Max Sci-Fi Thriller Alien Invasion is unforgettable

By Robert Scucci
| Published 13 seconds ago

At the turn of the millennium, M. Night Shyamalan had one hell of a run with movies like Wide Awakening, The Sixth Sensea Unbreakable. While this handful of films established Shyamalan as a filmmaker known for his unique twists and third-act payoffs, Signs (currently streaming on Max) is the film that shows his range because there is no real mind-bending revelation necessary to tell his alien invasion story that focuses on grief and family survival against insurmountable odds.

By taking a step back and focusing on a closer family dynamic, Shyamalan tells a heartfelt story about a priest who loses his faith after a personal tragedy when War of the Worlds scenario playing out right outside his residence.

The Sign Installation

As a rabid fan of simple plots with no extraneous side stories, Signs is one of those movies that I love because it’s so simple.

Mel Gibson’s father, Graham Hess, a former Episcopal priest who lost his faith after his wife was killed in a tragic accident, works as a farmer while trying his best to hold his family together. Graham’s younger brother, Merril (Joaquin Phoenix), a former major league baseball player, moves in to help raise Graham’s children, Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin), to the best of his ability. Morgan suffers from asthma, and Bo has a strange obsession with water, but apart from these physical ailments and personality quirks, they live a normal life in rural Pennsylvania.

We have Visitors

Family dynamics aside, Signs presents its conflict through an inexplicable formulation of crop circles that appear overnight outside Graham’s house, were initially written off as an elaborate act of vandalism. When similar formations appear across the world, news networks confirm that this was not an isolated incident, and that unidentified flying objects have also been seen. aliens as far away as Brazil. While Graham makes a serious effort to keep his family quiet, his faith is questioned when the end times at the hands of the extraterrestrials seem to be fast approaching.

After hearing strange clicking sounds through Bo’s old baby monitor, and encountering a semi-invisible figure trying to break into the house one night, Graham and Merril realize they need to board up the windows and doors if are they, in fact, dealing. with hostile visitors of unknown origin.

The Last Supper

What does Signs such a special film for me is how Graham prepares his family for what he thinks is the final showdown between good and evil – a last supper, if you like. The dinner spread includes spaghetti, french toast, mashed potatoes, chicken teriyaki, and a bacon cheeseburger. Knowing that their front door could burst open at any moment, the Hess family breaks down crying as they try to enjoy some of their favorite comfort foods, just in case they don’t make it through the night.

Watching Signs having children of my own, Graham’s paternal instincts resonated most with me. When all hell breaks loose, it’s up to Graham to put on a brave face and let everyone know that everything is going to be okay even if he’s traumatized to the core like everyone else.

Not just an Alien Movie

Signs it is not alien a film in the traditional sense. The only global disaster we see is via newsreels, and everything else takes place within the confines of the Hess residence as a single family tries to stick together when an alien invasion has the potential to tear them apart. Through this family dynamic, we get a closer look at what happens when no one has answers, but they do their best to act like they do. There is no need to build a world when Graham’s entire world already lives under his roof with him, and for that reason Signs holds up because its messages are so timeless.

As of this writing, you can stream Signs forward Max. And if you want to dive even deeper into what I consider M. Night Shyamalan’s best film, you can check out the GenreVision podcast for even more insight.