

Signs(2002)
2002 · M. Night Shyamalan · 106 min
A family living on a farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields which suggests something more frightening to come.
Thriller · Science Fiction · Horror
6.76.6k votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
0/5
Gore
3/5
Stays with you
How scary is Signs?
There's a heavy, held-breath feeling running through most of this movie, like something is always about to happen but hasn't yet. It moves slowly and quietly, focusing on a family's fear and unease at home, then lets a handful of sudden, well-placed scares break the silence. The danger feels distant and strange rather than gory or graphic, and a lot of the fear comes from not knowing what's out there and feeling helpless to protect your family. It's more of a tense, nervous watch than a traumatic one, good for people who like dread that builds slowly instead of constant shocks.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Signs rates psychological 4/5, visceral 2/5, gore 0/5, lingering effect 3/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 4 of 5
- Visceral: 2 of 5
- Gore: 0 of 5
- Lingering: 3 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 25 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 30 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 45 of 100 — balanced
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow, uneasy build with small jolts along the way that tightens steadily into a tense, frightening final stretch.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 4.
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