Director: William Eubank
Writer: Carlyle Eubank, William Eubank, David Frigerio (Screenplay)
Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke, Beau Knapp, Laurence Fishburne, Lin Shaye, Robert Longstreet
Plot: 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.
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: A Thinking Sci-Fi Film
Story: The Signal starts with three friends Nic (Thwaites), Haley (Cooke) and Jonah (Knapp) on a road trip where they are getting messages from a mystery NOMAD who help hacked into a MIT leading to the guys getting in trouble. NOMAD continues to taunt the guys leading to them getting messages showing how they are being followed through the computers. The trip is more than just having fun it could be their goodbyes because of the Haley is going to be moving cross country and Nic is dealing with an illness that is making physical movement more difficult for him every day.
The trip takes a small detour when Nic and Jonah decide to try and meet NOMAD leading to them investigating a house in the middle of the Nevada desert. Haley finds herself being taken by something leading to Nic waking up in the government facility being questioned by Damon (Fishburne). Damon informs Nic he has found contact with an EBA making him a danger to everyone around. Haley is in a coma and Jonah is locked away in another room communicating through the vents with Nic. Nic continues to get asked questions by Damon making him look and feel like a lab rat.
When Nic finally see what has been happening we find out that not everything is as it seems and a real horror is only just beginning to show itself as Nic tries to find his own way to rescue Haley and escape the facility.
The Signal has to go down as a good story because it throws you in nearly every possible direction and offers twists and turns you simply won’t see coming. I would compare it to other films but by doing that it would give away certain twists. I would say most of the film feels very fresh because of you getting pulled into wanting to know more about what is happening to our characters. I did like how the road trip was very much a reality check for our characters who would be going to be going through a hard time in their own personal lives. I would go into the negatives here and start with the fact that everything does seem to slow down inside the facility but outside that it runs smoothly. This is a must watch for anyone who likes to watch a film that really makes them think like myself. (8/10)
Actor Review
Brenton Thwaites: Nic is a disabled young man still trying to hold onto the final amounts of movement he has, he is an expert hacker who along with Jonah is looking for another hacker called NOMAD. Nic ends up getting taken by the government and experimented on to see what has really been happening to him. Brenton does a good job in the lead role and when it comes to his changes we get a genuine look of shock running through his character. (8/10)
Olivia Cooke: Haley is the friend going on the trip who first gets taken and ends up spending most of the film after this in a coma. Olivia is around the whole film but really doesn’t get too much time for any scenes. (6/10)
Laurence Fishburne: Damon is the lead scientist in the facility trying to help Nic but only ends up pushing him away more before trying to give him the truth. Laurence does a solid job as the doctor and his voice certainly helps the character. (7/10)
Support Cast: The Signal really does have a small supporting cast that all help our characters along the way.
Director Review: William Eubank – William follows up the brilliant ‘Love’ with yet another sci-fi film that will test you on every level. (8/10)
Sci-Fi: The Signal really tests your ability to handle the unknown. (8/10)
Thriller: The Signal keeps you guessing from start to finish and will leave you shocked by the end. (9/10)
Settings: The Signal each setting is wonderfully designed to cover the chapter of the story with a few twists in line. (9/10)
Special Effects: The Signal has interesting effects which don’t look the best but seem to be very effective. (8/10)
Suggestion: The Signal is a film to try, it will make you think but if you just want to relax this might be too much. (Try It)
Best Part: Shocks everywhere.
Worst Part: Slow middle.
Action Scene Of The Film: Escape.
Oh My God Moment: The Legs.
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Dark City
Oscar Chances: No
Budget: $4 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes
Tagline: R U Agitated?
Overall: The Signal is a very good sci-fi that is brilliant to watch but will make you think.
Rating 
