The Signal

-
The Signal
Starring Brenton Thwaites, Laurence Fishburne, Olivia Cooke, Beau Knapp
Directed by William Eubank

Synopsis:
MIT students Nic (Brenton Thwaites), Haley (Olivia Cooke) and Jonah (Beau Knapp) are on a cross-country road trip to deliver Haley to California, and along the way they use their computer skills to locate a hacker known as NOMAD who almost got them expelled from MIT.

They find NOMAD's location, and suddenly things become very weird, as all three black out, and when he comes to, Nic is in a strange facility with everyone wearing hazmat suits, and the mysterious Damon (Laurence Fishburne) asking him questions.  He doesn't know where his friends are, he doesn't know what happened, but as things slowly become clearer, Nic discovers a mysterious conspiracy involving the government and aliens, and how he and his friends have become the ultimate guinea pigs.

Review:
"The Signal" is a smart, psychological thriller that boasts an amazing cast, a compelling storyline and some amazing visuals and cinematography, especially for a film with a small budget.

The story itself takes several twists and turns, and draws you in from start to finish, how three seemingly regular students could have their lives altered in ways they could  never have imagined.

There is also a great theme delivered in the film, and that's the concept of logic versus emotion.  Nic is highly knowledgeable with computers and rhythms, seeing the world as black and white and being ruled by logic.  This is the view several people Nic's age nowadays hold to, as they've learned to abandon emotion in favor of right and wrong, black and white, yes and no, leaving nothing in between.  As the film progresses, Nic fights the urge to use his emotions and tries to rely on his knowledge, which ends up being less than what he thought he knew.  He came across as a spoiled brat who knew everything - only to discover he really didn't know a thing.

Summary:
If you're looking for a smart, psychological thriller that goes in different directions that you more than willingly follow, "The Signal" is a good choice.

My Rating: A

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Major Theatrical Releases May 2019

-
Image
Major Theatrical Releases May 2019 After the hype that is "Avengers: Endgame," May offers a massive collection of differing types of movies, enough to entertain everyone. Here are the major theatrical releases for May 2019. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**  The Intruder May 3 Dennis Quaid goes from starring the family-friendly "A Dog's Journey" to playing a total psycho in "The Intruder."  When a young couple purchases a home from Quaid's character Charlie, they didn't realize it came with an addition - Charlie himself, who can't seem to let his old home go.  I don't expect any twists or turns in this tale, and this looks like a film better fit for Lifetime than the big screen.  Long Shot May 3 Charlize Theron stars as Charlotte Field, the current Secretary of State and who's running for President.  Seth Rogen stars as Fred Flarsky, a...
Read more

Witch

-
Image
Witch Starring Russell Shaw, Ryan Spong, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Fabrizio Santino Directed by Craig Hinde & Marc Zammit Movies about witches are about a dime a dozen, and follow the same formula: typically set in a time period long ago (since now, fortunately, the stigma of witches has been lessened and the religious fervor has diminished), in a small Puritanical town, a girl is accused of witchcraft which spirals the town into a frenzy filled with suspicion, doubt, and murder until the witch is put to religious justice. While that's not necessarily a bad formula (Robert Eggers' "The VVitch" and Mario Bava's "Black Sunday" immediately come to mind), most films fall by the wayside. "Witch" is a small film that, at first glance, seems to follow the mold before completely shattering it in a second act twist that's daring, provocative, and works in a lot of levels, but could've been more pronounced if given a bigger budget. In the small ...
Read more

Special Review: "Midwest Sessions"

-
Image
Special Review: "Midwest Sessions" Directed by Mario Ricciardi Independent filmmaking is a fascinating concept, wherein the director and everyone involved sets out to make something unique, different, and go against the traditional status quo of what's defined as a "blockbuster." These films aren't usually seen by the masses and won't be included in the top ten highest grossing movies of all time, but they offer something those films don't: a heart and commitment by the people involved to craft something wholly distinctive that tell a story in their own way. Such is "Midwest Sessions," a local film directed by Mario Ricciardi that centers on the city of Youngstown, Ohio, and the captivating people who live there. Told in different vignettes that seem distinct and different from one another but coming together as a whole in the end, it's an engrossing film that utilizes its shoestring budget and gives great performances, decent effects a...
Read more