I've Always Disliked M. Night Shyamalan's Signs, But After Rewatching, I Now Think It's His Last Truly Great Movie

Look, I know. Some of you think that M. Night Shyamalan only made one true masterpiece, that being The Sixth Sense, which is still one of the very few horror movies to ever be nominated for Best Picture.

Personally, I always thought that Shyamalan made two masterpieces, those being The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, which is my favorite Shyamalan movie, but I’m with most of you. When looking back at Shyamalan’s best films, I think many will agree that he peaked early on (Though I know some people really love Split).

That said, an even smaller segment of people believe that Shyamalan actually made three masterpieces, with the third being Signs. I never thought that before, but after a rewatch, I think I’m now a believer. Here’s why.

Signs Builds Its Alien Premise Slowly, Effectively, And Perhaps, Even Metaphorically

Nobody else seems to remember this, except possibly me (and maybe I even dreamed it), but I distinctly recall a special featuring M. Night Shyamalan before the movie came out, in which he said that Signs wasn't about aliens. Now, maybe he did say this (since I do remember it distinctly), but since I was quite young back then (around 19), I might not have fully understood that he meant the movie was deeper than just being about aliens.

However, that did not help my first experience seeing the movie back in 2002, because I felt cheated. Like, HEY! He said this movie wasn't about aliens, and what's that right there? It's an alien! But, upon a rewatch, I realize that the movie isn't actually about aliens, like say, the Alien or the Predator series, but rather, it features aliens. I’ll explain.

Mel Gibson plays a former priest who gives up the cloth after his wife died in a car accident. He watches over his two kids, and his younger brother, played by Joaquin Phoenix, has been helping out ever since his sister-in-law’s death. The premise I just gave is a movie in itself. However, crop circles have been showing up around the world, and it looks like aliens have invaded our planet. But this “invasion” is done gradually, which builds tension effectively.

That said, in a lot of ways, I believe the aliens are a metaphor for how things in life might be outside of our power or understanding (like a wife dying in a car accident, or a child having asthma), but we still have to find ways to manage our lives around them, just like with the aliens in this film.

This Movie Also Still Has Shyamalan's Scariest Moment To Date

A lot of people tend to think that movies can’t be scary if they’re not rated R, but that isn’t the case at all. The Ring, The Grudge, and even Shyamalan’s own, The Sixth Sense, are all examples of movies that are PG-13, but also legitimately scary.

Well, even though I do find The Sixth Sense to be scary in many ways, the scariest moment out of any M. Night Shyamalan film still comes out of this movie.

I actually liken the fright that Shyamalan pulls from this one scene to the Winkies' moment in Mulholland Drive, which I consider a horror movie. Anybody who’s seen Signs knows exactly which moment I’m talking about. Yep, it’s the party scene with the alien. Because when watched by itself, it isn’t all that scary, but in the context of the film, it’s terrifying!

This goes back to what I said earlier about how the movie builds the alien premise so well. Because it’s not like the family has encountered the aliens firsthand yet. Joaquin Phoenix is actually watching a news report on television, and THAT’S what makes it so scary. We put ourselves in his shoes and can only imagine what it would be like to actually witness something like that on TV. Goosebumps, I tell you. Goosebumps!

The Sense Of Grief In This Movie Is Palpable

Now, as I mentioned earlier, I think that Signs is a movie with aliens, rather than being about aliens. I think a major reason why I feel this way upon a rewatch is because of how much I think I better understand the aspects of grief that this movie is getting across.

Mel Gibson plays Graham Hess, a former priest who sees no desire in practicing the faith anymore, as why bother when his wife was killed in a car accident? No matter how much he prayed and believed in God prior to the incident, it still didn’t protect his wife, or the mother of his children. All throughout the film, we see Graham moping about until he finds purpose again, which strangely comes from above, though not in the way he ever imagined.

Then, we have Shyamalan’s character, Ray Reddy. Ray is actually the one who accidentally killed Graham’s wife, and his grief is palpable, too. Ray fell asleep at the wheel after leaving a party, and tragedy ensued. He has an alien trapped at his house, and it’s almost like he feels trapped within his own guilt, which is why he’s just sitting in the same car that he killed Graham’s wife with.

It’s all deep stuff, and definitely much better than I ever remembered it being.

I Actually Don't Hate The "Swing Away, Merrill" Climax Anymore, Either

Two things really irked me about this movie upon the first viewing. One was that water was actually lethal to the aliens (Seriously?), and the other was that the alien was beaten with a baseball bat like he was Joe Pesci in Casino (watch the movie if you don’t get that reference).

Upon a repeat viewing, I don’t hate it. It fits Joaquin Phoenix’s character arc. As a failed baseball player, the whole idea that he “swings away” connects back to his sister-in-law, whose dying words were to do just that. Now, is this a bit contrived? Yes. Does it still pull me out of the movie? Sadly, yes again.

However, I don’t think it ruins the movie altogether. You can see Graham’s faith returning to him in that moment when he gives that thousand-yard stare and says, “Swing away, Merrill.” And, even though I think the water spilling on the alien and killing it is still dumb, I don’t think it’s as catastrophic to the whole movie as I once did.

This might be because I know what would come later in Shyamalan’s career, but that’s an article for another day.

I Like Most Of Shyamalan Films, But After Rewatching Signs, I Think This Is His Last Masterpiece

So, even though I just made a snide remark about Shyamalan’s later films, I still do like a great many of them. I’ve already written about how I think Lady in the Water is Shyamalan’s “hidden gem,” and I even defended After Earth, which nobody seems to like.

That said, I enjoy those movies, but I don’t think either of them is a masterpiece. I now think Signs is after a rewatch.

It’s spooky in the best sort of way, the build-up to the aliens is unique (Though the pay-off could have been better), and it has a lot to say on getting through grief.

So, yeah, I now think Signs is a masterpiece. Do you agree? I’d love to hear your thoughts.