Review of signs (2014) by Arielle W — 13 Jun 2013

FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

I know a lot of people like this movie, but at the same time, many other people have already pointed out how flawed it is, so I don't feel I have anything significant to add.

I understand what the movie was going for: an alien invasion scenario that focuses entirely on an ordinary rural family and how the crisis unfolds from their perspective. In this regard, the movie *could* have worked. Other movies, like "Night of the Living Dead", have used that idea of a limited focus to great effect. But here, it's all ruined by terrible acting and some really stupid writing -- too many examples to get into.

Yes, the acting is a major problem with this movie. No one ever shows any emotion whatsoever, which completely kills any tension. I know Shyamalan usually goes for a downbeat tone, but for a movie like this, you really need something more realistic.

To sum it up, this is basically "Wasted Potential: The Movie". It has its moments, and could easily have been an engrossing and bone-chilling horror film, if only the story had been thought out a little better and the acting had actually been competent.

My rating: 45%.