Review of signs (2014) by Adam F — 20 Mar 2013

Despite some problems, "Signs" is a very suspenseful and frightening alien film that balances its side stories well. You have probably heard the faults of this movie over and over and these always regard the aliens. There are several scenes where they seem to have trouble with simple human technology (very basic technology by the way, not cars or guns or anything, we're talking simple everyday objects) and towards the end a possible "secret weapon" that might help humanity is introduced that's almost laughable. People have been focussing on the decisions and condemning the movie as a bad thriller, completely ignoring everything that is good about this film.

One of the strongest elements is Mel Gibson and his portrayal of "Graham Hess", a man who has completely lost his faith and become bitter after a tragedy deeply affected his family. He has become skeptical of pretty much everything and during the movie he is the character we can relate to the most. He is always skeptical of the "alien sightings" and crop circles but never in an unrealistic way and when he receives real proof that there is something going on that is genuinely threatening he acts logically and tries his best to protect his family. His character arc is what helps keep the movie grounded and it's what ultimately makes the movie work.

When it comes to the suspense and terror, the movie really delivers. You always see just enough to get you sweating without feeling like we're just being teased. As the movie keeps going, your mind starts expanding on the glimpses you've seen and you get really scared. Whenever there's a chance you'll see more of the creatures, you won't know whether to look away or to hold your eyes open to make sure you don't miss anything. The movie also manages to stay very realistic despite it's science fiction premise and does a good job capturing reactions to this unknown threat that feel completely genuine. There are also several scenes where the members of the household do research to arm themselves for when the creatures come and the information that's given does a good job of both comforting you and making you uneasy at what might happen to them.

When it comes to the ending of the film, it's inevitable that people will dismiss the whole movie as nonsense but if you stop to think about it, the conclusion really works with the rest of the movie. Ultimately it's a movie that isn't just about crop circles and a possible alien invasion/abduction, it's about faith and a family sticking together despite being torn apart by a tragedy. The film is well shot, well acted and tightly written with believable characters (although at some points in the film they do feel a little bit over-the-top but they aren't that far from the truth so that's a minor gripe) that really delivers on the suspense. It might not be perfect but "Signs" certainly is an effective thriller that really delivers. (Blu-ray, March 15, 2013).