Signs (2002)
★★★½ — Signs (2002)
Signs arrived in the summer of 2002 as Shyamalan's follow-up to Unbreakable, itself a follow-up to the enormous success of The Sixth Sense (1999), meaning the writer-director carried considerable expectation into every new project at this point in his career. Touchstone Pictures backed it with a $72 million budget, a fairly substantial sum for what is, at its core, a contained thriller set almost entirely on a Pennsylvania farm, and the gamble paid off handsomely, with the film grossing over $400 million worldwide. Mel Gibson, whose box office standing was still strong in the early 2000s, took the lead role, with Joaquin Phoenix alongside him in a relatively straightforward supporting part. The film was shot largely on location in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, lending it a genuinely rural, isolated texture that Shyamalan uses to his considerable advantage.
One of the most genuinely scary films I've ever seen. The kids birthday scene, even though it only happens for a split second, has genuinely haunted my psyche. I cannot walk past an open garden hedge at night without seeing an alien walk through. I know this may make me a bit of a wimp, especially considering I do really enjoy horror films, but for some reason this one and Sixth Sense genuinely shit me up so I can't give it a high score lol
Rating: ★★★½ | Year: 2002 | Watched: 2025-04-08
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from M. Night Shyamalan: The Sixth Sense (1999)
More with Mel Gibson: Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) · Lethal Weapon (1987) · Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) · Mad Max 2 (1981)
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More thriller: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) · Angst (1983) · The Long Walk (2025) · Punishment Park (1971)
More science fiction: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) · Fantastic Planet (1973) · Nightmare City (1980) · The Long Walk (2025)
