In the early 2000s, M. Night Shyamalan was on a roll with films like The Sixth Sense and the superhero movie ahead of its time: Unbreakable. With Signs, Shyamalan had another success, but some of Signs' twists and turns made it divisive among audiences. Still, many appreciated the suspenseful drama of seeing an alien invasion from one family's perspective.

As per usual, M. Night Shyamalan was rather meticulous with what was presented throughout Signs. Very little is by accident when it comes to Shyamalan, and there are a lot of things to miss even years after release, from subtle touches with the aliens to cleverly written subplot elements.

Updated on October 31st, 2022 by Melody MacReady:

On February 3rd, 2023, the prolific M. Night Shyamalan will be returning to thrill audiences with Knock At The Cabin starring Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, and Rupert Grint. It's about a group of people harassing a family in the woods apparently trying to stop the apocalypse through the sacrifice of these innocent people.

The small, isolated setting is highly reminiscent of Shyamalan's alien thriller Signs, which happens to be celebrating its 20th anniversary. To honor Signs, now is the perfect time to look back at the film and spot even more details that Shyamalan cleverly put into his film.

Shyamalan Tributes Alfred Hitchcock

Split image of the opening credit for Signs (2002) and Psycho (1960)

With the help of James Newton Howard's score, the opening credits of Signs might seem eerily familiar to fans of Alfred Hitchcock. In concept, these are very simple credits with the names going across a bright blue screen to the music, but this was actually an intentional tribute to Hitchcock's Psycho which had a very similar simple yet intense opening.

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M. Night Shyamalan confirmed this in the Making Of Signs documentary, along with the idea that an unexplained supernatural event occurs leading to a small group of people in a house. This was inspired by Hitchcock's other iconic horror movie The Birds.

All Crop Circles Were Real

Aerial view of the crop sign in Signs (2002)

It likely would have been easier to digitally add the crop signs seen in aerial shots. However, M. Night Shyamalan stated that he didn't care for using CGI at the time, so not only were the cornfields grown for the film, but the crop signs were done practically.

Shyamalan was smart in this decision, as it gave more suspense and realism to the scenes. It makes Graham's reaction to seeing the sign feel more grounded in reality.

Hidden Image In DVD Menu

Reflection of Merrill, Morgan, and Bo watching TV on Signs DVD menu

An interesting detail found in the DVD menu is that when starting up or when "Press Play" is selected, the screen flickers, then emits static, and turns on and off like an older television screen. When the screen is black, there is a faded image hidden in the screen.

It's Merrill, Bo, and Morgan in their tin foil hats watching the TV. It's not exactly a necessary addition nor is it part of the actual film, but it is one that shows effort and attention to detail.

The Aliens Have Less Than Five Minutes On Screen

Bo watching Merrill fighting the alien in Signs (2002)

It's odd to think that the main antagonists of Signs have the smallest on-screen role. This is thanks to Shyamalan's well-crafted use of tension and dread as the aliens' presence is felt from nearly beginning to end, making them appear to have more screen time than they actually do. Jordan Peele's Nope did something similar with the aliens being hidden.

If someone were to include the appearances of their shadows moving, figures moving just out of frame, the hand popping out of the pantry, the leg in the crop, the silhouette on the rooftop, and the final encounter with the straggler alien, it comes up to roughly four minutes and forty seconds, give or take a few. That's less screen time than the shark from Jaws.

Alien Of The Roof Moves Slightly

Alien scout watching Graham and Bo from rooftop in Signs (2002)

The first true encounter with the tall and lanky aliens is when Graham looks out the window. On the roof, an alien is watching from a distance, providing a creepy jump scare that is likely to trigger those with scopophobia. It's these encounters that make Signs an underrated alien horror film.

The alien is only on-screen for a couple of seconds, but there is a subtle detail added to the moment. When the alien realizes it's been spotted, it shifts slightly: showing the jittery and frantic nature of these creatures early on.

Revolutionary War Themes

Deputy Caroline's car parked outside the Hess house in Signs (2002)

Like other films, Shyamalan likes to use colors and certain designs for symbolic purposes. In Signs, the Hess house was built from scratch to look Victorian American, there are little figurines based on the American Revolutionary War, and the house itself is colored red, white, and blue.

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Shyamalan's intention was to have the farm and the family represent the Colonists during the 18th century. They were about to be invaded by a massive and scary force, with the aliens representing the British army at the time. Despite being outmanned, the Colonists won the Revolutionary War, much like how this family survives and overcomes the alien attack.

Why Graham Doesn't Call A Vet

Graham visiting Ray Reddy's house with a close up of the mailbox in Signs (2002)

Early in the film, the Hess family dog Houdini is acting strange because of the alien presence and urinating on the kitchen floor. Rather than call a vet, Graham tells his kids to take Houdini outside, and he'll call Dr. Crawford; he doesn't treat animals, but he'll know what to do.

Why call a medical doctor over a vet? Well, later on, Graham visits Ray Reddy at his house, and he happens to be responsible for the accidental death of Graham's wife. In an establishing shot of the house, the mailbox states that Ray is a veterinarian, subtly explaining that conversation with Morgan.

