Review of Signs (2002) by Gabriel Arthur P — 07 Jul 2016

I think Shyamalan was going for a sort of stilted, stalky, wooden representation of 1950's film and 1950's rural American culture. Shyamalan's very tight lines and stark signals are almost Bauhaus compared to his earlier, far more organic Sixth Sense.

Shyamalan would go on to try this mood again in "The Happening", but where Happening is a dark comedy Signs is just a meditation piece. It's a meditation on the imagery and the society of a certain time period in American history.

It's really not that amazing, but it's very obvious and transparent as to its own nature. Also, when it's not awkward, it's just boring. If you don't find some deeper meaning in it, it's not very entertaining.

2/5.