This is another example of a Stephen King novel that has not translated well into film. It's the usual 'bogey man' from nowhere who gets inside you head and dreams, sent to create mayhem and destruction against the human race, who are being turned into crazed killers by a mysterious signal from their mobile phones! One man (Cusack) in search of his son, thinks he can save humanity! The story line seems random and the ending has to be one of the worst I've ever seen.

Gimly

3.0/10

Feb 06, 2017

I've never read _Cell_, so I'm not sure if this is an accurate adaptation of a bad Stephen King book, or just another inaccurate adaptation of a Stephen King book. But either way, it's bad. For a decent Cusack/Jackson team up in a King adaptation, just watch 1408. Final rating:★½: - Boring/disappointing. Avoid if possible.

John Chard

3.0/10

Feb 21, 2017

Brain Cell or Brain Drain? Well I haven't read the book but I like Stephen King, I like John Cusack and I like Samuel Jackson, so Cell seemed like a good choice for a late night cerebral chiller. How far off was I? As it happens, very! Suddenly cell phones are turning the populace into crazed homicidal maniacs, a small band of survivors try to stay alive and figure out what is going on... It starts off promisingly, with whirls of chaotic violence and blood, but it then turns into a travelogue movie where everybody either looks bored or is clearly doing it for the money. There's some good ideas at work but the film never delivers on its promise, even serving up an ending that defies patience as well as logic. Being vague is a good thing if the pay off is worth the wait, unfortunately that isn't the case here. Epic fail and the actors and audience deserve better. 3/10

r96sk

4.0/10

Mar 24, 2022

Very poor, despite the presence of John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. <em>'Cell'</em> is basically <em>'<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/land-of-the-dead/" rel="nofollow">Land of the Dead</a>'</em> without the proper zombies, at least that's what this 2016 flick kept reminding me of. That George A. Romero film is good, this Tod Williams release is not. It's a mess throughout and lacks any tension, freshness or uniqueness. Cusack and Jackson should be a good pairing, yet I don't even recall anything from their respective performances just minutes after watching. Both are capable of a lot better than this, especially Jackson. No-one sticks out behind that duo, though it's neat to see <em>'<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_Break" rel="nofollow">Prison Break</a>'</em> actor Stacy Keach involved. One to avoid, I'd say.

After seeing the rotten tomatoes score I felt the need to come and rate this here. Is it the best movie in the world? No. Is it the worst? Heck no! For a movie straight to DVD and a low budget, it gets by well with 2 well known lead actors. The story itself is an original idea I have not seen before in a horror movie. It may be labeled as a horror, but there are no real scares. More of a thriller. I'm not a professional reviewer but I just wanted to add my 2 cents. It's not a 5 star movie. 3 and a half, or 4 at most. Go into it with an open mind. Your single viewing may surprise you