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How entertaining? ★★★★☆
Thought provoking? ★★☆☆☆ 31 August 2014
This article is a review of THE SIGNAL.
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“Why are you wearing that suit?” Nicolas Eastman (Brenton Thwaites) to Dr Wallace Damon (Laurence Fishburne)
How refreshing to have ultra-intelligent protagonists up against the wall. Too frequently movies opt for the less bright at worst, the non-cinema-literate at best, who all should know better; audiences eye-rolling in frustration as the filmmakers play dumb. At only one point in THE SIGNAL did one internally question character logic: Two of the leads go into an extremely creepy basement, at night, in an ostensibly abandoned, dilapidated homestead in the middle of nowhere – but rather than crazy foolhardiness, the investigation had an air of X-FILES curiosity. Probing, thrilling sci-fi is a scarce cinematic quality, regardless of the budget.
How refreshing to have ultra-intelligent protagonists up against the wall. Too frequently movies opt for the less bright at worst, the non-cinema-literate at best, who all should know better; audiences eye-rolling in frustration as the filmmakers play dumb. At only one point in THE SIGNAL did one internally question character logic: Two of the leads go into an extremely creepy basement, at night, in an ostensibly abandoned, dilapidated homestead in the middle of nowhere – but rather than crazy foolhardiness, the investigation had an air of X-FILES curiosity. Probing, thrilling sci-fi is a scarce cinematic quality, regardless of the budget.
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Three best buds, two of whom are dating, are dropping off one of their number to a year placement across the country. Bright and thoughtful, we are introduced to Nic (Thwaites); he helps a kid get a stuffed animal from one of those dubious claw machines (see TOY STORY), using a pen marking out claw trajectory on the screen for success. Once an amateur cross-country athlete, he is now on crutches, which do not appear to be temporary. Hints at a degenerative disease are all that is offered. Jonah (Beau Knapp – NO ONE LIVES), Nic and girlfriend Haley (Olivia Cooke) are M.I.T. students taking a road trip from Massachusetts to the Sunshine State, to Caltech, for Haley to take a sabbatical year. Of course, it wouldn’t be a movie if it went smoothly; though, we’re not in Todd Phillips puerile territory.
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Troubling Nic and Jonah is a sinister web troll, who hacked into M.I.T.’s secure servers and the duo’s persona ones, letting them get the blame. Going by the moniker of Nomad, he/she taunts them so much that they divert the trip to what they believe is their tormentor’s locale in Nevada. Here is where they go into the basement. ‘Don’t go in the cellar gang!’ one internally shouts – to no avail. Bright lights and obfuscating camerawork suggest we’re not in “Kansas” anymore. Waking up in what looks to be some sort of official quarantine facility, Nic, confined to a wheelchair and not able to see his friends, is greeted by Dr Damon (Fishburne – if you think his voice was mellifluous in THE MATRIX, wait till you get a load of the control here).
Achingly stylish cinematography elevates a small budget to make THE SIGNAL look like a blockbuster – an achievement in itself. Gripping, elliptical conversations keep us guessing. Fireworks are saved for the exciting, mysterious climax. Think AKIRA or DARK CITY.
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