THE SIGNAL (2008) directed by David Bruckner, Dan Bush, and Jacob Gentry
Starring: AJ Bowen, Anessa Ramsey, Justin Welborn
Before I dig into this review, I just want to give the official quote here for the DVD cover. Ready?
“The complete horror film. The Signal will blow your mind.” Horror Yearbook
[Editor's Note: Oh no we are becoming as pathetic as Dread Central!]
There, now that’s out of the way, we can go ahead and praise this horror film like no other in the past, oh, twenty years. Now, that’s not saying it’s the most original because I can and will name many of the films The Signal nods its crazy cap to, but it definitely is one of the most memorable, if not, entertaining horror films since Evil Dead 2. But that’s what makes it complete. There’s something here for every type of horror film fanatic; whether it be outrageous and bloody like Evil Dead 2, intriguing and apocalyptic like 28 Days Later, funny like Shaun of the Dead, gritty and torturous like Reservoir Dogs, and just a zany mix of it all a la Peter Jackson’s Bad Taste with a Quentin Tarantino Pulp Fiction format. Oh, and Grindhouse transitions. The Signal is definitely an homage to all the greats, but in combining all of those influences together, manages to create something ultra unique or downright satisfying. I just came back from the theater seeing this flick, and I have to be honest. It’s almost 2am, I’m tired as hell, and I can’t stop thinking or smiling about The Signal. I was just really caught off guard.
The basic premise of the film is some sort of digital signal is transmitted through electronic devices that causes people to become extremely violent. Yes, there’s a good deal of Pulse running through the veins of this film, but fortunately for us, it’s not the craptastic version with Veronica Mars. Through the course of the film, we follow a woman named Mya that is cheating on her asshole of a husband, Lewis, and trying to get to Terminal 13 to runaway with the new boy toy, Ben. But first, she has to manage to get through a city that is turned upside down by what is quickly called “The Crazy”, the violent aftereffects from the pulsating electronic signal. People just turn passive-aggressive, but instead of yelling, just take a insect spray can and bash heads in like mashed potatoes. It’s gruesome, and yet sometimes, funny as hell because of the context it’s happening in. And that’s where Pulp Fiction comes into play.
The Signal is made up of three parts, or appropriately named by each director as “transmissions”. Each transmission has its own director, but amazingly, it stays as a linear narrative, flowing from one piece to the next without too much interruption. Of course, you can tell when a new director arrives because something very crazy happens, and you’re just yelling it out loud, “That was freakin crazy!”, but it still moves the story forward, and the movie is crazy every five minutes anyway. The real accomplishment is from each director, adding his own flavor to the film, but not veering away from construct. In other words, they had a goal, and they all reached that goal together. It’s this kind of teamwork that gets Hollywood banging on the door, and horror fans craving for more. On top of that, top notch characters will also lead the way to horror enlightenment.
Lewis, played by AJ Bowen, is a cross between Jim Carrey and Ryan Reynolds, and his character is the most intriguing, if not for the looks alone. From the first segment, he’s pegged as the asshole husband to Mya that becomes the first to turn into a violent killer after viewing the signal on a television. In the next transmission, he becomes a character the audience enjoys, making crazy talk fun to say and funny to hear. I wanted to hate the guy, but just couldn’t during that second transmission. The third transmission, he becomes dark and lost, but more importantly, the bad guy he was born to be. Lewis is a regular Vincent Vega. You want to hate him. You’re supposed to hate him, but in the end, he ends up being the guy you want to party with. Well, along with Jim Parsons, the horny guest looking to get laid at the New Year’s Eve party with the other memorable supporting character, Anna, whom had just killed her husband with an air gun to the neck. It’s the contrast of the characterizations in the second transmission that brings the first and third together with substance, deep meaning, and genuine horror. And let’s not forget about Rod, the talking head that needs a smoke, as he’ll go down in horror history as one of the coolest, craziest severed head scenes.
To put the cherry on top of this ice cream sundae, the music really grabs the audience. It’s effective, penetrating, and flowing, helping each transmission stay in tune with the previous. It also adds the dramatic flair for Mya’s conflict and Ben’s destination, and the theme that if love dies, find a new one that will make you a mix CD to get you back on track. I’m pretty sure I’m going to hunt down this soundtrack. In the meantime, horror fans need to hunt down The Signal and experience it for themselves because the full, horror package has finally arrived. The signal has been received: Loud and clear.
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