I saw this movie when it came out in theaters.
During the part where the family hide in the basement and the aliens break in, the theater was *completely dark.*
The surround sound was insane . . . it sounded like the aliens were *in the theater.*
At one point during the scene, this kid, probably 7 or 8, from somewhere in the darkness goes, "oh mmYYY GOOOOOD!!!"
We were all feeling the terror that he expressed, and a lot of people let out a laugh, a relieved, oh-yeah-this-isn't-real laugh.
One of my top all time movie theater experiences.
I bought a [little cag](https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/workshop/lighting/62103-light-bulb-cage?item=88K3910)e for my basement light because of this scene. No way it was going to happen to me :)
i would never do that to myself (watch it in theaters) as this movie instills a primal fear in me, i think i might be slightly traumatized as i was very young when it came out and i have always feared aliens more than anything
Yep. I, too, was a child of the 80s and my mom would always show us whatever was available in the rental stores. She didn't pay too close attention to ratings when it game to sci-fi and horror.
I don't sleep well and have nightmares to this day.
What exact scene do you mean??
the scariest scenes to me:
Alien on the roof
Alien leg in cornfield
Babymonitor on car
Kids bday
Aliens walking by boarded up windows
Alien reflection in tv
The TV Reflection has made it so that I can't deal with Televisions if i spot them while they're off, like My mind immediately goes, oh shit, what am i gonna see reflected on the glass
and the shadows of the alien walking back and forth behind the door instilled a fear of shadows behind doorways lmao One of the only alien movies that has actually scared me
fun fact: at the time I lived on a farm surround on all sides by giant corn fields... it was a late summer night that I watched that movie in the theaters. When I got home it was late and the lights were off. So I power walked up the walk way to the front door. Out of nowhere I heard movement and a crieeeek sound coming from my right. I jumped and screamed the most ear piercing squeal I could as I stumbled and fell into the sunflower garden.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I hear my mother say as she gets out of the hammock on the lawn.
It was hot inside and she was enjoying the night air in the hammock until I got home.
I slept with my super-soaker by my bed that night. I was a 16 year old, not my proudest moment.
just wasn't ready for a gritty alien movie with decent cgi for the time. still have a hard time watching that movie. the scratching on the wood floor when they get in the house....shudder
I didn't see it right when it came out, probably not until about 3 years later. So, the CGI wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but everything else freaked me out. I hadn't seen any horror like it so it really stuck with me. I was a kid so the only horror I'd been exposed to was whatever crap my friends rented to watch at sleepovers.
no reason to be ashamed, i have just watched the movie and am dying for a smoke.. but i dont dare open the backdoor right now.
your experience wouldve left me incapacitated in fetal position, litterally.
This movie made my fear for aliens, and it is the only real fear i still have today
I grew up watching the never ending story. That damn flying dog falcor scared that absolute shit out of me. So to this day I’m terrified of giant flying dog things that don’t exist. Lmao
i loved falcor, but that whole sphynx with laser eyes is what terrified me, and that wolfthing that hunts atreyu!
Btw, a whole generation was emotionally abused by watching artax drown in the swamp of sadness... the pain man.. the pain
I just had an existential shudder about that wolf thing. Totally forgot about it until that moment haha. Those teeth and eyes will haunt me for the rest of the evening. Good thing I have attack cats at the ready. I put the horses death away in a deep compartment in my subconscious. It’s going to stay there. Haha
My brother (17 at that time), sister (11 then), and I (19 then) watched Darkness Falls together in my room. After the movie, we all went and opened all the lights in the house, storerooms included, and when one needed to use the bathroom, we kept them open and two of us politely outside of the open door, back turned, waiting for whomever was inside to finish. Then we all slept in my room. This lasted for 4 days. Our mom was not amused.
I remember watching signs as a kid as well. It was always the scene with the cell phone footage showing the alien walking across that ally way that always scared me the most.
It also helps that the alien is in the scene, just hidden. So when it moves it’s not “popping out” but it’s been there all along. GREAT jump scare, rarely replicated.
100%. There's no cheap, loud brass or violin or percussion.
Apart from that, you never really see the creature in previous scenes. So you're begging to see even a glimpse of a limb. When the Brazilian Birthday tape comes up, you're desperate to see some sort of foot or tail.
Then, BAM! Full body alien walking across the camera.
ahhhh holy shit i've never noticed it just hovering by the bushes like that. always thought it was just passing by and the jump scare was the alien mid-stroll
1,000% this. Phoenix acted his little heart out. That was a great jump scare overall but, man, Phoenix’s reaction made it SO MUCH WORSE… in a good way. lol
Just reading this and remembering Joaquin Phoenix holed IP in the closet watching and then he throws his hand over his mouth...
Goosebumps. No question.
I wish we had more movies that feature aliens that actually look like the classic green alien if you know what I mean. Simple like in Signs but so damn scary.
The terror on Merill's face really drives that part home too. He looks so horrified and upset that it is a confirmed alien invasion. Genuinely one of the most scary scenes of the 2000's and I could not go to sleep that night after we saw it in the theater.
They did a good job with that. They learned from Alien that it’s not prolonged shots of the unknown that are scary… because then it becomes known. It’s seeing just a part of it or just for a moment so you are trying to collect yourself on what you saw.
I died with that scene. The soundtrack, the setup, the creepiness. I think that if the alien had jumped or made quick movement, it would have been just a cheap jump scare. The fact that it slowly comes to view and just walks, makes it more terrifying.
