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The Signal
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Metascore
63 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 29 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Anessa Ramsey, Justin Welborn, Scott Poythress
  • Summary: It's New Year's Eve in the city of Terminus, and chaos is this year's resolution. All forms of communication have been jammed by an enigmatic signal that preys on the fears and desires of everyone in the city. Told in three parts from three unique perspectives by three visionary directors, The Signal is a horrific journey toward discovering that the most brutal monster might actually be within all of us. (Magnolia Pictures)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 19
  3. Negative: 2 out of 19
  1. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Jeremy Knox
    80
    If you're tired of zombie films or rabid people films, Signal is like a cool drink of water on a hot day. It's got all the goodness from the best of those genres while creating its own niche at the same time.
  2. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    60
    Part 1, directed by David Bruckner is superb, with affecting performances, a sense of dread reminiscent of John Carpenter's "Prince of Darkness" and many striking images. Part 2, directed by Dan Bush aims for George Romero-style ghastly humor, but it's more grating than funny. Part 3, directed by Jacob Gentry adds a splash of tragic love, but its preference for gore over feeling becomes monotonous.
  3. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Sam Adams
    38
    The Signal combines the inconstancy of an omnibus film with the blandness of art by committee. The end result feels less like a blend of distinct styles than an opportunistic hodgepodge, a second-hand premise wedded to an attention-grabbing gimmick.

See all 19 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 18
  3. Negative: 5 out of 18
  1. Myffubs
    9
    The Signal is perhaps one of the best horror films to be released in recent years. It's highlighted by both its experimental nature and its frightening message, that the media will slowly drive us crazy. Well, not slowly, not in this movie. While watching television, making phone calls, and/or listening to the radio, the citizens of Terminus are susceptible to becoming violent raving lunatics thanks to a mysterious signal. It's reminiscent of body snatcher and zombie films, but there is an eerie sort of twist: those affected by the signal have no idea that anything is wrong with them. Instead, they view others as threats to their life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. As one of the Affected states, "It's telling me what I should do, what I should want. I want my wife, and I want my home, and I want all you people to stop bothering us." Of course, this is first and foremost a horror film, and The Signal never gets too heavy-handed in the delivery of its message. It's actually quite scary and funny, and often at the same time. The film follows several characters through three loosely-connected chapters (called transmissions, each created by a different director) that vary wildly in delivery. The first transmission is arguably the best, crafting horror around uncertainty and building suspense with a surreal atmosphere. The second takes pitch black humor to the next level, yet also manages to include the film's single most disturbing scene. The third transmission turns the film into a psychological thriller about losing one's mind. Despite this, the film works; it feels like a whole (much more so, in fact, than many other films with just one director). Sure, there are shortcomings; two of the actors are not exactly good enough to carry the dialogue-heavy climax, which will lose some audience members, and the film's budget is apparent in several scenes. Of course, these are minor complaints when looking at the film as a whole. It's an excellent horror film that takes a jarring look at the messages of fear we receive from media sources almost every day: the outside world is a dangerous place, those whose views differ from ours are inherently an enemy of sorts, and we must do what we can to protect the ones we love. With this fear semi-constantly drilled into our minds, how long will it take for people to finally snap?… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. ChadS.
    5
    Maybe it's the effects of the signal, but the characters in "The Signal" find new ways to be stupid. First, there's Mya(Anessa Ramsey), who renders herself incognizant to blind spot attacks by insulating herself with cd player headphones(yay! Joy Division!), and then there's Rod(Sahr Ngaujah), who tries to save people from the sonically affected... BY TYING THEM UP?! Still, "Transmission 1: Crazy in Love" is the most successful, the most scary. There's a palpable atmosphere of doom that plays like a poor man's "28 Days Later". "Transmission 2: Jealousy Monster" unravels when Lewis(AJ Bowen) sprays poison in a woman's face, causing her features to deform; then in the mouth, causing her to die in agony. Unfortunately, this is supposed to play like the blackest comedy imaginable. Deadpan, dead woman, deadly unfunny. Her death is gross, and casts a considerable pall over the ensuing proceedings. "Transmission 3: Escape from Terminus" seems unambitious for what it doesn't do, which is, track down the signal. Ben(Justin Welborn) saves Mya from her husband, but we don't know what Lewis was like before he went crazy.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. MichaelP.
    3
    Divided into three segments, each with a different director. The first segment is good enough to give you some hope, but it's quickly crushed by the other two.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

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