n Bucks County, Pennsylvania, current farmer and former reverend Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) is startled one morning to discover that his two young children, Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin), have wandered off into the middle of their property and stumbled upon an enormous geometric pattern flattened into a section of their cornfield. Graham’s adult brother, back-number Minor League baseball player Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), joins them, as he’s been staying on the premises since the death of the children’s mother. The crop symbols are too perfectly formed to have been the mischievous Lionel Prichard and the Wolfington brothers from nearby, and this inexplicable design coincides with odd behaviors from domesticated pets. “Some animals around the county have been actin’ funny,” explains police officer Caroline Paski (Cherry Jones) when she comes to investigate the damage to the plants.

That evening, someone is heard rummaging around on the roof, before vanishing into the adjoining field, having leapt up and down with seemingly olympian speed and agility. When the news reports that dozens of similar designs have been emblazoned into fields all across the world, it’s suddenly apparent that this is the work of an incredibly elaborate, coordinated hoax – or it’s extraterrestrial. Either way, the Hess family is at the heart of these conspiratorial happenings and the ensuing mass hysteria. “There’s a monster outside my window.”

With James Newton Howard’s nerve-jangling music, intermittently reminiscent of “Psycho’s” score, the stage is immediately set for eerie occurrences. Before character development begins, it’s evident that a creepy atmosphere is the most potent element to be established. Fortunately, writer/director M. Night Shyamalan doubles back for the characters; he’s smart enough to know that without people the audience can care about or relate to, the best cinematic chills aren’t nearly as effective. Indeed, this intimate group is quite likable, full of quirky flaws, with their spiritual beliefs under scrutiny (a major theme, opening up the meaning of the title, as the former man of God questions his faith) alongside the valuation of family and past demons that continue to haunt them. They’re all nuanced, idiosyncratic, and believable; the script is routinely existential and profound, particularly as flashbacks fill viewers in on why Graham abandoned his career with the church: the eternal debate over miracles or mere unlikely coincidence, as well as the comfort of prayers and the breakdown of composure when panic takes hold. “We are all on our own.”

Of course, also high on the list is attention to unsettling details and imagery. Exceptionally adroit framing and camera angles up the ante on thrills; a malfunctioning baby monitor, a dropped flashlight, barking dogs, the reflection from a metal instrument, and the eventual revealing shots of who or what is behind the manipulation of plantlife are amusing additives to an already well-known fear of the unknown; crop circles and their creators (and the conspiracy theories therein) are a fascinating subject to build a horror movie around. There’s a certain pre-sold audience when it comes to engagement in a popular urban legend – like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Plus, “Signs” takes its time to build up a sense of dread that escalates until the harrowing, exhilarating climax, while also crafting some distinctly hilarious sequences to temporarily alleviate the rollercoaster discomforts.

Although a few notions nod a bit too much to “The War of the Worlds,” a reference (and convenience) actually made within the picture, and it just might be impossible to measure up to “The Sixth Sense,” the scares are expertly handled; there’s an undeniable cleverness to the idea that a potential alien invasion could re-instill religious ardor just as it terrorizes an unprepared community. Ultimately, with all of its congruous themes and heart-stopping imagery, this is a tight, creative, sharply-paced, thoroughly entertaining chiller. “Is this really happening?”

– Mike Massie