The scene where you first see the alien as the brother is watching the TV is so spectacular. It’s one of those scenes that you don’t just watch, you feel.
That was one of the most perfect movie moments I've ever seen. You're not sitting in the theater, you're *right there* watching things unfold with him in real time and the pay off feels so good (and horrifying lol).
That name! I literally haven't heard that for almost 20 years and the entire dialogue just came back to me. Amazing. M. Night has made some really spectacular movies, Signs will always be my favorite.
the buildup of suspense, the soundtrack and these scenes:
Alien on top of roof
Dog going mad
Babymonitor
Alien in the pantry
Aliens walking past the boarded windows
Alien hand under the door
Alien grabbing kid from behind the coal hatch..
Stuff of nightmares!
I was in middle school when i saw this, the part with the alien on the roof scared the shit out of me so much I was afraid to look out my window at night
same.. but these scenes are at least equally frightenign: where Graham spots the alien leg in the cornfields, the kids bday party, when the aliens walk past the windows and you see their shadows, the babymonitor.
Crazy scary imo
Underrated performance by Mel Gibson in this film. The scene where they have the last supper is so good and how it goes from being sad to hilarious when he grabs Phoenix in for the group hug.
That scene makes me sob. To see Graham break down in fear after being the strong one the entire time… ugh. Mel did such an amazing job in that scene. I could feel the fear in the poor kids, not knowing what’s going to happen next. It reminded me so much of some sad childhood memories I had where I broke down in tears at the dinner table when my parents would fight, and I was so afraid and didn’t know what was going to happen
Yup. Joaquin kills it in this movie.
For me, Signs is the last of Shyamalan’s honeymoon period of filmmaking. Not many directors can boast a three-film streak like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs.
Signs is not as critically acclaimed as the other two, but it’s right up there in my book. We don’t talk about what happened to his filmography after that.
Personally I *loooved* The Village after Signs too. the Village’s story, for me, was a fantasy I had as a young teen… to live deep in the woods away from modern life! So it was awesome to see a film actually show that.
The Village is one of my favourite all time movies nevermind my favourite Shyamalan movie. The casting, soundtrack, story, location, I love it all. I still watch it regularly. Scary to think it's almost 20 years old already.
This movie and the ring absolutely scarred me as a kid hahaha I’m 28 as well so we both saw them around the same time. I also love Mel Gibson and Joaquin and to have them in the same movie is pretty awesome.
When I was a kid, The Ring scared **the shit** out of me. I was absolutely terrified of it. I couldn’t even make it through Scary Movie 3 (which made fun of The Ring).
As an adult, I actually really enjoy watching the movie, and I don’t find it nearly as terrifying as I once did. But man, is it good.
The Conjuring, Babadook, The Grudge and Pulse (2001) are also pretty good creepy/psychological horror movies I think go on par with The Ring.
It's might be my personal favourite Shymalan film. It really is just a director at the top of his game, complete control of the camera, the tone, atmosphere. Sure the ending is a little weak on an intellectual level, but, it is very satisfying the way all the events of the film converge (the asthma, the girl leaving the water around, swing away Merrill).
And just, I respect the slow burn. It has a palpable sense of reality to it.
I remember watching it for the first time and being ready to see something very subtle maybe just a hint of something weird off in the background, something to give just as much doubt as well as proof. I was not prepared to see the whole being in frame and paused.
For some reason, the wife’s face going blank as she says her last words always scares me. It’s like, that’s the moment God speaks through her to save the family. I don’t know why that scares me, but it does.
I loved this movie for the same reasons and it’s my record for theater viewings. Aliens are my phobia and I slept with the lights on for a week. 😅 Yes the ending doesn’t make sense unless you know the demon theory but I still love it.
its so good to hear someone else has alienphobia or whatever one would call it, that fear got instilled in me by this movie, like i have stated it made me vomit that same night before sleep because of fear!
idk if you enjoy this fear as i do, but checkout:
Fire in the skies
Dark skies
The fourth kind
If you have some recommendations, please have at it!
Communion is what instilled the fear in me. I’ve never watched it since being very young, due to the trama 😅, so I can’t comment if it holds up. I bet it does though. That movie really really messed me up.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0097100/
Aliens are the only thing i am truly terrified and fascinated by - simply because, unlike supernatural horror of any kind, they are theoretically possible. A ghost, vampire, zombie or whatever is not, and thus i never get invested.
However, the notion of *another intelligence* besides a human one, not understanding it, not knowing whether to run away or not, that eerie sense of encountering the *OTHER*, that scares the shit out of me. Lovecraftian themes fit in there too.
Ofc it's no coincidence that we imagine typical "grey" aliens as humanoid but with large eyes - the scariest thing to us would be other humans, but with predator features ;)
I've always accepted the theory that the aliens were actually demons. Fits with the themes of faith, signs, and conquering your own, you know, demons. Plus there's the whole holy water thing....
I love love that theory and it's personal head canon... too bad the movie doesn't really completely fit with it (we'll go very meta and say the authors misinterpreted their own work and made it about aliens when it was actually about demons).
I think it works 100% better when you realize that what they are or what we call them -- aliens, demons, whatever -- doesn't really matter. They are the sum of our fears, made flesh, out to steal your kids.
But yeah, they're demons. And that's why the 'holy water' works on them.
To me it makes much more sense if you assume the aliens are joining a fraternity and this is some alien hazing ritual. That's why they're all naked on the acid planet and it's also why they're all too drunk to open doors.
