24 years later, 'Signs' has a terrifying reveal I'm still thinking about

Joaquin Phoenix in Signs — (Image credit: Alamy)

I've been an avid moviegoer all my life, and in the 2000s, much of my time was spent with my butt in the seat at some of the most iconic movie premieres. Case in point: M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs," an alien invasion thriller that I've been captivated by for nearly a quarter of a century.

The movie had me firmly in its clutches as I viewed the plight of the Hess family (Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin) during an alien invasion by malevolent beings with one incredible weakness revealed as the famous Shyamalan "twist" near the end of the movie. But finding out how humanity could get the upper hand over invaders wasn't what stuck with me this long.

No, it was a particular scene that had me practically jumping out of my seat and spilling popcorn all over my parents. I still vividly recall the moment when, at 13 years old, my soul left my body as "Signs" brokered a spine-tingling reveal: the aliens themselves. And now, when I look back on it after all this time, it still sends shivers down my spine. I surmise that, even if it's been years since you've seen the movie, it might do the same to you.

What happened in this memorable scene from 'Signs'?

Up until about an hour into "Signs", we know a few things: the Hess family has been dealing with some abject weirdness on their family farm. They've had crop circles appear. Strange gurgling and clicking sounds have been coming from their youngest child's old baby monitor. And something or someone has been skulking about the farm. This has already put the family in a state of panic, and sent one member, Merrill (Phoenix), to watch the news in secret.

Signs Birthday Party Scene - YouTube

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Merrill is glued to the live news coverage of apparent alien sightings all over the world. He plays a videotape on the family’s TV that he previously recorded. It's a piece of footage reportedly shot by bystanders at a kids' birthday party. The camera pans from buzzing kids at a backyard party to the kids crowding by a window. They cry, "It's behind!", the only part of the scene in English, and point to a car parked on the street. It's a short tease for the heart attack to follow.

With a musical swell, BAM! A dark green humanoid figure walks slowly across the frame. The image is fleeting and slightly obscured by the low quality of the recording, but the outline, shape and motion are unmistakable — it's an alien. And it's the first time we've seen anything like it or any confirmation that aliens do exist in the movie.

It's only a few seconds long, but it was enough to sear that moment into my mind forever.

Why I can't forget this ultra-scary reveal from 'Signs'

Up until that point, "Signs" had built its tension through suggestion. The threat had been implied but always just out of sight. At that point, however, I was right there with Merrill, unable to hide my surprise, disgust and fear. With no fanfare, the footage appears. It confirms in a single, grainy frame that what everyone was afraid of is real. And it's time to get serious about protecting the family from whatever it is that the invaders want.

I've never seen another film in these 24 years nail such a moment so completely, so that it immediately comes to mind when I'm thinking about some of the scariest moments I've ever seen. Sure, it may be tame in terms of visuals, even comical to some now. But in that moment, I felt my entire world explode apart for just a few seconds, and that alien's image burned into my psyche forever.

I can highly recommend "Signs" for this reason and more, all this time later. And if you haven't experienced it yet, this is an excuse to dive in whenever you have time and relive one of the 2000s' most heart-pounding moments.

Rent/buy "Signs" on Prime Video or Apple TV

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Brittany Vincent has been covering video games and tech for over 13 years for publications including Tom's Guide, MTV, Rolling Stone, CNN, Popular Science, Playboy, IGN, GamesRadar, Polygon, Kotaku, Maxim, and more. She's also appeared as a panelist at video game conventions like PAX East and PAX West and has coordinated social media for companies like CNET. When she's not writing or gaming, she's looking for the next great visual novel in the vein of Saya no Uta. You can follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake.

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