M.Night Shyamalan’s SIGNS

Halloween is getting closer and what film could be better to talk about than M.Night Shyamalan’s SIGNS. I have a little story to share and why I selected ‘Signs” as the scariest film of M.Night Shyamalan. Few years prior to film’s official release and to even know anything about film, I was always fascinated by Alien stories. The mystery behind the crop circles and alien abductions.

I used to sit for hours to read about aliens and possibility of life out in the space. I still think there is possibility of life somewhere out there. I always thought we are not alone. Afterall, who are we to be the only ones to get to live in this vast space. I had a very scary dream about aliens. In my dream, they came to take me with them and this is the first time I am sharing this in public and with other fans. The fear woke me up and I had to check myself literally to see if I was alright. The “fear” and the sixth sense, M.Night you are a genius. – Of course, I quit my research.

Signs is a story about a family living in a farm finds myserious crop circles in their fields which suggests something more frightening to come. Signs  garnered generally positive reviews from movie critics. Rotten tomatoes reported that 74% gave positive appraisals, based on 221 reviews. Rogert Ebert wrote: “M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Signs’ is the work of a born filmmaker, able to summon apprehension out of thin air. When it is over, we think not how little has been decided, but how much has been experienced … At the end of the film, I had to smile, recognizing how Shyamalan has essentially ditched a payoff. He knows, as we all sense, that payoffs have grown boring.”

Like all of Shyamalan’s work, Signs is not without its detractors, with variety’s Todd McCarthy writing: After the overwrought ‘Unbreakable’ and now the meager Signs, it’s fair to speculate whether Shyamalan’s persistence in replicating the otherworldly formula of ‘The Sixth Sense’ might not be a futile and self-defeating exercise.

Signs grossed $227,966,634 domestically, $180,281,283 internationally, and $408,247,917 worldwide at the box office, ranking only behind ‘The Sixth Sense’ in Shyamalan’s box office success and grossing more than The Village and Unbreakable combined.

Personally, Signs introduced me to my own fears. I had to turn the volume on to my stereo system after the movie was finished just to take my mind away from the movie.  And, I think Signs will remain in my list as the scariest film. I have seen the movie more than 10 times by now and each time I get that feeling and it never goes away. It’s like roller coaster ride. I like to feel my fears.

And, be sure to check out Hollywood News’ Scott Mandelson’s take on top 10 Scariest film from the last 20 years where he also selected Signs in that list of his as the scariest horror film.

5 Comments

  1. Signs is my favourite M. Night movie, and better, it’s my favourite movie of all time…you may not believe it or think I’m crazy or something, but I’m even goin’ to let the crop circle symbol tattooed on my left shoulder…Dec 7th ’10 it will happen!!

  2. One of the best movies I’ve ever seen!!!
    It’s so scary and dramatic and the music is a masterpiece!

  3. Signs is my favorite Night movie by far. I think the direction is just fantastic. And it’s in my top 5 movies of all time!

  4. This movie is my favorite, I jump at my seat when I saw the scene of the footage that show the alien in brazil.

  5. this movie is my favorite of all Mr.Night movies……but not the scariest….but most awakening to me….

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