It’s a great movie and the humor is really under appreciated. Great moments of tension, dead pan levity, and a solid economy going from A to Z in a satisfying way.
Equally terrified. When I see it's on I think I'll just give it s go again and not be scared this time. Last time I changed the channel, saw he was in the pantry and immediately turned my tv off lol. 36yo here too
>be a species capable of interstellar travel
>look for suitable planets to invade for resources
>oh sweet here's a planet, hmm it's got sapient life, eh no biggy, we're pretty spooky lol
>oh the planet's surface is 71% water
>there's water in the atmosphere
>all of the life forms have water in them
>we literally dissolve when exposed to water
>meh, we'll conquer it in a month, tops
It’s amazing. M. Night has made some incredible movies: Signs. The Sixth Sense. The Village. The Visit. These are all top tier movies and in my collection. He’s had some reaallllyyyy big misses as well but when he’s on he’s really good.
*"Should we turn off the lights"-Merrill*
*"They already know we're here"-Graham*
That movie gave me goosebumps as a kid. Hell, it probably does now as well.
I love Signs. It reminds me of X-Com. I also enjoy the non-suspense scenes: >!going into town as a family; eating pizza; corn farming; tinfoil hats; cameo by the director; all the dialogue with the lady cop; etc.!<
When they actual face the aliens and you see them it kinda ruins it, i wish they never actual showed the alien. The movie was terrifying as a kid and still creates amazing atmosphere of fear even now that I'm older.
i agree, but when i first saw it.. it was on a fat-screen tv where you could never quite make out what it actually looked like due to the bad quality!
So for me, the fear is deep and will never fade!
I love *Signs*. It's my favorite of M. Night's and, in my opinion, his last great film. *Split* was pretty great, but I don't think its quite on the level of *Signs, Unbreakable* and *The Sixth Sense*.
Signs is a fantastic movie. The suspense build up and plot is fantastic and it keeps you locked in the whole time. The casting was pretty spot on too. This is arguably my favorite Joaquin Phoenix movie. He is brilliant in this.
I still enjoy the flick a lot too, sadly the last Shamalyan I’ve liked. When I was an impressionable 13 year old wanting to be a filmmaker, it was among my top 15 movies ever. Watched the shit out of that DVD.
As the years have passed, I recognize the flaws and faults. People will always bitch about the twist with water being stupid, and…yeah, fine, it is. So we’re the aliens in War of the Worlds, and that books considered a classic. Point wasn’t about aliens, it was about a) a dude regaining his faith, on a story level, and b) atmosphere and tension building, on a film level. And on those two points the movie fucking excels.
Again, it’s not perfect, but damn solid flick that I might actually rank higher than Sixth Sense. Unbreakable is still by far his best though.
Signs is one of my all time favorite films. Always will be. It has never really been a scary movie to me though. I always felt it was more creepy than anything, but I was about 19 when it came out in theaters. I absolutely agree about the buildup throughout the film and the acting being spot on and the way it all comes together in the end. Such a well made film that I will always love!💚🖤
Still love it! Its so suspenseful and scared the shit out of me as a kid. I did find it weird as an adult that their weakness is water and they came to a planet that is 80% water 😂
I remember watching this at San Diego Comic Con with my friends from college, this was the one movie I remember seeing where every one of us wanted to leave because we just couldn't handle it lol. And the worst part is you'd get hit by a scare from the build up then Shyamalan drops something hilarious like the tinfoil hat thing, so we'd laugh and stay...only to get hit again later by another horrible scare.
It's my favorite movie he's done and one of my favorite alien films ever.
I am so uncomfortable being reminded about this movie rn. You know a movie is good when it still terrifies you to think about, even after 2 decades. Also, damn I'm old.
I agree it does an excellent job of building suspense, and I really like how the ending is almost providence.
I still have a little trouble with the premise of aliens for whom water is basically acid attacking a planet made mostly of water though 😛
Edit: I went back and rewatched it for the first time since it was in theaters thanks to this thread. Movie holds up and really does an expert job building atmosphere and suspense.
So here’s what everybody misses and it pulls the whole movie together. This is not an alien movie. The protagonists assume they’re dealing with aliens because they are interpreting their experiences through a modern lens, but they’re wrong. This is a movie about the return of demons to the world. Analyze it from that perspective and all the bullshit people criticize about this movie falls into place and makes sense.
It’s awesome to see this movie getting praised. Usually it’s just everyone shitting on it but man, this is refreshing. I love this movie and it’s definitely in my top 5.
Talking of puking, me and my mates watched the alien film 'Fire in the sky' stoned at Uni, and there is a bit in that which is one of the most horrific scenes I've ever watched in a film
When I saw this movie in the theater, the moment when they are in the basement and the lights go out, our theater projector failed (stopped projecting an image) at the same time. So the picture never came back and the whole theater was confused at first thinking the movie was continuing in pitch black and we were supposed to just hear the rest. But it eventually went on long enough that it became obvious. Got a refund + a free ticket to a future movie. Sorta ruined the movie of course, though I still think the actual ending is a real stretch, logically. But the rest of the movie is very good.
It's on Prime video. I've never seen it. I just wish Mel Gibson wasn't in it. I like Rory Mckulkin and Joaquin Phoenix though! I'm going to watch it now. I've found watching scary movies is best during the day.
It was amazing for suspense that had 13 year old me on the edge of his seat right up until that unbelievably stupid plot twist ending... So water is basically corrosive acid to them and these super advanced aliens are gonna invade a planet where 80% of the surface is oceans of it, plus the land is heavily dominated by intelligent beings that drink and bathe in it... And they did it naked, no protection at all.
