23 years ago, the masterful ending of this sci-fi film left all viewers breathless.

Mysterious and enigmatic is the career of M. Night Shyamalan. With difficult periods to say the least (or in any case not understood by the audience), the prolific filmography of this director, like no other, also managed to create a series of masterpieces.

This was especially true in the early 2000s, when Shyamalan was just starting out in Hollywood. After signing two real gems back to back with Sixième Sens and Unbreakable, the young director has offered us a third gem with the masterful Signes.

A masterful ending

Directed by Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, this unique sci-fi horror film benefits from a deliciously unsettling atmosphere, elaborate staging… and a jaw-dropping ending. An impressive twist of theater, because only Shyamalan knew how to imagine them for us, and who invited us to look at the entire feature film (and especially its title) with new eyes.

First, let’s remember that the film tells the story of Graham Hess (a pastor who lost his faith after the tragic death of his wife in terrible circumstances), his brother Merrill, a former baseball champion, and his two children: Morgan, a young man. A boy with asthma and Bo, a little girl who has a curious habit of placing glasses of water all over the house.

divine interventions

As strange phenomena begin to occur around the world, Graham gradually notices the appearance of mysterious circles in the cornfields around his farm, as well as other signs of an alien invasion.

The famous “signs” referred to in the film’s title, no doubt.

At least, that’s what each viewer imagines when the story begins. But as the story unfolds, and especially as the final sequence unfolds, we suddenly learn that the “signs” in question are not signals from invaders, but multiple divine interventions, seemingly innocuous, that allow Graham to defeat his enemies. At the end of the feature film.

Indeed, when they find themselves surrounded and it seems that all hope is lost, several details that have been scattered throughout the film suddenly reappear and play a crucial role in the resolution of the scenario. When one of the aliens takes his son, Graham remembers his wife’s last words.

“Are you one of those who see signs and wonders?”

“Tell Graham to look: ‘Look!’ Tell him to look”He whispered mysteriously to her before adding: “Tell Meryl, ‘Hit it hard!’

The pastor then begins to “see” the scene from a new perspective. He encourages his brother to use the baseball bat hanging on the wall to “hit hard” at the alien. With that, Meryl knocks over the glasses Bo left everywhere, revealing that water is the invaders’ weak point. As for Morgan, it was thanks to his asthma attack and pulmonary obstruction that he survived the deadly gas released by his captor.

Immaculately staged and surgically scripted, this final sequence allows Mel Gibson’s line to resonate with new resonance: “Ask yourself which category you belong to. Are you one of those who see signs, miracles? Or do you just believe in luck? Is it possible that it is not a coincidence?”

What is your favorite M. Night Shyamalan movie?

(Re)discover the ‘Signes’ trailer…