Rec | MY REVIEW OF THE MVOIE SIGNS

😃

Rec'd on 😃 do you like the alien movie signs?

M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs (2002) is a captivating blend of science fiction, suspense, and family drama. The film tells the story of former pastor Graham Hess (Mel Gibson), who grapples with the sudden appearance of crop circles on his farm, the mysterious circumstances surrounding them, and the emotional fallout from the loss of his wife. Set in rural Pennsylvania, the story delves deep into themes of faith, fear, and redemption, and while it boasts Shyamalan’s trademark atmospheric tension, its true strength lies in its intimate storytelling and character-driven focus. The film’s tone is meticulously crafted, with a deliberate pacing that builds suspense while simultaneously exploring the characters’ emotional landscapes. From eerie nighttime sequences to the chilling sound design—scratching noises in the cornfields and static-filled baby monitors—Shyamalan creates a sense of impending doom that keeps viewers on edge. Yet, this suspense is balanced with moments of levity, primarily through Graham’s brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), whose earnestness provides relief in an otherwise tense narrative. The cinematography, with its tight, claustrophobic framing, accentuates the feeling of isolation and vulnerability, drawing viewers deeper into the Hess family’s world. One of the standout elements of Signs is its exploration of faith and destiny. Graham’s struggle to reconcile his loss of belief with the unexplainable phenomena around him forms the emotional core of the movie. Shyamalan weaves this theme seamlessly into the plot, making the alien invasion a backdrop for Graham’s internal battle. The film cleverly ties together seemingly unrelated details—like Merrill’s baseball career, the daughter Bo’s obsession with water, and Graham’s flashbacks of his wife’s final words—to deliver a satisfying conclusion that reinforces the idea of a higher order to the chaos. This layered storytelling elevates the film beyond a conventional sci-fi thriller. However, Signs is not without its flaws. While the narrative’s thematic depth is commendable, some viewers may find the alien invasion plot underdeveloped or too reliant on convenience, such as the aliens’ vulnerability to water. Additionally, Shyamalan’s cameo as Ray Reddy, while pivotal to the story, feels slightly distracting in an otherwise immersive film. Despite these minor issues, Signs succeeds as a deeply personal and thought-provoking piece of cinema. It stands out for its ability to blend suspense and spiritual reflection, leaving audiences with more than just the thrill of an alien encounter—it delivers a story about hope, family, and the possibility of finding meaning in the inexplicable.

@nutneg

Dec 15, 2024

see likes

Comments (0)

Make an account to reply.

No comments yet

Related Recs

⛪

First reformed

this film is an amalgamation of some of the most terrifying and dividing topics I wrestle with everyday. over the purely horrific destruction and decomposition of our planet, over the scare of poor health, over the moral standings of different christian denominations and the hypocrisy of megachurches, over the feeling of dread and darkness that humans carry within themselves since the dawn of time… over all of this, stretches the cast of God’s shadow. how can faith stand intact in front of all this? how can we trust the Church to carry out righteousness and awareness? how can we help others in crisis? how can we forgive us for our own mistakes? and how can God forgive us? I have a thousand more questions and then more.  an exorbitant amount of doubts and things to consider, like where does activism end and terrorism begins? who are the zealots? where do the lines start to blur? so much underlying empathy, struggle, anger, love and history beneath First Reformed, yet everything raises to the perfect level just above the surface and the result is a wonderfully crafted film. the ending haunts me. PS: I sincerely wanna thank the person that recommended this to me here on PYI!!

@proximacentauri

Feb 22, 2025

⭐

Movie Review: The Zone of interest

The countless atrocities committed by the Nazis have been well-documented in the media, but I can’t recall having ever seen a movie that opted to focus on the cold banality of the lives of the Germans who were actively engaged in or complicit with such incredible cruelty. Filmmaker Jonathan Glazer (Under the Skin), inspired by Martin Amis’ novel, has decided to tap into this underexplored area, and the chilling result will haunt viewers for days. Focusing on Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Freidel) and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller, both perfectly cast), who are raising their family in a well-appointed home directly adjacent to the camp, we watch them go about their relatively mundane existences. They live better than many of their fellow Germans and have local girls working as servants to help keep up the house, but otherwise much of their time is spent tending to trivial day-to-day tasks, aside from the odd bit of Nazi business that Rudolf attends to from his home office. Nothing here is truly normal however, a point made very clear shortly into the film when the camera changes its view of the family’s yard to expose the guard tower just on the other side of the brick wall that abuts the property. Given the proximity to the notorious camp, its noises permeate every aspect of the family’s lives. The low hum of the furnaces is ever-present, punctuated by screams and gunshots. Frequently trains can be heard bringing more prisoners, puffs of steam appearing over the tree line. Somehow, the Höss’ and their children go about their day as if they don’t even notice it. To celebrate one of the children’s birthdays, Hedwig’s mother comes to stay. Initially impressed by the large, well-maintained home and garden, she casually wonders aloud if a Jewish neighbor might be imprisoned next door, complaining that she lost her chance to claim her curtains. As the pair sit on the patio and sounds from the camp impose themselves, she turns to glance at the wall, at least a little discomfited. At night, the sounds of suffering disturb her sleep and she looks out the window, only to see ash and bright flames erupting from a smokestack. She leaves the following morning. While the atrocities next door are felt throughout almost the entire movie, we never see them. Everything is instead conveyed through Johnnie Burn’s meticulous sound design and the effect is powerful, especially in contrast to the mundanity of everything shown. Cinematographer Łukasz Żal’s striking staging avoids overly prettifying the home while still maintaining a painterly artfulness, often using static, embedded cameras to give the proceedings the sort of voyeuristic feel of reality shows like Big Brother. A movie may not be the best place to figure out exactly how people can react so blithely to such large-scale inhumanity, so Glazer doesn’t really try to do so. It is enough however to be reminded that the behavior is not only something that we as a species are capable of, but that it is necessary for such evil to be enacted. Hopefully the reminder will help to prevent it from happening again. ★★★★★ RATED PG-13 FOR THEMATIC MATERIAL, SOME SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL, AND SMOKING.

@seanf

Feb 21, 2024

🥛

This article about the film ‘Possession’

***contains spoilers**** Such a good synopsis of the ending and the film’s overarching themes in the personal and the political. Love this freaky film so much!!!