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AJ Bowen, Anessa Ramsey, Justin Welborn, Scott Poythress, Michael Sahr Ngaujah ... see more see more... , Suehyla El-Attar , Cheri Christian , Matt Stenton , Lindsey Garrett , Chadrian Morris , Chad McKnight , Jim Parsons , Christopher Thomas

As glasses are raised for a New Year's Eve toast, the denizens of the city of Terminus fall prey to a mysterious transmission that pulses through all electronic devices and transforms rational, sane p... read more read more...eople into murderous, rampaging psychopaths. All forms of communication have been jammed, and now the airwaves have been saturated with an ominous signal that preys on fear and deep-rooted desire. Though Terminus was once a city defined by conformity, any semblance of order in this concrete jungle has now been replaced with screaming, bloody chaos. Fortunately, Ben has managed to avoid having his brain scrambled by the signal, and now he's determined to make his way through the bedlam that's sweeping the streets and rescue the woman he loves. It's not going to be an easy task, though, and in order to sweep his love to safety, Ben will first have to face off against her rabid husband. In a city where everyone seems to have lost their mind, the only way Ben will be able to determine who he can trust and who has given in to their bloodlust is to find out the true origins of this ominous broadcast. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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56% liked it

8,925 ratings

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56% liked it

68 critics

R, 1 hr. 39 min.

Directed by: Dan Bush, David Brückner, Jacob Gentry

Release Date: February 22, 2008

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DVD Release Date: June 10, 2008

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Flixster Reviews (1,606)

  • TheDudeLebowski65
    April 27, 2012
    TheDudeLebowski65
    The Signal is a decent horror flick that had the potential of being a great film. The problem with this film is that it starts off promising enough, but halfway through it loses its strength, and becomes a decent flick. What could have been an effective horror flick is brought do... read morewn by a weak second half. The film is watchable, but it could have been reworked a bit because there are some good ideas on-screen. The films cast do a pretty decent job here, and the plot is pretty interesting as well. The films faults lie in the second half of the film where it falls apart. I think it'\s a shame because this could have been a memorable horror flick with an effective plot. Unfortunately, The Signal leaves you wanting a bit more from the story, and as a horror film. This is a low-budget psycho Slasher film that almost gets it right. The script was good, but like I previously stated, if only there could have been a bit more effort put into the second half, it would have made The Signal a much more memorable ride. There are some elements that work well, but most of them don't quite get there. However you do see the potential of a very good horror film here, it's just too bad that some ideas fell flat. Overall a decent horror flick that is worth watching, but it leaves a lot to be desired as well. For a low-budget film, this is a decent try; if only the script would have been reworked a bit, then The Signal would have been a terrific film.
  • kenstachnik
    February 4, 2011
    kenstachnik
    One of those movies where things only occur because the script says so, with a total abandon of logic and plot.
    Sometimes seeing the signal makes you crazy...sometimes it doesn't.
    Sometimes people die from multiple blows to the head...sometimes they don't. Sometimes the entire w... read moreorld (or at least city) is consumed by the madness...other times people don't seem to understand that their is utter anarchy in the streets. Sometimes a canister of pesticide will make you blind, other times it just makes your eyes sting for a moment or two. Sometimes it's a comedy, sometimes its a drama and other times it's a horror flick.

    The constantly shifting perspective completely kills all attempts to build tension and the characters are all down right stupid. Why am I supposed to care about a bunch of adolescent adults acting like children? The female love interest in particular is the worst kind of heroine cliche.

    Now I will give the filmmakers props for making a movie that looks descent in 13 days for $50k, but SHAME on them for going forward with this script. The Signal could have been really good, but instead it just ends up becoming a crapticopia of tedious nonsense.
  • bbcfloridabound
    September 27, 2010
    bbcfloridabound
    .A very funny slasher / horror film, A Electronic Signal is being transmitted on the phones, TV and Radio which make people kill each other there are only a few sane people left, very comical scenes. This film changes the course of infectious zombie movies. Opens like a 1970 Driv... read moree in Movie and turns to pure fun. 4 1/2 stars
  • TheMachinist
    July 29, 2010
    TheMachinist
    "Do you have the crazy?"

    Low budget horror flicks are a pain in the ass nowadays. So many distributors are releasing mediocre films in hope of easy money. The fans of the genre will probably watch any movie that has some terrifying eyes and some blood on the movie poster. 'The S... read moreignal' started with an interesting beginning but what happened then?

    A mysterious signal that shows on the TV, comes out from the radio and phones, fucks up the minds and turns people in to killers. That's the story. But there's gotta be more, right? Ok, there's Ben and Mya who have an affair. It simply ain't interesting.

    'The Signal' doesn't know what it wants to be. The movie has three chapters, all directed by three different directors. I don't know who directed which chapter but like in so many other movies that have too many minds controling the outcome, 'The Signal' turns out to be a mess.

    The first chapter was very interesting. It reminded me of '28 Days Later', slowly developing the interest of the viewer. It's not explained what has happened, so you'd think that at some point, something would be said. You'd think?

