10 Massively Underrated 2000s Movie Performances

Mel Gibson is one of the most acclaimed and versatile actors in movie history. From Mad Max’s Max Rockatansky, the role that made him famous, he went on to make the beloved Lethal Weapon series. He even brought the world one of the most acclaimed historical epics ever: Braveheart. Not only did he play Scotland’s mighty William Wallace, he served as director and producer of the film too.

Gibson’s CV includes a great variety of films from a range of genres; there isn’t much he hasn’t tried his had at over the years. One of his lesser-known standout roles would have to be playing the part of Father Graham Hess in M. Night Shyamalaman’s Signs.

This enigmatic horror/sci-fi outing revolves around Gibson’s character, a disenchanted ex-priest who lost sight of his beliefs after his wife was killed in a car accident. His quiet farmhouse is beset by crop circles, which soon appear around the world. His son survives an encounter with one of the invading aliens, in circumstances Hess attributes to divine intervention, and his faith is restored.

It’s tough to depict a man who has both recently lost faith and reclaims it again (in the space of 100 or so minutes, at any rate), btut Gibson pulls it off. Signs is far from his (or Shyamalan’s) best known work, but it may also be a pleasant surprise.