"They're testing us, Nic. Like little rats."
-- Jonah (played by Beau Knapp)
-- Jonah (played by Beau Knapp)
Let me say this without getting into a full review of The Signal, an at best middling exploration of what I think to be is an otherwise good idea: come its big finish, the script really only ended up toying with the audience -- much in the same way it did its characters -- leaving you ultimately feeling full yet empty the way you occasionally can feel after ingesting what you thought was going to be a good meal.
Too harsh?
Meh.
I guess it's that I loved so much of the production, right up until its kinda/sorta disastrous closing, at which point you're left with loosely re-evaluating everything that took place up to the level of absurdity. In fact, I could suggest that The Signal's story -- as scripted by Carlyle Eubank, William Eubank (who also directed), and David Frigerio -- was truly only getting started when it came to the finale: once you have a complete grasp of the ... erm ... ahhh ... "the storytelling concept," it's only then that I'd now want to see how the surviving players might want to consider their respective places in the wider cosmos at large. As no follow-up has been delivered, I'm guessing we're all just left at this critical impasse, making of it what we will in the final estimation.
Generally speaking, I am a fan of features that toy with reality, our perceptions of it, and how we cope with its sometimes fragile nature. Where a flick like The Signal fails is that it strives very efficiently toward misdirecting viewers away from 'the twist' of its ending -- M. Night Shyamalan is still writing checks on what is essentially a lot of scripts similar in construction but varied in presentation: depending upon how you react to the plight of these characters, you might feel cheated by having spent over ninety minutes getting to know them, savor their struggles, only to have the rugged ripped out from under you (and them) with the reveal.
Sigh.
I did so much want to know what happens next?
That's just how I'm wired.
Here's the plot summary as provided by the good folks at IMDB.com:
"On a road trip, Nic and two friends are drawn to an isolated area by a computer genius. When everything suddenly goes dark, Nic regains consciousness - only to find himself in a waking nightmare."
Too harsh?
Meh.
I guess it's that I loved so much of the production, right up until its kinda/sorta disastrous closing, at which point you're left with loosely re-evaluating everything that took place up to the level of absurdity. In fact, I could suggest that The Signal's story -- as scripted by Carlyle Eubank, William Eubank (who also directed), and David Frigerio -- was truly only getting started when it came to the finale: once you have a complete grasp of the ... erm ... ahhh ... "the storytelling concept," it's only then that I'd now want to see how the surviving players might want to consider their respective places in the wider cosmos at large. As no follow-up has been delivered, I'm guessing we're all just left at this critical impasse, making of it what we will in the final estimation.
Generally speaking, I am a fan of features that toy with reality, our perceptions of it, and how we cope with its sometimes fragile nature. Where a flick like The Signal fails is that it strives very efficiently toward misdirecting viewers away from 'the twist' of its ending -- M. Night Shyamalan is still writing checks on what is essentially a lot of scripts similar in construction but varied in presentation: depending upon how you react to the plight of these characters, you might feel cheated by having spent over ninety minutes getting to know them, savor their struggles, only to have the rugged ripped out from under you (and them) with the reveal.
Sigh.
I did so much want to know what happens next?
That's just how I'm wired.
Here's the plot summary as provided by the good folks at IMDB.com:
"On a road trip, Nic and two friends are drawn to an isolated area by a computer genius. When everything suddenly goes dark, Nic regains consciousness - only to find himself in a waking nightmare."
To the film's credit, it did garner some attention from the BloodGuts UK Horror Awards, a ceremony largely dedicated -- as its title suggests -- to honoring the best in Horror releases annually. Actor Laurence Fishburne -- a tremendous asset to many genre films -- received a 'Best Actor' nomination for their 2014 roster; and composer Nima Fakhrara enjoyed a nomination in the category of 'Best Soundtrack/Score.' Furthermore, at the 2014 Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival, The Signal took home top honors in the category of 'Best Special Effects.'
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
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