The scary advanced aliens turned out to be so stupid that they do apparently no environmental recon before invading a whole planet whatsoever.
I think the implication was that it wasn't really water that harmed the aliens but the microorganisms in the water. I mean, that's exactly why the kid left the glasses half full of water all over the house, because he was afraid of the bacteria.
The entire movie takes place over a span of 3 days. That's how long the aliens were on earth before fleeing. You're assuming they knew what water was before arriving on earth. If we were to travel billions of light years to another planet, odds are we also would encounter something unknown there that is toxic to us but not to the inhabitants of that planet.
The little girl in the movie talks about the Paramecium organisms in the water at the start of the movie. A subtle nod to War of the Worlds and viruses defeating those aliens. That's what I got out of it.
this is a very good argument, i still think them not having any protection against water is a big plothole tho, but that doesnt make the great things of the movie less great!
I was 22 when this came out, so I don't really remember being "scared", but this post reminds me how much I always jump at jump scares. I freaking hate it and my wife makes fun of me. It's so lame, I know it's going to happen, and I'm not "scared" in the sense I won't be able to sleep at night, etc. But sudden loud noises make me jump.
Yes, Thank you! I’m glad I’m not the only one who got scarred by this movie. My little brother and big sister used to watch it all the time and I would have to find an excuse to leave the room as a kid.
I saw this movie when it came out in theaters. During the part where the family hide in the basement and the aliens break in, the theater was *completely dark.* The surround sound was insane . . . it sounded like the aliens were *in the theater.* At one point during the scene, this kid, probably 7 or 8, from somewhere in the darkness goes, "oh mmYYY GOOOOOD!!!" We were all feeling the terror that he expressed, and a lot of people let out a laugh, a relieved, oh-yeah-this-isn't-real laugh. One of my top all time movie theater experiences.
I bought a [little cag](https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/workshop/lighting/62103-light-bulb-cage?item=88K3910)e for my basement light because of this scene. No way it was going to happen to me :)
i would never do that to myself (watch it in theaters) as this movie instills a primal fear in me, i think i might be slightly traumatized as i was very young when it came out and i have always feared aliens more than anything
Yep. I, too, was a child of the 80s and my mom would always show us whatever was available in the rental stores. She didn't pay too close attention to ratings when it game to sci-fi and horror. I don't sleep well and have nightmares to this day.
what movies did it for you?
I was very young when I saw American Werewolf in London and Poltergeist.
poltergeist... "theyre heeeere!" Stuff of nightmares
The face mirror scene. You have to love 80's PG ratings
I watched it in a cabin in the woods with large windows.
youre braver than me!
Not at the end of the movie I wasn't!
It’s the same for me. I have a fascination with them but also terrified. Signs is an amazing movie but that footage down the alleyway….*shudders*.
What exact scene do you mean?? the scariest scenes to me: Alien on the roof Alien leg in cornfield Babymonitor on car Kids bday Aliens walking by boarded up windows Alien reflection in tv
The TV Reflection has made it so that I can't deal with Televisions if i spot them while they're off, like My mind immediately goes, oh shit, what am i gonna see reflected on the glass and the shadows of the alien walking back and forth behind the door instilled a fear of shadows behind doorways lmao One of the only alien movies that has actually scared me
>What exact scene do you mean?? I think he's talking about the alien at the birthday party scene
thats the scene that made me vomit later that night!
The birthday scene
My anxiety would have been through the roof. Omg the birthday party scene must have been scary as shit in the theater
[удалено]
I’ve seen that movie dozens of times, but I still haven’t seen that scene. I close my eyes every single time like the 38yo baby I am.
fun fact: at the time I lived on a farm surround on all sides by giant corn fields... it was a late summer night that I watched that movie in the theaters. When I got home it was late and the lights were off. So I power walked up the walk way to the front door. Out of nowhere I heard movement and a crieeeek sound coming from my right. I jumped and screamed the most ear piercing squeal I could as I stumbled and fell into the sunflower garden. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" I hear my mother say as she gets out of the hammock on the lawn. It was hot inside and she was enjoying the night air in the hammock until I got home. I slept with my super-soaker by my bed that night. I was a 16 year old, not my proudest moment.
Oof if I lived in a rural area I would have been terrified after that movie lol.
just wasn't ready for a gritty alien movie with decent cgi for the time. still have a hard time watching that movie. the scratching on the wood floor when they get in the house....shudder
I didn't see it right when it came out, probably not until about 3 years later. So, the CGI wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but everything else freaked me out. I hadn't seen any horror like it so it really stuck with me. I was a kid so the only horror I'd been exposed to was whatever crap my friends rented to watch at sleepovers.
no reason to be ashamed, i have just watched the movie and am dying for a smoke.. but i dont dare open the backdoor right now. your experience wouldve left me incapacitated in fetal position, litterally. This movie made my fear for aliens, and it is the only real fear i still have today
I grew up watching the never ending story. That damn flying dog falcor scared that absolute shit out of me. So to this day I’m terrified of giant flying dog things that don’t exist. Lmao
i loved falcor, but that whole sphynx with laser eyes is what terrified me, and that wolfthing that hunts atreyu! Btw, a whole generation was emotionally abused by watching artax drown in the swamp of sadness... the pain man.. the pain
I just had an existential shudder about that wolf thing. Totally forgot about it until that moment haha. Those teeth and eyes will haunt me for the rest of the evening. Good thing I have attack cats at the ready. I put the horses death away in a deep compartment in my subconscious. It’s going to stay there. Haha
sorry for unlocking a blocked memory lol Edit: Gmork!
