Review of The Signal (2007) by Brandon S — 22 Sep 2010

"Er... that was kinda odd; what are you saying?"Ohmygosh, this is brilliant, brilliant stuff. With verve and intelligence The Signal accomplishes so much on a TINY budget that I can't help but be completely overwhelmed, and ignore any (mostly cost related) failings.

Told in three parts with three different directors and from three different, but connected and blurred, points of view, the concept sounds on paper like a mish-mash of Stephen King's Cell (which I'm still waiting impatiently for a film adaptation on) and the 28 Days/Weeks Later films.

But there's a lot more to it than that - this isn't a straightforward pseudo-zombie flick, as the signal in The Signal not only insights homicidal rage but also fucks up people's perceptions.

The damage this does to the characters would only be involving if there are people to actually care about, and luckily the film doesn't rely merely on its concept but also the skill of the actors and the idiosyncrasies they bring to the screen.

Especially effective in this regard is Anessa Ramsey as Mya, who is our way into the film and whose perspective the first part of the story we see things from. Ramsey truly brings so much with very little dialogue - her reactions are completely believable, making the third, final section especially difficult to watch and the ending poignant and bittersweet.

The bizarre shift in tone to black comedy in the second section, sort of Frasier-esque in delivery but with the knowledge that lives really are at stake, works exceptionally well. Though the budget limitations inevitably mean the scale is not as grand as hinted at (there are precious few city shots, and those that we do see look too obviously like they were filmed at 3 AM in order to get the required 'deserted' look), there is so much going on here and it's handled with such panache that I found myself with jaw open on many an occasion.

This is so very good, and together with Splinter has reasserted my faith in American horror. Best of all, in the end, it's all about love. "Even with that faraway stare, she looks just like she did in our wedding video.

"P.S. Loved the ending.P.P.S. Don't ask me why, but Scott Poythress (Clark) really does things for me.