    When the second chapter starts, 'The Signal' suddenly turns in to a black comedy. Why's that? It felt really disappointing and I thought that it would only be a small period of the movie. Then the third chapter started and it continued as the same with small influences of David Lynch's style. One movie, divided in three chapter's with one story, directed by three men. And it seems as if the only one who knows what he's doing was the first chapters director.

    Another major fault is that there's like zero character development. The lead characters aren't interesting at all, nothing is said of their past, how they got in to their situations in their lifes. Three chapters have three different lead characters. All of 'em are connected with some way but it just doesn't get interesting at all.

    The cinematography, on the other hand, is very nice. Like I said earlier, the film reminds me of '28 Days (and Weeks) Later', so those who liked the look in there, will surely like the camera work in 'The Signal'. When there's some blood and gore (and it ain't that often..), it's done extremely well. There where some scenes that even looked original, which is nice 'cause the films of the genre look so often the same.

    I don't know. I feel so disappointed. It started well, continued horribly and ended terribly. Nothing is explained and it just feels as if the writers themself had lost the purpose of the film. The premise of the story was good so in better hands, maybe this could've been something satisfying?
  • DrZeek
    October 7, 2009
    DrZeek
    Clark: Anna, I need a couple of things that Ken borrowed, namely my hatchet... and some garbage bags.

    An awesome, original, independent horror film. Divided into three distinct parts, all featuring the same characters within the same narrative, but written and directed by thre... read moree different directors, the film manages to stay fresh throughout, mixing the tone, providing some fun, and becoming trippy, but nevertheless intriguing.

    The story is set in the city of Terminus. The new year is approaching, but the world may be in trouble. A mysterious signal is being emitted from every TV, phone, and radio in the area, causing anyone who stares at it long enough to become mesmerized in some way, leading them to perform acts of violence. At the center of this particular story, the lead characters are a wife, her lover, and her husband. Each of these characters are separately the stars of each distinct act, or "transmission," as it is called in the film.

    The film opens with an admittedly creepy as well as bizarre couple of minutes from another film, before getting into this story, where the first act functions as a drama/horror film. The second act lightens things up at first, working (well) as a very dark comedy, with the characters being very much aware of the genre cliches. The third act settles back into thriller territory, as well as trying to deliver a meaning to the circumstances seen in this film.

    Lewis Denton: The TV must've gotten into his head and told him to kill you.
    Anna: Yeah, that's what happened to Ken. He was watching TV and it made him go bad.
    [two people run from a man chasing them with a chainsaw in the background]
    Clark: This is without a doubt the most fucked up day in the history of mankind. We should go back inside.
    Anna: [cheerful] Who wants cocktails?

    I had no idea what I was getting into with this film, beyond a basic idea of the premise. I was incredibly happy with how offbeat, yet well made this whole thing was. Each act is distinct, working well for different reasons. The first two in particular have some pretty great things going for it. The first is incredible due to its sound design and the almost claustrophobic hand held style running throughout. The second works due to how well the comedy is balanced, as it is just thrown into this movie, most likely catching you off guard, all while still remaining incredibly bloody. The third is still well made, but bringing in an almost existential reasoning behind the signal is not something easily done within a half an hour.

    So much of this movie is very well done. If anyone is looking for an original horror film, this is certainly a good place to start. Its well crafted, well acted, plenty bloody, entertaining, and intriguing.

    Clark: It was self defense.
    Anna: You chopped his head off!
    Lewis Denton: He had it coming... probably. These are wild times. Everybody's been driven to desperate measures. I guess this happens to everybody.
  • gor41
    August 15, 2009
    gor41
    Very low rent horror with a TV signal turning people psychotic.. Directed by three people in three sections - the second is a misjudged stab at comedy. It should have stuck to the '28 Days/Weeks' vibe of the opener and closer. It tries to distinguish its self from the zombie hord... read morees with the varying psychoses the receivers suffer but it over complicates the interplay at times.
  • creepfreak
    May 2, 2009
    creepfreak
    This movie leaves your brain exhausted after it's over. The Signal is a furiously perplexed, brain twisting mind-fu*k, from start to finish. And although for those, like myself, who were able to follow the storyline, there comes a point in the movie were you just say "fu*k it." Y... read moreou remove your thinking cap, and still with acceptance and understanding of it's overall outline, you let the movie speak on it's own terms through methods of loopy insanity, and just watch as it does the thinking for you with displays of mayhem and bloody carnage. You won't grab a hold of this movie, it grabs a hold of you, and like it's characters as they quickly loose their minds through frequency levels, you'll loose yours through your TV set. It's a wicked experience for sure, but one that's also quite a mess.

