Why Signs is Still The Scariest Alien Movie of All Time 15 Years since Its Release

Why Signs is still the scariest alien movie of all time 15 years since its release BEFORE Mel Gibson was notoriously a little kooky or Abigail Breslin was Little Miss Sunshine, M. Night Shyamalan made Signs, a scary, moving, impressive film now fifteen years old. It’s often overlooked because of his other, bigger films like The Sixth Sense, but it is far and away the film most demonstrative of his prowess as a filmmaker. It’s got depth, style, and patience. It’s criminally underrated among the rest of Shyamalan’s films. It is also quite possibly the scariest alien invasion movie ever made — but not for the reasons you might think. The best makers of thrillers and horror flicks understand that what we don’t see is scarier than any special effect a computer can conjure up. They understand what sound can do — what stimulating senses beyond our vision can achieve, especially when it comes to scaring us. Silence is scary — and Signs knows how to use sound. Signs knows that what terrifies us most are the things that feel real, feel specific, feel plausible. There are moments in the film so terrifying it’s necessary to note. There are a lot of people who were disappointed by Signs for its lack of conventional horror components and evident religious undertones — and this is fair. Signs is not scary because it uses tradition. It’s scary because it finds fear in our homes — and from the very beginning. His children are not safe in their own backyard, their pets are no longer the warm, friendly companions they once knew, and the sound of the wind chimes is ominous instead of comforting. The masterful pairing of sound to picture is largely what makes Signs so chilling; each terrifying shot is perfectly matched with a sound cue that ensures it packs the maximum punch. Shyamalan understands how seemingly mundane interactions can be elevated in an instant if you throw in the right ingredients, and that is what he does. The first time we ever get a glimpse of one of the aliens, Graham has come to Bo’s room in response to a typical child’s complaint: “there’s a monster outside my room. ” He does what any dad would do and goes back with her, and we’re completely caught off guard when there really is one. It’s one of the few so-called “jump scares” in the film, and it’s incredibly effective. These feats of filmmaking aside, however, the film truly is a scary one, and without going over the top. When Graham tries to be big and tough and find the trespasser in the cornfield, he’s quickly shown just how wrong he was — and to horrifying effect. The simple clicking sounds of the alien’s speech in the darkness and the sudden reveal of a leg is enough to fuel nightmares for weeks. There’s nothing but the whooshing of the wind in our ears and Graham’s breathing, so any disturbance is immediately obvious — and frightening. Whether the swelling of the static and alien noises on the baby monitor, the frantic barks of the dog they left behind, or the pitter-patter of the aliens’ feet when they finally come, time and time again we are shown just what auditory stimulation can add to an atmosphere of terror. What Signs does well is accept that it’s not trying to be flashy, or win us over with some big Sixth Sense twist, or reach an absurd climax that sees a human/alien battle happen. There’s humour and humanity sprinkled throughout the film, making you feel comfortable and wary of what’s to come all at once. There have been plenty of memorably terrifying alien movies — Fire in the Sky among them — but none as equally poignant and scary as Signs. The real horror lies in the film’s simplicity, in its mundanity, in the fact that there’s something wrong long before the aliens ever arrive. We don’t really even see the alien up close until towards the end of the film, and by then, it doesn’t really matter. We’ve been afraid of them since we saw the silhouette on the roof. Armed in large part with its incredible cast — this is a showcase for one of Mel Gibson’s best performances ever, and Joaquin Phoenix isn’t far behind — Signs manages to be creepy, emotional, and thrilling all at once. Even at fifteen years old, it still holds up, and it should be remembered as one of Shyamalan’s best, most terrifying films — because it is.