WARNING: This review contains some spoilers.

     Signs is a horrifying first rate thriller which intelligently brings logic to the world of extraterrestrials. Writer, director, producer, and actor M. Night Shyamalan put this together outstandingly; it is a worthy follow-up to the excellent films The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. This type of thriller is creepy and terrifying; I jumped out of my seat at least a dozen times. This is undeniably one of the best movies of the year, if not the absolute number one; Signs is made scary by its visions alone, its one film you don’t want to miss.

     The thing that I enjoyed the most about Signs was its realistic approach to aliens and their ways. In this movie the extraterrestrials had their formalities, but they weren’t totally inhuman. They were defeatable, and that’s what made them good. All forces can be defeated; everyone has their weaknesses. This is what Shyalaman went for, and achieved; his direction, production, and screenplay were superior to anything else he has ever accomplished.

     Signs opens as Mel Gibson is awoken by the sound of his children screaming in the backyard, a crop field. He quickly runs out with their uncle, Joaquin Phoenix, to see what’s wrong. He finds that have not been physically harmed, rather mentally traumatized. They point out to him that their have been patterns cut into the crop field. When a police woman comes out to investigate, he finds out that other strange things had been happening in the neighborhood. This is only the start of a chain strange events in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; the Signs had begun.

     Shyalaman is very consistent with the children he chooses to star in his movies. Similar to Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense, the two kids featured in this movie had what it takes. I look forward to see if they turn out to be one-hit-wonders, or like Osment, have fabulous success in the future.

     I loved the way everything was shot in this film. The camera work was perfectly executed, bringing superb and awe inspiring cinematography. The visions here are much those of E.T. When the dialogue in the script was emotionally expressed with tension, the camera was still and far away from the actors. Yet when the conversation was serene and mature, the camera was very close, and used smooth motion and transitions. The cinematography was right on, there’s nothing much more to it.

     In conclusion, Signs is a perfect summer movie with a spooky edge. I thought it was cool that I was able to see it in digital, also. M. Night Shyalaman proved that his third one-man-band movie has what it takes, as Signs passes by me with flying colors. Go see this movie today, their waiting for you…its happening.

NOTE: I saw the number "77" glowing inside of one of the aerial shots of the crop circle. If you have any idea of what this signifies please inform me by e-mail at webmaster@bucketreviews.com.

-Danny, Bucket Reviews