The Cell
Directed by Tarsem Singh
- horror
- science fiction
- thriller
The story
A psychotherapist journeys inside a comatose serial killer in the hopes of saving his latest victim.
What it’s like
Saturated, almost painterly color drives this film: deep crimson, bruised violet, mustard and gold set against stark white and sterile blue, with surreal dreamscapes that look like Tarsem Singh's fashion-photography eye turned inward. Wide, carefully composed frames hold the eye on sumptuous, baroque set pieces, and the camera glides and swoops through them rather than cutting briskly, so the images linger. Sound leans on a brooding, orchestral-electronic score that swells over the dreamlike sequences, while the real-world scenes, a dim clinic and a dusty Californian landscape, feel muted and wintry by contrast. The vibe is hallucinatory dread with a heavy undercurrent of grief, and the tension of the central investigation makes it feel more like a nightmare than a procedural. Expect disturbing imagery throughout: brutal violence against victims, graphic gore and body horror, and a steady unease about abuse and psychosis, all of it intense rather than relentless. It suits a late night alone, for viewers who want their horror visually lavish and surreal, and who can stand a grim, sometimes sickening psychological thriller with a strong sense of style.
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