    My complaints would be the pace of the film. It's too quick and flashy for a movie of it's kind, with such a complex story. It's a story that has a lot more going on than what they actually show. With a story like this you shouldn't dive into the action right away, but yet get the characters acquainted, and ease us into the story a little more before just jumping into apocalyptic mayhem. Every good script should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. The Signal just has a middle, if you catch my drift. There was a lot more of a story to be told here. It was like taking a Stephen King novel and fitting it into 35 minute sitcom. It just wouldn't work at all. But than again, it worked on behalf of the whole "insanity" concept, only it screamed out greater potential more than what was actually offered to us.

    My other complaint is the idea of them using as much comedy as they did. At first the movie took a serious tone, one that was very disturbing, then 40 minutes into the film it pulled a spoof like sense of humor from it's ass. And about 35 minutes after that, the movie was dead serious again. The outrageous humor in the middle just didn't fit, it didn't go along well with the story, it didn't need it, and it will most likely throw a lot of people off. Almost like an anthology film The Signal was told in separate stories, but unlike like one it was all in the same setting, and with the same characters. But like lots of anthologies, there's always the worse of the bunch, and the middle story is definitely the worse here. The Signal would have been fantastic without these flaws, but in it's own right it's still an enjoyable twisted little flick.

    The acting was good enough, the script was well thought out, and it had a great complex story, one that's disturbing and bloody as hell. I wouldn't watch this movie again, I don't think, but it definitely didn't fail to entertain me this one time. The Signal is a fast and twisted horror gem that'll please most people. It's a love it or hate it kind of movie it seems, by reading other reviews, so you just have to judge for yourself. I recommend this film for horror fans looking for a different kind of horror movie. It's one hell of a ride.

  • ceWEBrity
    November 24, 2008
    ceWEBrity
    Loved it! 50,000 dollars never looked so great or played so tightly. Other ultra-low budget horror films haven't got a leg to stand on now. If there's one flaw, it's a little difficult to sell post-apocalyptica on so little money - where are the overhead tracking shots? The waves... read more of insane people? The Signal does a decent job of allowing it to the imagination, but still, that lack of scope does shine through at times. Why are there so few people at a train terminal on New Year's Eve?

    The bizarre, and admittedly awkward, tone shift half an hour in will certainly preclude the movie from any sort of widespread recognition, but I thought it added something vital and interesting to a somewhat tired premise. I think genre-bending is still quite difficult for a lot of people to accept, which makes things harder on The Signal's kind of average delivery of its humor, but all in all the reception is indicative of American need for tidy packaging.

    Not just great as a low-budget horror film, but great period, The Signal deserves a view from just about anyone. Shame this didn't get much of a theatrical release.
  • RCCLBC
    September 2, 2008
    RCCLBC
    The film that couldn't decide what it wanted to be when it grew up.

    The story is divided into three "chapters".

    The first is extremely simple, yet very creepy and tension filled look at the "begining of the end". I was really impressed by this chapter and it gave me high h... read moreopes for the rest of the film.

    Chapter two was the continuation of the story, but with a "dark humor" twist (a la "Sean Of The Dead"), which on it's own wouldn't have been so bad...but as a follow-up to the powerful first chapter, was a bit disapointing.

    The third chapeter was meant to "wrap things up" but is kind of all over the board and ultimately a weak ending to what is a very powerful begining.

    If they would have just carried the look and feel of the first chapter, through the entire film...this could have been a really amazing piece of work.
  • thefog1331
    July 22, 2008
    thefog1331
    Derivative and a bit slow but the last "transmission" makes up for it.

View All The Signal Reviews

Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones
December 17, 2008
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

[A] cagey low-budget horror flick. Full Review

James Berardinelli
February 22, 2008
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

It doesn't take long for the The Signal's promising beginning to fade into a haze that leaves the viewer exhausted and irritated. Full Review

Wesley Morris
February 22, 2008
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

None of the rabbit holes in The Signal go that deep. But you do leave persuaded that you've discovered some talented people. Full Review

Jim Emerson
February 22, 2008
Jim Emerson, Chicago Sun-Times

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

Tom Long
February 22, 2008
Tom Long, Detroit News

The Signal is electrifying, deliciously mad and twisted filmmaking. It's certainly not for everyone, but chances are it will inspire many. Full Review

Colin Covert
February 22, 2008
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

With just one compelling sequence emerging from so many filmmakers' efforts, The Signal is decidedly less than the sum of its parts. Full Review

Matt Zoller Seitz
February 22, 2008
Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Times

This three-part horror movie directed by a trio of Atlanta filmmakers is set during the collapse of Terminus, a fictional city whose citizens are being driven to rage. Full Review

V.A. Musetto
February 22, 2008
V.A. Musetto, New York Post

A slasher fest that references such predecessors as George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead and Pulse, a 2001 chiller by Japan's talented Kiyoshi Kurosawa, while still remaining original. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
February 22, 2008
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

Ultimately, The Signal doesn't rewrite the rules of horror, the way those masters did. But its filmmakers do provide a creepy, bloody good show. Full Review

Peter Hartlaub
February 22, 2008
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

You will definitely appreciate this film's ambition, if not its execution. Full Review

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