Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Mel Gibson and Rory Culkin as Graham and Morgan in 'Signs'
Image via Buena Vista Pictures

A rare M. Night Shyamalan masterpiece gets a hearty round of reappraisal from horror fans

Ah, the golden years.

M. Night Shyamalan is no doubt one of Hollywood’s resident rubber bands, relentlessly snapping back and forth between some high-profile home runs to borderline unwatchable slogs and everything in between and beyond. Indeed, if any filmmaker so perfectly encapsulated a dice roll, it’s Shyamalan.

Recommended Videos

Ideally, most moviegoers will know Shyamalan for the psychological thriller The Sixth Sense, the masterpiece that first bestowed him with the “twist ending guy” label — a reputation that mostly hasn’t done him much good since then (see: Old). But, before he hit an ill-fated hot streak that involves a The Last Airbender adaptation we don’t speak of, Shyamalan went from strength to strength following The Sixth Sense, namely in the form of Signs, which a few residents of r/horror were all too happy to pat on the back over 20 years later.

Featuring a young Joaquin Phoenix and a not-yet-off-the-rails Mel Gibson in the leading roles, Signs follows the plight of two brothers, one of whom is the father of two small children, who begin to discover crop circles in the cornfields of the farm they reside at. As the ominous event repeats itself in different parts of the world, one of the brothers begins to worry that it’s only the precursor to something terrifying.

On top of serving up the spook factor that one would want from a Shyamalan film, Signs has the extra merit of just being a solid movie on all fronts, from the cinematography to the performances to even the script — where the filmmaker tends to stumble even in some of his better pieces (we’re still quite insulted by that Knock at the Cabin ending).

Comment
byu/smallcanadien from discussion
inhorror
Comment
byu/smallcanadien from discussion
inhorror
Comment
byu/smallcanadien from discussion
inhorror

Indeed, for all the hiccups he’s had over the years, we’d be remiss to forget the highs that Shyamalan has granted us in his time, and for every The Happening, there’s a Signs waiting in the wings to restore your faith in more ways than one.


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Charlotte Simmons
Charlotte Simmons
Charlotte is a freelance writer for We Got This Covered, a graduate of St. Thomas University's English program, a fountain of film opinions, and probably the single biggest fan of Peter Jackson's 'King Kong.' She has written professionally since 2018, and will tackle an idiosyncratic TikTok story with just as much gumption as she does a film review.