Merrill's Character Arc

Merrill Hess wielding his baseball bat against the alien in Signs (2002)

Signs mainly focuses on the family's struggles with grief and the incoming alien attack. As a result, there is a small character arc that occurs throughout the movie. Very early on, Merrill (played by Joaquin Phoenix) expresses that he doesn't feel helpful to his older brother and the kids. Merrill struggles with his self-doubt, especially after what happened to his baseball career.

He seems tempted to leave the farm and this is shown by his interest in potentially joining the military, but when the aliens come along and the family is so broken, Merrill slowly realizes how important he is to them. This comes full circle when he becomes the family's main protector against the lone alien using his award-winning baseball bat.

The Alien Hiding In Plain Sight

Alien hiding in the trees while staring at the camera in Signs (2002)

In what many considered to be the scariest scene in Signs, found footage is shown of a family and group of kids encountering an alien. The alien darts out of some trees and walks past, giving a first true look at the alien, but even then, Shyamalan keeps it hidden enough through the low-quality footage.

Something that many can easily miss is that the alien does not come from the trees. It's actually standing visibly on screen, using its natural camouflage to blend in with the trees and darting its head around.

The Signal Becomes Clear When The Family Is Connected

Side-by-side view of the Hess family holding each other while the baby monitor goes off in Signs (2002)

Signs may be one of the scariest alien movies of all time, but it's also an emotional film. A small detail that may or may not be intentional: throughout Signs, Morgan detects the alien communications through a baby monitor. The only times they manage to get long and clear signals are near the middle and the end of the film.

Both times happen when Graham, Merrill, Morgan, and Bo are all holding each other. Shyamalan puts a lot of symbolism into Signs about faith and hope; it is not unlikely that these moments are meant to signify that the family will get through the incoming alien invasion as long as they stick together.

Multiple Similarities To War Of The Worlds

Split image of the aliens succumbing to their weakness in Signs (2002) and War Of The Worlds (1953)

Merrill states that the aliens' attacks are like War Of The Worlds; this line is a bit of a hint to the divisive twist that the aliens' big weakness is something as simple as water. Both versions of War Of The Worlds did something very similar with a common virus killing the aliens.

RELATED: 5 Ways The 1953 War Of The Worlds Is Better (& 5 Ways The 2005 Movie Is)

Coincidentally, the 2005 remake of War Of The Worlds would follow an estranged father and his children dealing with the alien invasion, very similar to Signs. Whereas the original 1953 War Of The Worlds was more focused on the military and how they handle the Martian invasion.

Missing Crucifix

Graham Hess brushing his teeth in the bathroom in Signs (2002)

Faith definitely the core theme of Signs with Graham having lost his after the death of his wife (even though he eventually regains his faith throughout the experience of dealing with the incoming alien invasion). Before even telling the audience that Graham is no longer a reverend, there is a small hint of his lost faith.

During the opening scene, Graham hears Bo scream in the distance, and he dashes into view in the bathroom. In that very shot, there is a faded stain on the wall in the shape of a cross indicating that Graham lost his faith and took down his crucifixes. This comes back towards the end when he tells God that he hates him for what happened to his wife.

The Alien's Hand Was Already There

Side-by-side view of Morgan Hess in front of the coal chute and being attacking by an alien in Signs (2002)

During the third act, Graham and the family are hiding in the basement as the aliens break into the house. The aliens can't break in through the door, so they begin making noises to keep the Hess family distracted. So Graham and Merrill begin looking for the coal chute.

When they do find it, Morgan is standing right in front of it, leading to him being attacked by an alien hand. It happens so fast that it's easy to view it as the alien reaching through and grabbing Morgan. In actuality, the hand was already dangling there, camouflaging, and simply reached over to Morgan.

Crickets Indicate The Aliens

Graham gazing out the window as the invasion begins in Signs (2002)

There is actually a way to tell when an alien encounter is about to occur in Signs. Whether it's when the alien is on the roof, in the crop, or when the invasion starts in the third act. Each time, it usually starts with the crickets chirping as loud as possible but then the crickets stop, leaving the scene with dead silence.

This is most noticeable when Graham is watching the fields from an upstairs window while they are boarding up the house and the crickets stop. This detail helps enhance the suspense, making the audience fear whether an alien could appear at any second.

Connection To Unbreakable

Split image of Merrill looking at a glass of water in Signs (2002) and David Dunn AKA Overseer standing in the rain in Unbreakable (2000)

Like most of Shyamalan's movies, Signs takes place in Pennsylvania, but it also has an oddly specific element that returns from Unbreakable. The aliens are weak to water, acting almost like a mild acid when made direct contact, which was a divisive twist among audiences.

This is strangely similar to the weakness of Bruce Willis' David Dunn AKA Overseer in the Unbreakable trilogy. It's unlikely that Signs exists within the same universe, but it is interesting that Shyamalan used a weakness to water twice in a row.

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