Signal, The (UK DVD)
Gareth Jones
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Starring Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke, Beau Knapp, Laurence Fishburne
Directed by William Eubank
Distributed by Entertainment One
While taking a cross-country road trip to help their friend Haley (Cooke) relocate, plucky college students Nic (Thwaites) and Jonah (Knapp) decide to take a detour to an isolated spot in the desert in an attempt to track down a notorious computer hacker who goes by the moniker ‘NOMAD’. Unfortunately for the trio, something sinister is afoot – and it soon becomes apparent that the three of them have been led into some sort of trap.
Things aren’t exactly what they seem, however… and this is where director William Eubank’s The Signal gets smart.
After witnessing Haley apparently being sucked into the air in a ‘blink-and-you’ll-miss-it’ moment, Nic awakens in what appears to be a hospital bed – the setting abruptly shifting from the darkness of the desert to the bleached-white clinical oppression of a medical facility. Very soon, he’s introduced to Damon (Fishburne), a scientist who explains to him that he and his friends are suspected to have come into contact with an alien intelligence – and as such, they must be kept isolated and observed in case this contact has made them in any way dangerous to the general population.
As he’s taken through various tests of reasoning and mental capacity, Nic struggles to keep his aggression in check – worries about his friends remaining forefront on his mind.
But there’s a big surprise in store for him and his friends, as things in the facility most definitely aren’t what they initially appear to be – and that’s as far as this review will go towards describing the further events in The Signal.
Straight out the gate, The Signal is one fantastic-looking film. From the beautiful natural desert and mountainous vistas of the early scenes to the clinical presentation of the facility and on towards some staggeringly gorgeous slow motion in the climactic action sequences, Eubank’s eye for visuals is in top form.
The storyline itself is compelling – the abrupt switch of locale and complete sense of confusion remaining just on the right side of totally perplexing. The second act does tend to drag somewhat, with perhaps one or two too many short scenes of Nic’s continued resistance to Damon and will to escape the facility – but it’s aided by punctuating moments of solid mystery, for example when an unseen ‘something’ gets loose and wreaks havoc in the corridors, with only the aftermath sporting huge gouges in the facility’s walls offered to the audience.
Working within this framework of confusion and veiled intentions, the cast each do an admirable job with their roles. Brenton Thwaites leads the show with his turn as Nic, capably realising the character’s frustration with his current situation and physical disability, and his overriding will to see his friends safe. Beau Knapp is lively as the more overtly nerdy Jonah but manages to elevate what initially feels like a standard, archetypical character to higher than expected levels of empathy as the film reaches its climax. Olivia Cooke does well as Haley, but the involvement of her character is much weaker than the other two – frequently acting as little more than a MacGuffin for Nic to chase, even if the unfolding story constantly pulls at threads hinting much bigger implications for her that never come to fruition. Laurence Fishburne does his quiet, sombre and well spoken thing in just the way that he can – there’s nothing particularly surprising from him here, but he fits the role of Damon perfectly.
The revelations, thrilling action sequences and bombast come thick and fast in The Signal‘s home stretch, winding up to an effects-laden finale that sports some very impressive CGI and a superbly cinematic feel. There are answers to be found to many of the elements of its narrative, but The Signal isn’t content to simply hand them all over on a plate – one example being the origins and fate of an elderly lady (played by the wonderful Lin Shaye) who crosses paths with the lead trio and subsequently suffers some rather peculiar effects.
It all leads to an ending that answers the big question but leaves you to figure out the rest – making The Signal a more than capable little mind-bender of a flick with plenty up its sleeve to keep you hooked, even if some of its more forced ambiguity feels like a stretch too far at times. Despite a few foibles and some lax pacing, it’s ultimately a gripping yarn sporting some great ideas, excellent effects work and a human core that stands out when all is said and done.
On Entertainment One’s UK DVD release of The Signal, we have a collection of deleted scenes that seem to have been wisely excised in favour of preventing the second act from becoming far too bogged down, a short but hilarious outtake featuring Fishburne’s reaction to a prop failure, around 10 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage showcasing what looks to have been a rather difficult desert-based shoot, and an audio commentary with director William Eubank, co-writer Carlyle Eubank and co-writer/producer David Frigerio.
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