On the surface, Signs is the tale of an alien invasion and focuses on a small family who has seen its share of tragedy and holds together in order to get past the ordeal. While the movie has plenty of the ear-markings of more classic sci-fi tales (right down to the secret of the alien's defeat is right in front of everyone's eyes), it is actually the story of a man's loss and rediscovery of his faith in God.
Mel Gibson plays Graham Hess, a single father of two who recently lost his wife in a car accident. Until that night, Graham was a reverend, but seeing his wife pinned between a car and a tree shook his faith so deeply that he lost his hold on it completely. Graham's kids, Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin), along with his younger brother, Marrill (Joaquin Phoenix), live a quiet life since the mother's passing, that is, until the day a crop circle appears in their corn field.
At first, there are only a few signs that something is going on, but when lights start appearing in the skies all over the world, it becomes apparent that we are not alone in the universe and visitors have come. It also isn't long before those visitors prove to be hostile. As the Hess family holds out in their house, the action is interrupted by Graham's flashbacks of his wife's death. Each flashback shows us a little more of that night's events and by the end, we realize that the seemingly random statements she says as her final words might not be quite so random. Then again, that all depends on how much you believe in coincidences.
Special features aren't all that extensive, but it does include deleted scenes, a few making-of features and one of Shyamalan's early home-made films. I have to say, I expected a little more, but it is definitely better than nothing.
While not as dramatic a twist appears at the end of Signs as most of Shyamalan's films, the reveal at the end is still a nice one, and is enough for anyone to see the movie at least once. The buildup of suspense is just right when it needs to be, and the dialogue-heavy story holds itself pretty well. Like I said, you should see Signs at least once, but I'm not sure it is worth a purchase.
