Cell

Critics Consensus

Shoddily crafted and devoid of suspense, Cell squanders a capable cast and Stephen King's once-prescient source material on a bland rehash of zombie cliches.

11%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 54

17%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 3,825

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Movie Info

Stephen King's best-selling novel is brought to terrifying life in this mind-blowing thriller starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. At the Boston airport, Clay (Cusack) witnesses a scene of chaotic mayhem when an electronic signal turns hundreds of cell phone users into rabid killers. Desperate to find his estranged wife and son, Clay teams with a train driver (Jackson) to battle the horde of murderous "phoners" as the city descends into apocalyptic madness.
  • Rating:
    R (for disturbing violent content, terror, brief sexuality and language)
  • Genre:
    Horror
  • Directed By:
    Tod Williams
  • Written By:
    Stephen King, Adam Alleca
  • In Theaters:
     limited
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Saban Films

Cast

John Cusack
as Clay Riddell
Samuel L. Jackson
as Tom McCourt
Isabelle Fuhrman
as Alice Maxwell
Stacy Keach
as Charles Ardai
Owen Teague
as Jordan
Alex ter Avest
as Chloe
Clark Sarullo
as Sharon Riddell
Joshua Mikel
as Raggedy
Griffin Freeman
as Mike Mattick
Catherine Dyer
as Sally
Ethan Andrew Casto
as Johnny Riddell
Erin Elizabeth Burns
as Denise
Wilbur Fitzgerald
as Geoff
Anthony Reynolds
as Ray
E. Roger Mitchell
as Roscoe
Mandi Christine Kerr
as Bluetooth Woman
Elizabeth Davidovich
as Tavern Phoner
Gaby Leyner
as Maddy
Lloyd Kaufman
as Bystander
Jeffrey Hallman
as Hog-Tied Man
Frederick C. Johnson Jr.
as Cop's Partner
Mark Ashworth
as Bartender
Rey Hernandez
as Officer Rick
Michael Beasley
as Construction Worker
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News & Interviews for Cell

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Critic Reviews for Cell

All Critics (54) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (6) | Rotten (48)

View All Critic Reviews (54)

Audience Reviews for Cell

  • Feb 06, 2017
    I've never read Cell, so I'm not sure if this is an accurate adaptation of a bad Stephen King book, or just another inaccurate adaptation of a Stephen King book. But either way, it's bad. For a decent Cusack/Jackson team up in a King adaptation, just watch 1408.
    Gimly M Super Reviewer
  • Oct 27, 2016
    Well, how about that - there's lots of interesting stuff here. I should always remember to heed the advice of messers Mark Kermode and Kim Newman and pay less attention to the Rotten Tomatoes score. Cell's biggest issue is it's obviously meagre budget vs it's ambition and ideas. It's a very weird film, with some strange, funny moments and some surprisingly moments of levity and beauty. It has the same essence of the Stephen King book but is also radically different (it's its own thing). Colour me surprised. I enjoyed Cell, quite a bit.
    Daniel P Super Reviewer
  • Oct 08, 2016
    Interesting plot, I've heard mixed things about the source material so I can't say that the movie is completely to blame. The execution of the plot and story though are bungled pretty badly, and nothing is explained well. Overall, this is far from a decent film.
    Stephen S Super Reviewer
  • Sep 15, 2016
    In this corner, Stephen King, perhaps America's premier horror writer. And in the other, zombies, America's favorite horror genre of the moment. Put these two together and there's gonna be some major sparks, baby, or at least that's what you'd think. Maybe it's what Stephen thought when he put this together. Or maybe it's what somebody, maybe his agent or his manager, told him. Whatever the case, it just doesn't happen, the premise not jelled enough at the source. And even though Cusack and Jackson have good chemistry together (they' ve done the Stephen King thing before, and swimmingly, 1408), there's not enough good chem in the world to make this clunker click. Oh well.
    Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
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