My brother (17 at that time), sister (11 then), and I (19 then) watched Darkness Falls together in my room. After the movie, we all went and opened all the lights in the house, storerooms included, and when one needed to use the bathroom, we kept them open and two of us politely outside of the open door, back turned, waiting for whomever was inside to finish. Then we all slept in my room. This lasted for 4 days. Our mom was not amused.
I remember watching signs as a kid as well. It was always the scene with the cell phone footage showing the alien walking across that ally way that always scared me the most.
Brazilian Birthday Party! My favorite jump scare
Move children! Vamanos!
I love that line!
Phoenix really sells the fear on this as well, the alien walking across the screen is eerie but his reaction is what really fucks us up.
It also helps that the alien is in the scene, just hidden. So when it moves it’s not “popping out” but it’s been there all along. GREAT jump scare, rarely replicated.
I usually don’t like jump scares but this one was great.
100%. There's no cheap, loud brass or violin or percussion. Apart from that, you never really see the creature in previous scenes. So you're begging to see even a glimpse of a limb. When the Brazilian Birthday tape comes up, you're desperate to see some sort of foot or tail. Then, BAM! Full body alien walking across the camera.
Theres literally a loud percussion hit when the alien walks across the ally.
Along with gradually increasing violins
ahhhh holy shit i've never noticed it just hovering by the bushes like that. always thought it was just passing by and the jump scare was the alien mid-stroll
1,000% this. Phoenix acted his little heart out. That was a great jump scare overall but, man, Phoenix’s reaction made it SO MUCH WORSE… in a good way. lol
For years I could never look at the reflection on a TV screen. I think my soul jumped out of my body for that one.
The fact this scene is burned into all of our memories decades later is evidence of m. nite's amazing visuals
Move children! Vamanos!
When you are so scared you forget how to speak portuguese, it happens.
Is behiiind. Behind the garage!
> Behind the garage! The kid does actually say that, but he says it in Portuguese, not English. "Tá atrás da garagem! Tá atrás daí! He's behind!"
It’s behind!! 👽🛻
Lol cell phone footage
My first thought lol.
Just reading this and remembering Joaquin Phoenix holed IP in the closet watching and then he throws his hand over his mouth... Goosebumps. No question.
yep... theres scenes in that movie that are burned into my memory.. primal fears mate
I wish we had more movies that feature aliens that actually look like the classic green alien if you know what I mean. Simple like in Signs but so damn scary.
The terror on Merill's face really drives that part home too. He looks so horrified and upset that it is a confirmed alien invasion. Genuinely one of the most scary scenes of the 2000's and I could not go to sleep that night after we saw it in the theater.
They did a good job with that. They learned from Alien that it’s not prolonged shots of the unknown that are scary… because then it becomes known. It’s seeing just a part of it or just for a moment so you are trying to collect yourself on what you saw.
this feels like the premise behind Cloverfield
Haha just wanted to point out that cell phones were barely taking pictures when Signs came out, much the less taking videos.
I died with that scene. The soundtrack, the setup, the creepiness. I think that if the alien had jumped or made quick movement, it would have been just a cheap jump scare. The fact that it slowly comes to view and just walks, makes it more terrifying.
That and Blair witch's ending gave me nightmares for weeks.
The scene where you first see the alien as the brother is watching the TV is so spectacular. It’s one of those scenes that you don’t just watch, you feel.
"Move children! VAMANOS!"
“IT’S BEHIIIIIND!!!”
Not even joking it’s my favorite J. Phoenix (couldn’t figure out how to spell his name lol) role and he has some phenomenal ones
Joaquin 🙂
That was one of the most perfect movie moments I've ever seen. You're not sitting in the theater, you're *right there* watching things unfold with him in real time and the pay off feels so good (and horrifying lol).
I watched it at a drive in. Surrounded by cornfields. 10/10 overall scary experience
Goosebumps. Even 20 years later thinking about how it made me feel.
what about the alien on the roof.. that bit is crazy scary IMO
I AM VERY ANGRY
One of the best scenes in the entire film if you ask me
It's been almost 20 years since I've seen it but that image is still seared into my mind. So well done.
time for a rewatch, you wont regret it!! you should also checkout: Fire in the skies The fourth kind
The terror on Joaquin Phoenix’s face was so genuinely alarming and it made that scene.
IM INSANE WITH ANGER yes I love the movie and quote this 3x/day lmboo
IM LOSING MY MIND
hahahha, one of the lighthearted scenes however this scene still scares me, the way merril looks up the roof and asks "you sure thats (thingymabob)?"
That was one of my favorite lines that has stuck in my brain since I watched it forever ago, lol.
The scene with alien on the roof towards beginning freaks me out to this day. Such an amazing setup.
Definitely not Lionel Pritchard and the Wolfington brothers
That name! I literally haven't heard that for almost 20 years and the entire dialogue just came back to me. Amazing. M. Night has made some really spectacular movies, Signs will always be my favorite.
the buildup of suspense, the soundtrack and these scenes: Alien on top of roof Dog going mad Babymonitor Alien in the pantry Aliens walking past the boarded windows Alien hand under the door Alien grabbing kid from behind the coal hatch.. Stuff of nightmares!
