something odd out there.

Shyamalan's previous two movies had serious pacing issues, a problem which has been fixed here. Though Signs will never claim to make Speed look like a slow ride to Grandma's house, it moves at exactly the right speed (no pun intended) that the material warrants. It's that slow build that makes the movie as scary as it is, because we're in the same position Gibson's family is. We learn information when they learn it; the audience is never a step ahead of them. And though some of Shyamalan's fans will complain of the lack of a twist ending, think about it - is this really a movie that would have been enhanced by such a conclusion?

Gibson gives one of the best performances of his career here, and that alone makes Signs worth seeing. Add to that a storyline that is genuinely scary, and you've got a winner on all accounts.