The Signal
Directors: David Bruckner & Dan Bush
Starring: Anessa Ramsey, AJ Bowen, Justin Welborn & Scott Poythress
Genre: Horror/Suspense Thriller
Rated: R
Tag line: This is not a test
Amazon rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars
My rating: 3 stars
Plot: The broadcast of a strange signal through several sources of media turns every day people into psychotic murderers.
Review: The movie is split into three stories, or "transmissions" as they are called. Each story revolves around a particular character in the movie, however all the characters are interlocked so there is some constancy in the movie, though it jumps time lines - think Go rather than Pulp Fiction.
While at first worried this was going to be a zombie-esque movie - so many other people when first seeing the trailer actually thought the movie was based off the novel Cell by Stephen King - I am glad that it wasn't. Rather than seeing several thousand zombie-like humans tearing at each other, eating flesh mercilessly, we are given instead a small group of people - as the movie is about survival, not the "monsters" - hacking away body parts, shooting people purposelessly and bludgeoning with a baseball bat. The exciting part is the fact that you never really know who's been affected by the transmission as they find themselves in the know.
It's also funny at times, which usually doesn't work in these sort of movies - with the exception of those that are meant to be funny (see: Shaun of the Dead
). The characters aren't really molded out well with the exception of Lewis (the jealous husband) and Mya (the adulterous wife), but even they seem to be lacking dimension. It also leaves open the plot hole of why some people are inclined to commit murder while others who see the transmission are left with a severe form of psychosis.
Nevertheless, the movie brings you the thrills, chills and excitement that we demand, even though it fails to live up to its full potential. Overall, it's a movie worth watching.
While at first worried this was going to be a zombie-esque movie - so many other people when first seeing the trailer actually thought the movie was based off the novel Cell by Stephen King - I am glad that it wasn't. Rather than seeing several thousand zombie-like humans tearing at each other, eating flesh mercilessly, we are given instead a small group of people - as the movie is about survival, not the "monsters" - hacking away body parts, shooting people purposelessly and bludgeoning with a baseball bat. The exciting part is the fact that you never really know who's been affected by the transmission as they find themselves in the know.
It's also funny at times, which usually doesn't work in these sort of movies - with the exception of those that are meant to be funny (see: Shaun of the Dead
). The characters aren't really molded out well with the exception of Lewis (the jealous husband) and Mya (the adulterous wife), but even they seem to be lacking dimension. It also leaves open the plot hole of why some people are inclined to commit murder while others who see the transmission are left with a severe form of psychosis.Nevertheless, the movie brings you the thrills, chills and excitement that we demand, even though it fails to live up to its full potential. Overall, it's a movie worth watching.
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