MOVIE REVIEW: THE SIGNAL (2014)

“THE SIGNAL” (2014)  MOVIE REVIEW

There will be those who relish this unconventional sci-fic thriller called THE SIGNAL.

For the same token, there will be many who don’t, for whatever reasons.

What gives?

Much has been hyped that the production value is only a mere USD 2 million. That is, if you are silly enough to believe.

For a Hollywood shooting budget of USD 2 million, it’s dirt cheap.

Hailed from the same industry, the stipulated amount is way below par, to produce a movie of this scale. USD 20 million should be the likely amount.

Unless the combined team of film director William Eubank, actor Laurence Fishburne, the Director-of-Photography and the post production people are willing to accept huge pay cuts. Or maybe, to work for free!

But, of course, we all know it is just an enormous advertising gimmick.

The story:

Three MIT college students (Nic, Haley, Jonah) go on a happy road trip to California with a song in the heart (holiday trip) and a vengeance (professional). They intend to confront a ” content robber” called NOMAD,who has hacked into their computer systems. They intend to defeat this computer hacker to prevent him from further damage.

The unsuspecting trio arrives at an abandoned abode in the middle of Nevada. There they had a terrifying confrontation with NOMAD.

 Soon darkness prevails. So does the gloom, from this point onward.

The protagonist, a young, personable Nic (Brenton Thwaites), eventually awakes from his deep slumber.

He finds himself in a strange quarantine zone-like research facility led by a dour-faced Dr. Damon, played by Laurence Fishburne.

Nic’s girlfriend Haley (Olivia Cooke) and best friend Jonah (Beau Knapp) are nowhere to be found.

Soon he finds himself being locked up and interrogated by Dr. Wallace Damon (Laurence Fishburne).

He is a government scientist dressed in a Hazmat suit, a no-nonsense scientist who is eager to uncover  information for his clinical experiments. Dr. Wallace insists on knowing about the going-on during that fateful night, at the dilapidated house.

Nic soon discovers that the 3 of them are part of a deadly scheme.They are going to be human guinea pigs for scientific examinations.

The rest of the story takes us through their helpless ordeal, of them trying to break free from this crazy institution.

It’s clear from the beginning that this film would have a twisted ending. Go guess.

NO SPOILERS from here,so as not to mar your enjoyment of the movie.

THE SIGNAL might metaphorically, shatter your senses and leave you breathless.

The movie is bloody and harrowing and is likely to give you goose pimples. For most parts, the scenes are created to heighten the chilling effect.

We empathize with the three young victims who are waiting for the slaughter.

We can imagine them assuring themselves to wake up, go home, and that everything is just a nightmarish game.

Or is it not?

RATING: 3.5 out of 5.

Local Distributor: GSC MOVIES