The Signal

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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

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