Signs is a 2002 American science fiction mystery thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and produced by Shyamalan. Its story focuses on a former priest named Graham Hess, played by Mel Gibson, who discovers a series of crop circles in his cornfield. Hess slowly discovers that the phenomenon is a result of extraterrestrial life. It also stars Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, and Abigail Breslin. Signs explores the themes of faith, kinship, and extraterrestrials.