The Signal

PG-13

Released Jun 13, 2014

1h 37m

Mystery & Thriller

Sci-Fi

List

61%

Tomatometer

90 Reviews

39%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

A surprise awaits three college students (Brenton Thwaites, Beau Knapp, Olivia Cooke) who think they have tracked a rival computer hacker to a shed in the Nevada desert.

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Critics Consensus

Director William Eubank clearly has big ideas and an impressive level of technical expertise; unfortunately, The Signal fritters them away on a poorly constructed story.

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Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

It's a movie of ideas rather than spectacle (Philip K Dick's dreamy electric sheep are inevitably invoked) with some well realised visual effects (a la Ex Machina) giving it genre legs.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 29, 2015

Full Review

Leslie Felperin

Guardian

Sadly, this flubs the landing with a banal and credulity-stretching finale that feels like a bad Twilight Zone episode, but the first hour or so is terrific.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 26, 2015

Full Review

Sophie Monks Kaufman

Little White Lies

Pity the poor actors trapped in a cinematographer's world.

Rated: 2/5

Mar 26, 2015

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

For a movie full of surprises in its narrative, there are none beneath its surface.

Mar 4, 2021

Full Review

Brent McKnight

The Last Thing I See

What The Signal lacks in character development and standard plot mechanics, it more than makes up for in mood, tone, and atmosphere.

Rated: B-

Jul 7, 2020

Full Review

Julian Lytle

Punch Drunk Critics

Here is something new and original on the screen with fresh faces that didn't cost the GDP of a small country to make.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 11, 2020

Full Review

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Waniya S

Oh well, i didn't enjoy it a single bit

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/28/24

Full Review

Webb V

Good Sci-fi starts off with a believable premise: Check Good Sci-fi bonds on screen characters to viewers: Check Good Sci-fi answers are incomplete and spawn more questions : Check Good Sci-fi leaves the viewer feeling not 'as full' as the want to be: Check It's storyline holds up from beginning to end. The Signal is good Sci-fi.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/09/24

Full Review

Will S

we need a second one because the story is not finished and it only gets good in the second half of the movie, please complete this story!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/04/24

Full Review

Jesko S

I like the idea behind it, although it never became clear whether the protagonists were kidnapped or not. You spent the whole time wondering how this could have happened, until it was only clarified at the end. For me, it was extremely interesting and also plausible in this context. Reminds me a bit of the movie “Dark City”.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/21/24

Full Review

Simon J

A bit mind bending at first and somewhat slow. Never upbeat but worth sticking with as it takes a different view on the sci fi side. Worth a watch

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/20/24

Full Review

Kit G

The acting, the way it's filmed and the mood is good. The thing is, there are moments in the story that make it feel forced somehow. As if the writer just couldn't conceive a better way to make the story "work". It made me want to stop watching at least twice. Glad I finished it though. I liked the ending.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/15/24

Full Review

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William Eubank

Director

Brenton Thwaites

Nic

Beau Knapp

Jonah

Olivia Cooke

Haley

Laurence Fishburne

Dr. Wallace Damon

Lin Shaye

Mirabelle

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Synopsis

A surprise awaits three college students (Brenton Thwaites, Beau Knapp, Olivia Cooke) who think they have tracked a rival computer hacker to a shed in the Nevada desert.

Director: William Eubank
Producer: Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Tyler Davidson
Screenwriter: William Eubank, Carlyle Eubank, David Frigerio
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Low Spark Films, Automatik
Rating: PG-13 (Some Thematic Elements|Language|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 13, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 9, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $597.4K
Runtime: 1h 37m

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