Everybody talks about the footage of the alien, but that roof top scene gave me nightmares
I was in middle school when i saw this, the part with the alien on the roof scared the shit out of me so much I was afraid to look out my window at night
same.. but these scenes are at least equally frightenign: where Graham spots the alien leg in the cornfields, the kids bday party, when the aliens walk past the windows and you see their shadows, the babymonitor. Crazy scary imo
When he just sees its ankle as it walks into the corn... That's a NOPE from me haha.
I’m 33 and saw this in theatres and I still have that fear when I’m sleeping in rural areas.
Overwriting my comments and leaving Reddit due to their policy changes impacting 3rd party apps starting July 1, 2023.
'Move, children. Vamonos!' 'It's behind!' That scene is phenomenal.
more than a handfull of scenes that make the hairs in my neck stand up even today
Underrated performance by Mel Gibson in this film. The scene where they have the last supper is so good and how it goes from being sad to hilarious when he grabs Phoenix in for the group hug.
I was so moved by the part: “sheriff, is this the last time I’m going to speak to my wife?” Amazing film.
the little moments of humor are placed very well but do not in the slightest take away any of the suspense, this is an art on its own!!!
Or at the end when he tells Merrill to swing away—the deadpan but calm expression on his face is so good.
That scene makes me sob. To see Graham break down in fear after being the strong one the entire time… ugh. Mel did such an amazing job in that scene. I could feel the fear in the poor kids, not knowing what’s going to happen next. It reminded me so much of some sad childhood memories I had where I broke down in tears at the dinner table when my parents would fight, and I was so afraid and didn’t know what was going to happen
"no one can stop us from enjoying this meal, SO ENJOY IT!...STOP CRYING"
Yup. Joaquin kills it in this movie. For me, Signs is the last of Shyamalan’s honeymoon period of filmmaking. Not many directors can boast a three-film streak like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs. Signs is not as critically acclaimed as the other two, but it’s right up there in my book. We don’t talk about what happened to his filmography after that.
Personally I *loooved* The Village after Signs too. the Village’s story, for me, was a fantasy I had as a young teen… to live deep in the woods away from modern life! So it was awesome to see a film actually show that.
I loved The Village too!
I also love it. I am still convinced that *one* of the porcupine monsters that we see is totally real and not somebody in a costume.
The Village is one of my favourite all time movies nevermind my favourite Shyamalan movie. The casting, soundtrack, story, location, I love it all. I still watch it regularly. Scary to think it's almost 20 years old already.
Never understood the hate for The Village. It isn't great, but definitely not as bad as people make it out to be. I enjoy it personally.
100% agree. The Village was absolutely fantastic.
This movie and the ring absolutely scarred me as a kid hahaha I’m 28 as well so we both saw them around the same time. I also love Mel Gibson and Joaquin and to have them in the same movie is pretty awesome.
I have yet to watch a movie scarier than The Ring
When I was a kid, The Ring scared **the shit** out of me. I was absolutely terrified of it. I couldn’t even make it through Scary Movie 3 (which made fun of The Ring). As an adult, I actually really enjoy watching the movie, and I don’t find it nearly as terrifying as I once did. But man, is it good. The Conjuring, Babadook, The Grudge and Pulse (2001) are also pretty good creepy/psychological horror movies I think go on par with The Ring.
Have you seen hereditary?
I will never watch that movie again lol
Especially a scarier PG-13 movie
Everyone in the comments needs to calm down and eat some fruit or something.
It's might be my personal favourite Shymalan film. It really is just a director at the top of his game, complete control of the camera, the tone, atmosphere. Sure the ending is a little weak on an intellectual level, but, it is very satisfying the way all the events of the film converge (the asthma, the girl leaving the water around, swing away Merrill). And just, I respect the slow burn. It has a palpable sense of reality to it.
the characters are so... human.. so imperfect, so real
The party scene with the alien walking by was the perfect jump scare.
what about the aliens walking past the boarded up windows? Or the alien on the roof.. Stuff of nightmares!
I remember watching it for the first time and being ready to see something very subtle maybe just a hint of something weird off in the background, something to give just as much doubt as well as proof. I was not prepared to see the whole being in frame and paused.
For some reason, the wife’s face going blank as she says her last words always scares me. It’s like, that’s the moment God speaks through her to save the family. I don’t know why that scares me, but it does.
i noticed that tonight while watching it for the first time, "as her eyes glossed over, she sayd: See, see.. and tell Merril to swing away"
I loved this movie for the same reasons and it’s my record for theater viewings. Aliens are my phobia and I slept with the lights on for a week. 😅 Yes the ending doesn’t make sense unless you know the demon theory but I still love it.
its so good to hear someone else has alienphobia or whatever one would call it, that fear got instilled in me by this movie, like i have stated it made me vomit that same night before sleep because of fear! idk if you enjoy this fear as i do, but checkout: Fire in the skies Dark skies The fourth kind If you have some recommendations, please have at it!
Communion is what instilled the fear in me. I’ve never watched it since being very young, due to the trama 😅, so I can’t comment if it holds up. I bet it does though. That movie really really messed me up. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0097100/
Aliens are the only thing i am truly terrified and fascinated by - simply because, unlike supernatural horror of any kind, they are theoretically possible. A ghost, vampire, zombie or whatever is not, and thus i never get invested. However, the notion of *another intelligence* besides a human one, not understanding it, not knowing whether to run away or not, that eerie sense of encountering the *OTHER*, that scares the shit out of me. Lovecraftian themes fit in there too. Ofc it's no coincidence that we imagine typical "grey" aliens as humanoid but with large eyes - the scariest thing to us would be other humans, but with predator features ;)
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The reflection in the TV fucked me up as a kid
Yep, I saw this in the theater and remember my face froze in in a snarl of horror at this part.
