12 Most Heart-Stopping Sci-Fi Movie Scenes Ever
6. Alien On The TV Scene - Signs
The third feature film from M Night Shyamalan is much maligned due to its poor 'twist', the reveal that the aliens weakness is water a decidedly poor choice. The film however is pretty damn good until this final scene, with a strong ensemble cast and a number of scenes to keep the hairs standing on the back of your neck.
The film concentrates on the Hess residence, who are in mourning after the death of the family matriarch, when aliens begin arriving on Earth. Scenes within the Hess family's crop fields are classic horror fare, as is a scene where the alien finds itself stuck in the household's pantry. But for sheer heart pounding fun, they don't come any better than the moment where the alien form is finally revealed to the world.
The setup for the scene isn't particularly scary, Joaquin Phoenix's Merrill Hess sitting in the lounge room watching News reports. What makes the scene work is the obscured nature of the media report, the screaming children blocking our view much to the viewers and Merrill's immense frustration.
The moment when Hess finally gets a clear view of the screen is a heart-stopper, the hand held camera shot bearing down a narrow alleyway as we wait pensively for the reveal of the alien. There is a great jump scare when we finally see the being, but it's Phoenix's acting and the build up that really makes this scene work.