Cell
Directed by Tod Williams
- horror
- science fiction
- thriller
The story
When a strange signal pulsates through all cell phone networks worldwide, it starts a murderous epidemic of epic proportions when users become bloodthirsty creatures, and a group of people in New England are among the survivors to deal with the ensuing chaos after.
What it’s like
Washed-out, desaturated daylight and grey urban grime give this film a flat, drained look, with the dull chill of empty streets, deserted airports and a shuttered drive-in. Handheld camerawork keeps the chase scenes jittery and close, while long stretches of quiet are filled with sparse strings and eerie, pulsing electronic tones that hum like a dead signal. The gore is frequent and abrupt, with stabbings, beatings and bloody violence that lands hard and a few suicides shown on screen, so this is not gentle viewing. The mood is bleak, paranoid and grimly wry, with a tone that drifts between apocalyptic dread and dark gallows humour; the arcs centre on a jaded man and a young girl forming an unlikely, guarded bond amid collapse. It suits a late-night, alone-with-the-lights-off viewing for fans of Stephen King-style outbreak horror who can handle graphic brutality, and it is a poor fit for anyone wanting something light, comforting or low-stakes.
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