M. Night Shyamalan’s Best Sci-Fi Is Officially a Streaming Hit 24 Years Later

If you’re ready to start “spooky season” early with some grounded sci-fi horror, we have the perfect streaming hit for you. Currently making waves on Peacock, where it has found itself a nice spot on the platform’s Top 10 Movies list, Signs is everything you could hope for in a spooky alien movie this fall. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan at the peak of his early career — he had just come off The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable — there are few movies in the alien invasion subgenre so intelligent and spiritually profound as this one. If it’s been a few years (or you’ve not yet had the pleasure), don’t sleep on Signs.

You’ll Never See Another Alien Invasion Movie Quite Like ‘Signs’

Image via Buena Vista Pictures

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For this author, it’s the entire premise of Signs that just speaks to the soul. The film follows former Episcopalian priest and widower Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) as he struggles to raise his two young kids, Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin), in the wake of their mother’s accidental and unfortunate death. With his brother, Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), by his side, the two start witnessing some high strangeness in their back cornfields as crop circles and odd movement along their small Pennsylvanian farm begin to occur simultaneously with strange heavenly lights making their way throughout the world. As it becomes clear that we are not alone in the universe, Graham’s crisis of faith spirals further as he is forced to come to terms with all the otherworldly occurrences happening around them. Nowhere is safe, and as the invaders begin to close in, there are no more places to hide. For the Hess family to survive, they must learn to read the signs all around them . . .

A deeply personal (and, dare we say, spiritual) take on the “alien invasion” subgenre, Signs is a masterclass in tension, discomfort, and powerful performances from its leading stars, who create such vivid characters that even their oddest behavior is believable. Graham is a man who has only ever been a pastor, but even with that role removed from his life, he finds himself in oddly pastoral circumstances and discovers that he is perhaps the only one who can put all the pieces together to save his family. The chemistry between Gibson and Phoenix is off-the-charts, too, as the brothers perfectly balance out each other’s respective character flaws. Additionally, James Newton Howard‘s haunting Signs score courses throughout the carefully woven moments of personal dread and the hanging threat of global annihilation. The piano keys are just as anxiety-inducing as the alien fingers under the door or the shadowy figure propped on the opposite roof. It’s these small touches that Shyamalan peppers throughout that give the film real character, transforming it into an accidental masterpiece.

‘Signs’ Deserves to Be Revisited on Streaming

For as big as the concept is, Signs is quite an intimate (and even hopeful) film. Yes, it’s about alien invasions, but it’s also about deep levels of grief, regret, moral failing, and faith. Some of those aspects may not be the first things that come to mind when you think about aliens slowly trying to take over the world, and yet, it’s those kinds of movies where the horror feels most real because the characters feel the most real. And that’s true even if there’s a bad CGI alien at the end . . . Some have noted that Signs would have been better if not for some of the strange character choices and oddities present in the kids themselves, but, frankly, as a father to young children, that’s one of the film’s most endearing aspects. Those “goofy” elements are exactly what makes the world of Signs feel so lived in and authentic, even with aliens involved.

Signs is perhaps Shyamalan’s best work, though that may be a bit of a strong statement to some who already have their favorite Shyamalan films ranked. Still, with the alien horror flick trending on Peacock, there’s no better time to give it a rewatch. Signs just works for a fall-themed binge, and for those looking for monsters a bit more out-of-the-coffin than Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster or Wolf Man, then Signs may just be the pivot for you — just don’t expect any monster make-up that looks remotely as good.

Signs is available for streaming on Peacock.