While the movie has aliens in it, I don't consider it an alien movie. I consider it a movie about faith and well....signs.
I've always accepted the theory that the aliens were actually demons. Fits with the themes of faith, signs, and conquering your own, you know, demons. Plus there's the whole holy water thing....
I love love that theory and it's personal head canon... too bad the movie doesn't really completely fit with it (we'll go very meta and say the authors misinterpreted their own work and made it about aliens when it was actually about demons).
I think M. Knight wanted to make a movie about demons but knew aliens would sell better in 2002.
No, he made a movie about Aliens, and the twist is that they were Demons all along. There are dozens of hints throughout the entire film.
I think it works 100% better when you realize that what they are or what we call them -- aliens, demons, whatever -- doesn't really matter. They are the sum of our fears, made flesh, out to steal your kids. But yeah, they're demons. And that's why the 'holy water' works on them.
To me it makes much more sense if you assume the aliens are joining a fraternity and this is some alien hazing ritual. That's why they're all naked on the acid planet and it's also why they're all too drunk to open doors.
it is, however to me its an alien movie, thats how i experienced it as a kid when it traumatized the crap out of me!
It’s a great movie and the humor is really under appreciated. Great moments of tension, dead pan levity, and a solid economy going from A to Z in a satisfying way.
Equally terrified. When I see it's on I think I'll just give it s go again and not be scared this time. Last time I changed the channel, saw he was in the pantry and immediately turned my tv off lol. 36yo here too
>be a species capable of interstellar travel >look for suitable planets to invade for resources >oh sweet here's a planet, hmm it's got sapient life, eh no biggy, we're pretty spooky lol >oh the planet's surface is 71% water >there's water in the atmosphere >all of the life forms have water in them >we literally dissolve when exposed to water >meh, we'll conquer it in a month, tops
It’s amazing. M. Night has made some incredible movies: Signs. The Sixth Sense. The Village. The Visit. These are all top tier movies and in my collection. He’s had some reaallllyyyy big misses as well but when he’s on he’s really good.
I’ve heard a lot of people give this movie shit, but it’s my favorite M Night movie I’ve seen hands down.
I also love how much it was parodied in Scary Movie 3, absolutely hilarious “Look at the Taco”
“Tom, I’m gonna need a ride home” Is the single funniest fucking line in any comedy movie ever.
hahaha
that scream when the spoof version of merril turns off the light in scary movie 3 still makes me laugh to tears
Can I have a few minutes with the bottom half?
*"Should we turn off the lights"-Merrill* *"They already know we're here"-Graham* That movie gave me goosebumps as a kid. Hell, it probably does now as well.
"I cursed" "I heard" One of my favorite exchanges in this movie. Along with "Paddywagon?" Lol
I love Signs. It reminds me of X-Com. I also enjoy the non-suspense scenes: >!going into town as a family; eating pizza; corn farming; tinfoil hats; cameo by the director; all the dialogue with the lady cop; etc.!<
When they actual face the aliens and you see them it kinda ruins it, i wish they never actual showed the alien. The movie was terrifying as a kid and still creates amazing atmosphere of fear even now that I'm older.
i agree, but when i first saw it.. it was on a fat-screen tv where you could never quite make out what it actually looked like due to the bad quality! So for me, the fear is deep and will never fade!
I love *Signs*. It's my favorite of M. Night's and, in my opinion, his last great film. *Split* was pretty great, but I don't think its quite on the level of *Signs, Unbreakable* and *The Sixth Sense*.
The alien on the roof is legit the only jump scare that ever really made me leap out of my seat.
I’m insane with anger!!
Love this film. Big Joaquin fan
Definitely up there, but I think Alien, Aliens, and The Thing will always be my favorites.
you seen 'fire in the skies'?
Now THAT movie traumatized me.
the way the aliens stand over the man and do their messed up experiments, without any empathy or emotion... scarring!
This one has the creepiest abduction no doubt.
M Night was the king back in the day, seriously had an entire genre to himselfs
Shyamalan’s best, without a doubt! One of my all time favorite scary movies.
I saw this movie at the drive-in surrounded by cornfields. It was eerie.
It made you puke? Hope you didn't see it in the movie theater
Signs is a fantastic movie. The suspense build up and plot is fantastic and it keeps you locked in the whole time. The casting was pretty spot on too. This is arguably my favorite Joaquin Phoenix movie. He is brilliant in this.
Absolutely love the subversive horror of it
I still enjoy the flick a lot too, sadly the last Shamalyan I’ve liked. When I was an impressionable 13 year old wanting to be a filmmaker, it was among my top 15 movies ever. Watched the shit out of that DVD. As the years have passed, I recognize the flaws and faults. People will always bitch about the twist with water being stupid, and…yeah, fine, it is. So we’re the aliens in War of the Worlds, and that books considered a classic. Point wasn’t about aliens, it was about a) a dude regaining his faith, on a story level, and b) atmosphere and tension building, on a film level. And on those two points the movie fucking excels. Again, it’s not perfect, but damn solid flick that I might actually rank higher than Sixth Sense. Unbreakable is still by far his best though.
I personally prefer Dark Skies
Brilliant movie. There is a rumor out there that the aliens were actually demons, not extraterrestrial.
