Signs

The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Graham Hess wakes in distress to the sound of his children screaming. The empty space beside him in bed and the collar hanging unused on his dresser immediately establish a man who has lost his wife and abandoned his faith as a reverend.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.

The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when The family discovers massive crop circles in their cornfield. What initially seems like vandalism becomes something far more disturbing when news reports reveal identical patterns appearing worldwide, forcing the Hess family to confront an inexplicable phenomenon.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.

The First Threshold at 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Graham makes the active choice to stay and protect his family on the farm rather than flee. After the family witnesses strange lights over their cornfield and news confirms worldwide UFO sightings, Graham decides they will face whatever comes together at home, boarding up the house., moving from reaction to action.

At 53 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat Graham traps an alien's fingers under a knife at Ray Reddy's house, confirming the threat is real and hostile. Ray reveals he's the one who killed Colleen and confesses he's fleeing to a lake because "they don't like water." This false defeat escalates the stakes—the aliens are real, dangerous, and everywhere—while planting a crucial clue., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.

The Collapse moment at 80 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, In the basement, Morgan has a severe asthma attack, and Graham reveals to Merrill what Colleen said before she died—seemingly random words about Merrill swinging away and telling Graham to "see." Graham interprets her death as proof there is no God, no one watching over them. His despair represents the spiritual death preceding rebirth., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.

The Second Threshold at 85 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Morning comes and the aliens have retreated worldwide—they've left because Earth's environment is hostile to them. The family emerges from the basement believing they've survived, providing a moment of relief and hope. Graham begins to see that perhaps there was a design to their survival., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.