Signs : A great sci-fi drama from Shyamalan
For M. Night Shyamalan, the period between the late 90s and early 2000s was very fruitful. Revealed to the general public with Sixth Sense (1999), he then proposed one of his best films in 2002 with Signs. These two works are perhaps still today his most appreciated and the ones most anchored in the collective unconscious. This science fiction film imagines the imminent invasion of extraterrestrials. But there’s no doubt that Shyamalan plays him independence Day (1996), the director prefers an intimate approach by focusing on a grieving family living in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
One fine day, former pastor Graham Hess (Mel Gibson), his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) and his children Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin), discover huge crop circles in their fields. Initially thinking that it is a hoax, they soon realize that a new life form is lurking near them.
Signs can be analyzed in different ways. First of all, we can hardly overlook the fact that the film is released in theaters a few months after the events of September 11th, in an America then paranoid and terrified of the outside world. The idea of invaders coming from the sky and impacting this family makes Shyamalan’s film even more relevant. But the real subject of this masterpiece is precisely this the director’s relationship with faith (as with Knock on the booth), as well as loss and grief (such as Sixth Sense). Graham’s faith disappeared after the loss of his wife and is put to the test by the arrival of these extraterrestrials, a source of danger for his family.
Like Joaquin Phoenix, the audience was terrified by this scene
With Signs, M. Night Shyamalan managed to touch the audience, to move them as much as to energize them. Even if today, and after several viewings, the terrifying aspect may fade into the background, when it was released in theaters, the feature film had a certain effect. First of all because it was there a real mystery out there (social networks weren’t there to ruin everything) and, once again, that the moment (after 9/11) was special. But above all, Shyamalan managed to terrify his audience with powerful scenes. To the photo of a memorable sequence, which has since become a meme. We’re talking about this moment where Merrill watches a TV report about a birthday party with panicking kids before an alien appears to him.
As he wrote Screenrant in an article on the 10 scariest scenes in Signs, “Few would say this scene wasn’t scary on first viewing“. ON Redditwe find several conversations (here, There OR here) of users who express their fear towards this step. We can read in the comments: “My mother took me to see it when it came out. I have never seen a whole crowd jumps until this scene passes“. But also : “This scene changed my childhood and it still gives me shivers“. OR : “I remember screaming the first time I saw this scene“.
Of course, it’s not the scene itself that’s terrifying, but what precedes it (Shyamalan’s tension building is excellent) and Merrill’s reaction to his screen. The latter is a mirror to the viewer, as judiciously explained by user Failure_most_of_all.
I don’t think this scene would be as scary without Joaquin Phoenix’s reaction. The moment the alien crosses the screen, just as we react, the film shows him recoiling in horror. I think the fact that the character’s reaction mirrored the audience’s reaction really amplified the emotion.
Source: Cine Serie
Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.