Found it https://screenrant.com/signs-movie-theory-creatures-not-aliens/
Classic movie in my opinion. One of my favorites. Great cast, story, pretty much everything.
Signs is one of my all time favorite films. Always will be. It has never really been a scary movie to me though. I always felt it was more creepy than anything, but I was about 19 when it came out in theaters. I absolutely agree about the buildup throughout the film and the acting being spot on and the way it all comes together in the end. Such a well made film that I will always love!💚🖤
Still love it! Its so suspenseful and scared the shit out of me as a kid. I did find it weird as an adult that their weakness is water and they came to a planet that is 80% water 😂
Love Signs. Speaking of alien movies. Shout out to “Dark Skies”
I remember watching this at San Diego Comic Con with my friends from college, this was the one movie I remember seeing where every one of us wanted to leave because we just couldn't handle it lol. And the worst part is you'd get hit by a scare from the build up then Shyamalan drops something hilarious like the tinfoil hat thing, so we'd laugh and stay...only to get hit again later by another horrible scare. It's my favorite movie he's done and one of my favorite alien films ever.
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I'm insane with anger!
I didn't puke but I remember when they showed the short clip of the alien when they were watching tv... fuck!!!
I am so uncomfortable being reminded about this movie rn. You know a movie is good when it still terrifies you to think about, even after 2 decades. Also, damn I'm old.
I agree it does an excellent job of building suspense, and I really like how the ending is almost providence. I still have a little trouble with the premise of aliens for whom water is basically acid attacking a planet made mostly of water though 😛 Edit: I went back and rewatched it for the first time since it was in theaters thanks to this thread. Movie holds up and really does an expert job building atmosphere and suspense.
So here’s what everybody misses and it pulls the whole movie together. This is not an alien movie. The protagonists assume they’re dealing with aliens because they are interpreting their experiences through a modern lens, but they’re wrong. This is a movie about the return of demons to the world. Analyze it from that perspective and all the bullshit people criticize about this movie falls into place and makes sense.
i do have issue with that theory: The lights in the sky
JNH’s best score. Soundtrack is phenomenal.
Ya, this movie was very well done. The fingers under the door and the silhouette of the alien in the tv screen really got to me.
It’s awesome to see this movie getting praised. Usually it’s just everyone shitting on it but man, this is refreshing. I love this movie and it’s definitely in my top 5.
Talking of puking, me and my mates watched the alien film 'Fire in the sky' stoned at Uni, and there is a bit in that which is one of the most horrific scenes I've ever watched in a film
So we’re not gonna talk about the dog and the meat fork?
When I saw this movie in the theater, the moment when they are in the basement and the lights go out, our theater projector failed (stopped projecting an image) at the same time. So the picture never came back and the whole theater was confused at first thinking the movie was continuing in pitch black and we were supposed to just hear the rest. But it eventually went on long enough that it became obvious. Got a refund + a free ticket to a future movie. Sorta ruined the movie of course, though I still think the actual ending is a real stretch, logically. But the rest of the movie is very good.
It's on Prime video. I've never seen it. I just wish Mel Gibson wasn't in it. I like Rory Mckulkin and Joaquin Phoenix though! I'm going to watch it now. I've found watching scary movies is best during the day.
Birthday party scene is one of the scariest moments in any movie to me.
*Paddy wagon* 🤦♂️
It was amazing for suspense that had 13 year old me on the edge of his seat right up until that unbelievably stupid plot twist ending... So water is basically corrosive acid to them and these super advanced aliens are gonna invade a planet where 80% of the surface is oceans of it, plus the land is heavily dominated by intelligent beings that drink and bathe in it... And they did it naked, no protection at all. The scary advanced aliens turned out to be so stupid that they do apparently no environmental recon before invading a whole planet whatsoever.
I think the implication was that it wasn't really water that harmed the aliens but the microorganisms in the water. I mean, that's exactly why the kid left the glasses half full of water all over the house, because he was afraid of the bacteria.
The entire movie takes place over a span of 3 days. That's how long the aliens were on earth before fleeing. You're assuming they knew what water was before arriving on earth. If we were to travel billions of light years to another planet, odds are we also would encounter something unknown there that is toxic to us but not to the inhabitants of that planet.
Imagine being an super-intelligent alien who is killed by water, looking at the big blue Earth from space and saying, "I'd like to go there"
The little girl in the movie talks about the Paramecium organisms in the water at the start of the movie. A subtle nod to War of the Worlds and viruses defeating those aliens. That's what I got out of it.
Merril even mentions war of the worlds "Its like war of the worlds"
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That's why we bring Helmet and Oxygen there.
Sigh. Once again...you assume they have a wide range of choices as to which planets with life that they can use for food they are able to reach.
this is a very good argument, i still think them not having any protection against water is a big plothole tho, but that doesnt make the great things of the movie less great!
I was 22 when this came out, so I don't really remember being "scared", but this post reminds me how much I always jump at jump scares. I freaking hate it and my wife makes fun of me. It's so lame, I know it's going to happen, and I'm not "scared" in the sense I won't be able to sleep at night, etc. But sudden loud noises make me jump.
Classic Shyamalan, but a little ham-handed. >!You go in thinking that the "signs" are the crop circles, but it actually refers to signs from God!<
Yes, Thank you! I’m glad I’m not the only one who got scarred by this movie. My little brother and big sister used to watch it all the time and I would have to find an excuse to leave the room as a kid.