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The Signal

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The Signal (2007)

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Reviews Counted:67

Fresh:36

Rotten:31

Average Rating:5.7/10

Consensus: The Signal is gruesome, funny, and has big thoughts about society, but those disparate elements fail to come together convincingly.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong brutal bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and brief nudity.

Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:Feb 22, 2008 Limited

Synopsis: Much like 28 DAYS LATER, THE SIGNAL is a zombie film in disguise asking the question, "What would you do if everyone suddenly turned psychotic?" Conceived by Atlanta filmmakers Jacob Gentry, Dan... Much like 28 DAYS LATER, THE SIGNAL is a zombie film in disguise asking the question, "What would you do if everyone suddenly turned psychotic?" Conceived by Atlanta filmmakers Jacob Gentry, Dan Bush, and David Bruckner as an exercise in which each would write and direct one of three acts, the result is an experimental and apocalyptic horror tale with a for-fans-by-fans mentality that is cerebral and visceral, both disturbing and thought-provoking. In the first segment, it is New Year's Eve in the city of Terminus, and Mya (Anessa Ramsey) has just begun an extramarital affair with Ben (Justin Welborn). As she leaves his apartment, he turns on the television to witness a noisy and colorful swirl. The mysterious transmission affects all television, radio, and cell phone signals, causing normal citizens to transform into bloodthirsty killers. By the time Mya reaches her apartment, her building is littered with corpses, and her husband, Lewis (A.J. Bowen), shows the first signs of the condition, causing Mya to flee for safety. Part two is a bleak domestic comedy in which Lewis, searching for his wife, invades the home of a young couple preparing for a party only to kill several potential guests. In the final segment, Ben and Lewis traverse an intensely chaotic landscape in a race to find Mya. With this artful and hard-hitting creation, Gentry, Bush, and Bruckner, have tried to cover all the bases, right down to an amusingly grotesque RE-ANIMATOR homage in the final act. Though clearly a low-budget production (we never see destruction on a very wide scale), the film overcomes such limitations with an intensity that lasts throughout the duration, and the cast of unknowns enhances the creepiness of the proceedings. Right from its opening sequence--a creepy film-within-a-film--THE SIGNAL establishes itself as one for horror aficionados. [More]

Starring: Anessa Ramsey, Sahr, AJ Bowen, Matt Stanton

Starring: Anessa Ramsey, Sahr, AJ Bowen, Matt Stanton, Suehyla El-Attar, Justin Welborn, Cheri Christian

Director: David Bruckner, Jacob Gentry, Dan Bush

Director: David Bruckner, Jacob Gentry, Dan Bush
Screenwriter: David Bruckner, Jacob Gentry, Dan Bush
Producer: Alexander A. Motlagh, Jacob Gentry
Composer: Ben Lovett, Matthew Compton, Paloma Udovic
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jun 10, 2008

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Reviews for The Signal

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating)
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For a soup overseen by three cooks, the whole works reasonably well, with some pretty complex interlocking, A must for fans of nonlinear storytelling.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
03/13/08
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

Funny, terrifying and haunting all at once, this tripartite vision of postmodern alienation, societal breakdown and mental disintegration is as arresting as a baseball bat to the head - while still cutting to the heart.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
04/08/09
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Eye for Film

The Signal reveals killer horrors skills on the part of Bruckner, and to a lesser extent of Gentry and Bush. So if you don't mind a film that starts strong and finishes weak, check it out.

Full Review Source: KPBS.org | comment Comment
03/01/08
Beth Accomando
Beth Accomando
KPBS.org

In the end THE SIGNAL will burn it's transmission into your brain and leave you with an impression that will never go away. This is that film that leaves you with that special glow (yes, kind of like after sex), the smile that doesn't fade and the convers

Full Review Source: Bloody Disgusting | comment Comment
04/17/08
Brad Miska
Brad Miska
Bloody Disgusting

The perversely funny, consistently spooky and pornographically violent The Signal, is the first great cult hit of 2008.

Full Review Source: BrandonFibbs.com | comment 1 Comment
02/28/08
Brandon Fibbs
Brandon Fibbs
BrandonFibbs.com

The film is both an impressive "calling card" work for the filmmakers and a failure as an actual film.

Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com | comment Comment
06/15/08
Brian Holcomb
Brian Holcomb
CinemaBlend.com

For many fans of the genre, the success of the first act and the ambition of the entire concept will be more than enough to make them fans of The Signal.

Full Review Source: The Deadbolt | comment Comment
02/22/08
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
The Deadbolt

a good start to the year in horror.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
02/21/08
Chris Cabin
Chris Cabin
Filmcritic.com

I really enjoyed the first hour or so of The Signal, but, whereas a movie can overcome a bad start, it's tough to overcome a bad ending.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
02/22/08
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

You don't often see horror movies as scary, nor comedies as funny, as The Signal.... The execution of the premise is wholly fresh and original.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
06/24/07
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

The Signal has a cosmic sense of justice that's often hilarious; a sense of irony about the suggestion that we really could amuse ourselves to death.

Full Review Source: New York Press | comment Comment
01/08/08
Eric Kohn
Eric Kohn
New York Press

Everyone is liable to have their favorite segment and each have their own merit. But before the story overshoots its boundaries, it's a pretty gory good time.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
02/08/07
Erik Childress
Erik Childress
eFilmCritic.com

The latest example of how creativity can make up for an obvious absence of Hollywood money.

Full Review Source: Metromix.com | comment Comment
02/21/08
Geoff Berkshire
Geoff Berkshire
Metromix.com

[A] cagey low-budget horror flick.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
12/17/08
J. R. Jones
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader

The Signal is a well-oiled example of that oxymoronic Tarantino phenomenon: the arty grindhouse picture.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
02/21/08
Jan Stuart
Jan Stuart
Newsday
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[The filmmakers] tread close to zombie movie conventions but manage to come up with something fresh.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
02/21/08
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

If you're tired of zombie films or rabid people films, Signal is like a cool drink of water on a hot day. It's got all the goodness from the best of those genres while creating its own niche at the same time.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
01/02/08
Jeremy Knox
Jeremy Knox
Film Threat

A movie that explores the common ground between visceral horror and sketch comedy, and finds plenty of it.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
02/22/08
Jim Emerson
Jim Emerson
Chicago Sun-Times

This uneven but impressive shot-on-digital shocker earns a marker in the mausoleum of apocalyptic horror -- a genre that's proving (un)surprisingly durable in the new century.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
02/20/08
Jim Ridley
Jim Ridley
Village Voice
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The perfect movie for viewing after midnight, assuming of course you have no interest in going to sleep when you get home.

Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com | comment Comment
03/12/07
Joshua Tyler
Joshua Tyler
CinemaBlend.com
 
 
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Latest News for The Signal

August 24, 2008: OtherCool.com: A bloody banquet of excessive, tasteless gore, but with an odd infusion of unsavory humor that never meshes with the horror. Think fatal car crash with a laugh track. Opens in new window
More...

February 21, 2008: Critics Consensus: Cruel to Be Kind, Vantage Has Little Point, Guess Witless Protection's Tomatometer!
This week at the movies, we've got views to a kill, medicated youth, a pair of DIY filmmakers, and Southern justice. What do the critics have to say? More...

February 19, 2008: A bloody banquet of excessive, tasteless gore, but with an odd infusion of unsavory humor that never meshes with the horror. Think fatal car crash with a laugh track. Opens in new window
More...

January 14, 2008: Trailer and trailer review Opens in new window
More...

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