Signs: 10 Scariest Scenes We Can’t Stop Thinking About

Many would agree that Signs has aged the best out of all M. Night Shyamalan films (apart from, perhaps, The Sixth Sense). As effective as it was in theatres in 2002, it’s still yet to lose its impact.

Behind this longevity is its approach. Signs is not a jump scare movie, at least not on an exclusive basis. It’s a character piece that just happens to feature intermittent appearances from aliens. Because of this, the audience truly cares for the characters, and when they’re in harm’s way, it is never less than hair-raising, even after repeat viewings.

10 “Dad’s Going To Burn These Again.”

There are many little, easy-to-miss moments in Signs that are swiftly followed by traditional scares. When Morgan Hess (Rory Culkin) dryly opines that his father will burn the food on the grill, it’s a quick way to show the audience that something’s up with the Hess family.

The audience is unsettled by his statement because it’s as if he is sure that what he’s said will happen, will happen. He’s like a fortune-teller, and the eerieness of that is then instantly followed up by the jarring bark of their dog.

9 “There’s A Monster Outside My Room – Can I Have A Glass Of Water?”

If ever there were a moment where audiences knew a child star was just a flat-out star, it was Abigail Breslin’s delivery of this line. Whether or not the declarative statement and the interrogative were supposed to be merged is a mystery, but thank goodness they were.

It’s unsettling. Bo Hess just breezes past this jarring information (and shows no fear in regards to the perceived existence of “monsters”) and then posits a simple request. The brief flashing shot of the “monster” (alien) on the barn’s roof that follows sells the moment even more. Bo was right about there being a monster, yet her reaction to it is just … routine.

8 Every Channel?

“There are only a limited number of explanations. Either this is one of the most elaborate hoaxes ever created or, basically, it’s for real.” When Bo brings her family into the TV room with the complaint that the same thing is on every channel, it’s perfectly timed. The Hess family are chatting with an officer about possible explanations for who or what made an appearance at their farm the night prior. The officer is, naturally, skeptical.

Their looking at the TV (which shows crop circles all around the world) lets the audience know that, for one, these are not man-made. Two, it also partially dispels the hesitance of the officer. The scene both gives the viewer goosebumps and propels the plot.

7 “You’ll Lose The Signal.”

Signs is filled with many of M. Night Shyamalan’s best-written characters and scenes. The audience cares about the characters’ fear because they care for the characters themselves.

The noises from Bo’s baby monitor are effective because, for one, the sound design is note-perfect. It hovers between certainty that its alien communication and an utter lack thereof (it easily could be a signal from another baby monitor). This lack of clarity is compelling, bolstered by a wonderful soundtrack.

6 The Leg

There are a few things that make for effective horror. One major element is building towards the payoff. When Graham Hess (Gibson) enters the cornfield with a flashlight, the audience knows something is coming and they’re expecting the payoff.

Shyamalan doesn’t give it to them in full, but he gives a taste. Graham drops his flashlight, still surrounded by row after row of corn. He slaps it, considering it turned off from the drop, which again produces the beam. When it does, the open path between the rows of corn is still mostly barren. However, to the right (and for the briefest of seconds) is a gray leg.

5 The Hand

Between the leg and the hand, Signs tells the audience that it’s more than content holding off on showing the film’s antagonist in full. After Graham finishes talking to Ray Reddy (M. Night himself) — the man who struck and killed Graham’s wife after falling asleep at the wheel — he enters Reddy’s home.

Graham’s been told something’s in the pantry. He slides a knife beneath the door to investigate, yet sees nothing. He leaves but spins back upon reaching the front door. He reapproaches the panty, only to immediately see a grotesque, clawed hand in the sliver between the pantry door and the floor beneath.

4 “Move, Children!”

Some may call Signs an overrated thriller film, but few would say that this scene wasn’t frightening on first viewing. Merrill is watching television and it switches to a news report about a birthday party in Brazil. The kids are panicking, pointing towards shrubs, yet neither Merrill nor the audience sees a thing.

He shouts for them to move (he’s excited, generating the same feeling in the audience). They don’t, but the footage from the birthday party holds right on one little clearing between a shrub and a building. Then, a creature moves into the open space, and it apparently has the ability to camouflage.

3 The Hats

Shyamalan’s script for Signs accomplishes two things: it makes the audience scared and it makes them laugh. The film’s most effective moments are when it accomplishes both goals simultaneously. Mel Gibson’s Graham Hess, reentering the house after cutting the fingers off the alien at Ray Reddy’s, briefly halts at the sight of his family wearing tinfoil hats. It was an idea floated earlier in the film, but to see even the adult Merrill buy into it is both silly and frightening.

They look silly, but Merrill is also just scared and willing to try anything. The human race has no true idea of what is invading their planet, so now there’s an inclination that superstition may actually be logic and that hyper-preparedness may still not be enough.

2 “I’m Not Wasting One More Minute On Prayer.”

This scene is not outright scary, but it is brilliant in how it sets the tone, heightened by Gibson’s great acting here. Graham has turned his back on faith as a source of comfort entirely. It’s no longer a part of his life or who he is inside and his acceptance of the inevitable with a scowl is wildly unsettling.

Graham’s lashing out at his own two children immediately after sets the tone for a final conflict, which is then set off via the baby monitor’s sound.

1 Asthma Is Just One Concern In The Basement

In Signs, the third act hits home the merging of family and scares. The Hess family is holed up in the basement, waiting out what may very well be an apocalypse. Soon, the word is received that the aliens are retreating. Of course, one is still in their house. If the audience simply watched Phoenix’s character ascend the stairs it wouldn’t be effective. However, throw a sick child into the mix, and the scene becomes unbearable.

The family must go back upstairs for an epinephrine shot. The audience knows the movie isn’t over, so they know there will be a final encounter. Then — initially shown via reflection on the TV — the alien is holding the incapacitated young Morgan in his arms. Were it not for some character development, the scene wouldn’t be as effective as it is.

About The Author

Ben Hathaway
(300 Articles Published)

Ben Hathaway is a Senior Writer (Lists) for Screen Rant. A former Therapeutic Day Treatment counselor, Ben is now a career writer. When not working, he is writing and self-publishing (on Amazon) novels under the name Scott Gray. In his spare time, he’s reading on the porch or watching every film under the sun. Ben can be contacted at [email protected].

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