Ryan (Perry Pullman) and Molly (Emma Garnett) are welcomed into their new home by neighbour Jack (Scott Cain). Withdrawn and a bit creepy, Jack is not the most sociable of neighbours; his main interest is persuading people to petition for the introduction of speed limits on local roads. Although Ryan finds Jack irritating, Molly is increasingly drawn to the cause he supports.
The Sign begins promisingly with suspenseful music playing over the introductory scenes and a potentially good set-up. However, James Coare’s script does not develop towards a satisfactory conclusion.
There are a number of plot points which seem not so much red herrings as ideas left over from earlier drafts of the script that were not pursued. Jack might be stalking Molly—he may have opened her mail and is seen watching her through the window. There is the visual suggestion Jack has performed an act of sabotage. But these possibilities are simply left hanging without being resolved. It is never clear why Molly sympathises with Jack or becomes so committed to the causes he promotes.
The author concludes by baldly spelling out Jack’s motivation without linking the explanation to a satisfactory resolution. Other potential dramatic developments—the possibility Jack might have been stalking Ryan not Molly—are not explored.