A horror film told in three parts, from three perspectives, in which a mysterious transmission that turns people into killers invades every cell phone, radio, and television.
This movie was way better than I expected, especially for a B-movie! It’s basically a 28-Days-Later-style Horror with a sprinkle of Tarantino and Black Comedy and served with a big plate of Paranoia. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it’s helpful to know this beforehand:
One of the reviews that I thought was on point is as follows (contains minor spoilers):
A signal is being transmitted to every TV, cell phone, and radio. This transmission has a powerful effect on anyone who watches it or listens to it. It strips away self-control, plays on your paranoia, and makes even the most brutal of murders appear rational. Three people—a wife, a husband and a lover—all deal with this feral disorder in three, very different ways. This film brilliantly and brutally tells each of their stories. After the various transmissions of The Signal, chaos, murder, and mayhem ensue.
Usually, when you are about to watch a low-budget horror movie, your excited anticipation at watching a new horror flick is very often marred by a bit of dread. Almost invariably, the viewer is going to have to overlook bad acting, stilted dialogue, and clichéd plot twists. Unfortunately, these pitfalls have come to be synonymous with moderately-financed movies. Having said this, now and again, a movie comes along which changes your mind about low-budget film-making. The Signal is one such movie, the acting is superb, the writing is innovative and compelling, and the dialogue delivers many a quotable line:
“Do you have ‘the Crazy?’” Transmission 1 – Crazy in Love, directed by David Bruckner. This part of the film tells us the story of Mya, the wife, and her story becomes, by far, the darkest part of the tale. This section is shot in such a way that it has a voyeuristic quality to it. The viewer does not feel as if they are watching a film, but rather, that they are observing Mya, as the initial effects of The Signal are startlingly revealed.
“You’re not my husband, you’re a homicidal maniac.” Transmission 2 – Jealousy Monster, directed by Jacob Gentry. This is the most surreal part of the film, as we see the world through Lewis’s eyes. Of course, he is the jealous husband and is most obviously affected by The Signal. Gentry’s transcendent use of nonlinear storytelling, along with his dark humour, gives us a gruesome glimpse into the mind of a maniac. And, even though Lewis has a habit of killing people by battering them to death with a fire extinguisher, you do, kinda, feel for the guy.
“You are aware that you are having a conversation with a decapitated head.” Transmission 3 – Escape from Terminus, directed by Dan Bush. And, finally, there is Dan’s story, aka the Lover. In the final transmission, the line between good and evil becomes the most blurred that it has been since the start of the film. This epilogue hammers the message home, that no one is safe from The Signal. Viewers find themselves asking, “Who is the bad guy, who is the husband, who is the lover, who is dead, and who is alive? To all these questions, there is no definitive answer. The optimists among us will interpret the ending as a “love conquers all, kind-of,” deal. And, cynics will view it as just the beginning of the last, great apocalypse, one in which man’s inherent fears and paranoias, with a little help from some malevolent technology, will destroy all humankind. Transmission 3 is a very suitable, ambiguous ending to a first-rate horror film.
Each transmission has a very different style, and some viewers may think this adds up to a disjointed narrative. However, I wholeheartedly disagree with this conclusion. As each story is told from a different perspective, it makes sense that the filmmakers should employ different techniques to portray their characters’ personalities and varying descents into madness.
The Signal is the most original, thought-provoking horror movie of the past decade. This film is wickedly witty and pleasingly perverse. Its writers and directors are very adept at their craft, and this film is a shining example of its genre, regardless of budget. In short, The Signal is a sublime example of film-making and is worthy of major distribution.
