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Signs

Signs

It's not like they didn't warn us.

2002106 minPG-13Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Director
M. Night Shyamalan
Starring
Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin

A family living on a farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields which suggests something more frightening to come.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Signs?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Signs streaming on Hulu and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Signs?

Signs earns 7 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Signs worth watching?

Signs' Midcredits score is the 74th percentile of all films, from 1M ratings across 6 sources. 64% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

74th percentile

Better received than 74% of films

76th percentile among Drama72nd percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)74th
Approval (how many liked it)71st

68 /100

74th percentile of all films

77th percentile among Drama73rd percentile among 2000s

Critics 59 · Audience 69

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.9 — solid but not unanimous.

64% liked it

71st percentile of all films

73rd percentile among Drama69th percentile among 2000s
64% rated it 7–1036% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 34 noms overall

99th percentile

1M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$72M
Opening weekend$60M
Domestic gross$228M
Worldwide gross$408M

Returned 5.7× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Reviews agree the film is an intimate, slow-burn family drama about faith and grief dressed as an alien invasion, not a typical action-packed sci-fi spectacle.

Fans praised

  • Tension built through what is not shown, using shadows, sound, and restraint
  • Strong performances from Gibson, Phoenix, and child actors with believable family chemistry
  • Serious exploration of faith, grief, and finding meaning in tragedy

Detractors panned

  • Aliens allergic to water yet invade a water-covered planet — a gaping logical flaw
  • Aliens cannot break through wooden doors despite interstellar travel, making them unintimidating
  • Ending feels like a contrived sermon rather than a satisfying sci-fi resolution

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive82

Eerie, oppressive mood through cornfields and isolated farmhouse

ActingDivisive78

Gibson and Phoenix praised for depth; detractors call performances labored or monotone

TensionDivisive78

Genuinely frightening buildup using unseen threat; but climax deflates it for many

Emotional impactDivisive72

Graham's grief and faith journey moves fans; detractors find it manipulative

CharactersDivisive68

Family feels real and sympathetic; some find kids mildly annoying or underdeveloped

PacingDivisive55

Slow-burn buildup praised by many; criticized as plodding and overlong

Plot and storyDivisive45

Faith recovery arc deepens it for fans; water vulnerability logic ruins it for detractors

EndingDivisive40

Sentimental, faith-restoration ending satisfies some; many call it laughable or anticlimactic

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 12 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is Signs like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you can only half-watch or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and patience.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
DreadTenseMelancholicHopeful
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film maintains a grave, understated tone, treating the alien threat and the family's grief with equal seriousness, avoiding irony or melodrama.
The rideThe film steadily builds dread and tension, peaking in the home-invasion climax before resolving with a cathartic, faith-restoring ending.
StructureEvents unfold chronologically from the discovery of crop circles through the night of the invasion.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you pondering the interplay of faith and coincidence, with a bittersweet sense of family survival and restored belief.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterInvasion
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% (this title) · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Invasion: An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

Why this archetypeThe story follows a family discovering an alien invasion and barricading themselves in their farmhouse for the final confrontation, while the protagonist's arc of lost faith is a rebirth.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% (this title) · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Purpose · 9% of filmsFamily bondsFaith · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeGraham's crisis of faith and search for meaning after his wife's death frame the family's survival against the alien invasion.
StanceThe film questions the nature of faith and coincidence, ultimately affirming purpose but presenting it as a personal struggle rather than a settled answer.

The world

ContemporaryRuralDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · James Newton Howard
SettingA farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, during an alien invasion.
MusicThe score blends haunting strings with minimalist cues to heighten suspense and emotional resonance.

Content guide

Is Signs okay for kids?

PG-13

Signs is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for some frightening moments” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (52/100), sexual content at minimal (6/100), language at mild (33/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (19/100) and frightening material at intense (77/100). Overall it is heavier than 76% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 34 other countries
  • UK12A
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland15PG
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil12
  • Argentina13
  • Austria14
  • Belgium16
  • CzechiaU
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceK-12
  • Hong KongIIA
  • Hungary12
  • IS12
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/12
  • Russia12+
  • South Africa13
  • Spain7
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland12
  • Türkiye13+
  • VEPG-13
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 47% of all filmsHeavier than 76% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 56%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 3%
Profanity
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 26%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 18%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 94%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what PG-13-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Signs have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Signs?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Mel Gibson
as Graham Hess
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Joaquin Phoenix
as Merrill Hess
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Rory Culkin
as Morgan Hess
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Abigail Breslin
as Bo Hess
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Cherry Jones
as Officer Paski
M. Night Shyamalan
as Ray Reddy
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Patricia Kalember
as Colleen Hess
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Ted Sutton
as SFC Cunningham
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Merritt Wever
as Tracey Abernathy
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Lanny Flaherty
as Mr. Nathan
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Signs?

Movies like Signs include The Visit (2015), The Village (2004) and Knock at the Cabin (2023). Of the 12 closest matches, several are stories about aliens, and several are films set on a farm.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

M. Night Shyamalan wrote and directed 5 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Signs?

378 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: alien contact. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.