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The
Signal
(2007)
 
The Signal is a clever indie film that manages to both disturb and amuse,
while proving that American filmmakers are still capable of making a
decent horror movie, something that seems to be a lost art today.
The film sets its paranoia-inducing tale in the futuristic city of Terminus
on New Year's Eve. As
a mysterious television signal causes residents
to become psychotic and murderously violent, those unaffected fight to
survive.
Jacks-of-all-trades (writers/directors/camera operators/editors) David Bruckner, Dan Bush,
and Jacob Gentry deliver an edgy horror film that recalls the early
films of David Cronenberg and the apocalyptic vibe of a George A.
Romero film or 28 Days Later, making the most of a limited budget by
focusing on a small number of characters. The film is divided into
three interconnected segments, each one made by a different director
who puts their own spin on the story—from horror to black comedy to
mystery. Despite three different approaches with multiple changes in
tone, the filmmakers succeed in making a remarkably cohesive film. It
stumbles in the third segment, the least successful one, but not badly
enough to mar the overall experience.
Each director serves as a camera operator, using high definition
video and practical light sources to create a documentary feel,
matched by the lived-in looking sets of production designer Lisa
Yeiser (The Signal was filmed entirely in Atlanta). The score by Ben Lovett
(Last Goodbye) adds a creepy soundscape to the story.
The cast of unknowns is very effective and easily adapts to the
different tones in each segment. The notable players include Anessa Ramsey as Mya, a
married woman trying to escape the city with her lover; Justin Welborn
as Ben, her lover and someone able to resist the signal; AJ Bowen as
Lewis, Mya's controlling husband; Sahr as Rod, one of Lewis' friends;
Scott Poythress as Clark, a conspiracy theorist who manages an
apartment building; Christopher Thomas and Cheri Christian as Ken and
Anna, a married couple who live in Clark's apartment building; and
Chad McKnight as Jim, a friend of Ken and Anna.
The Signal is worth a look for horror fans tired of uninspired
remakes of Asian films or older American classics. While not always
successful, it works often enough and well enough to be an above
average addition to the genre.
-Danielle
Ní Dhighe
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All contents ©
2004-2007 Thoughtsonfilm.com |
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Director:
David
Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry
Writer: David
Bruckner & Dan Bush & Jacob Gentry
Starring: Anessa
Ramsey, Justin
Welborn,
AJ Bowen, Sahr Ngaujah, Scott Poythress
Distributor: Magnolia
Pictures
Runtime: 99
min
Rating: R
Release Date: February
22, 2008
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