The Cell

New Line Cinema | Release Date: August 18, 2000

8.8	USER SCORE Universal acclaim based on 526 Ratings

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User Reviews

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charliebMay 15, 2010

How cud spell check head check" Roger Ebert Give this a 100. Bought off. critics are not? What? The movie isn't bad . But the whole premise of people being suspended on hooks and having their minds and dreams. SAY WhaT? hOEKEY. Hard to How cud spell check head check" Roger Ebert Give this a 100. Bought off. critics are not? What? The movie isn't bad . But the whole premise of people being suspended on hooks and having their minds and dreams. SAY WhaT? hOEKEY. Hard to believe. Lame. but watchable.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

JustinSmithSep 26, 2010

Tarsem Singh's directorial debut, The Cell, contains more style than substance, and is weighed down with it's special effects and a side-story that should have been left on the cutting room floor. At the same time, elaborate costuming andTarsem Singh's directorial debut, The Cell, contains more style than substance, and is weighed down with it's special effects and a side-story that should have been left on the cutting room floor. At the same time, elaborate costuming and great shots that turn the most desolate sand dunes into beautiful landscapes, present a great director in the making and enough story to keep the audience along for the ride.
Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez) is a psychotherapist who has been working with a comatose child by getting inside his mind via a virtual reality styled setup that includes a breast accentuating suit, suspension from wires, and a face covering towel that looks like a computer circuit-board. Meanwhile, there's a killer on the loose and the FBI hopes that Catherine can get inside the killer's mind to find his latest victim before it's too late.
It's difficult to discuss The Cell, without mentioning Tarsem's 2006 film The Fall. Because everything Tarsem did wrong in The Cell he did right in The Fall. The Cell was a learning experience for Tarsem, and he learned his lessons well. The Cell is set up like a coin, there are two sides that come together to make one movie, unfortunately one side of the coin is more polished than the other. In this case the polished side is Tarsem's non-CGI visuals, many of which are influenced by great paintings, but the CGI effects are in overload throughout many parts of the film and it's distracting. There are several moments within The Cell that hearken to David Lynch's Twin Peaks (1990-1991), which stands to reason as both, Tarsem and Lynch, are visual directors.
Catherine's story line with the killer, Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio), is interesting and provides many great visuals. The parallel crime drama storyline, however, is lame, even by C.S.I. standards. Vince Vaughn is passable as Peter Novak, the FBI agent who has a past of his own to overcome, but the character is uninspired. Any actor could have played Peter Novak and it wouldn't have made a difference.
Jennifer Lopez's performance improves with the increasing bizarreness of her costumes, which both come to a peak in the third act. Vincent D'Onofrio is good as the killer, whose fetishes would give Jeffrey Dahmer a run for his money. Although D'Onofrio executed the part well, I can't help but wonder what Philip Seymour Hoffman would have done with the role.
Despite it's flaws, The Cell doesn't leave you empty handed, and it shows a first time director learning his strengths and weaknesses, which payed off six years later when he directed The Fall.… Expand

0 of 15 users found this helpful015

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ThegodfathersonMay 19, 2013

The Cell is rated R for bizarre violence and sexual images, nudity and language. To call The Cell disturbing is a bit of an understatement. I've never winced so many times during one film in my life. However, that is exactly the reactionThe Cell is rated R for bizarre violence and sexual images, nudity and language. To call The Cell disturbing is a bit of an understatement. I've never winced so many times during one film in my life. However, that is exactly the reaction Tarsem is going for. He doesn't want you to be unmoved. He wants you to be horrified--so horrified that you sometimes can't even watch. There are moments which are so hard to watch, you may feel as if you are really there, experiencing it all firsthand. I won't try and convey the disgusting acts portrayed on screen, as it isn't easy to put into words. This is a film based solely on visuals, and visuals alone. It works. And I know for sure, I won't be forgetting it anytime soon.… Expand

0 of 11 users found this helpful011

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FranzHcriticOct 29, 2019

It's the usual style over substance from 'The Cell'. I won't deny the visuals and atmosphere present a visceral experience that helps its audience delve into the subconscious. That is the intent, and it is done well. But in terms of story andIt's the usual style over substance from 'The Cell'. I won't deny the visuals and atmosphere present a visceral experience that helps its audience delve into the subconscious. That is the intent, and it is done well. But in terms of story and characters, there seems to be a lot missing, with the exception of D'Onofrio, a consistent favorite of mine, and Lopez, who is the only other character with any real depth. The additional crime thriller b-plot could have been done a lot better. Great direction and cinematography, mediocre writing and casting (save for D'Onofrio).… Expand

0 of 8 users found this helpful08

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CineAutoctonoJul 22, 2019

Out of curiosity I saw The Cell, and the impression I had is that of good alike and indifference, both the performances and the scenery, the photography and the history were very good, the problem is that some scenes are very brutal thatOut of curiosity I saw The Cell, and the impression I had is that of good alike and indifference, both the performances and the scenery, the photography and the history were very good, the problem is that some scenes are very brutal that several do not endured And that's how an undervalued and extremely divisive movie is built.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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Sosmooth1982Dec 12, 2022

The movie wasn't really that good. Everything looked pretty awesome though. It was a really good idea for a movie, but could have been better.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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AmateurfilmVWRJun 30, 2023

Very similar to that of Silence of the Lambs mixed with the Matrix but suffers from uneven direction that chooses style over substance. It almost seems like a feature length NIN music video mixed with a Marilyn Manson music video. J-LO,Very similar to that of Silence of the Lambs mixed with the Matrix but suffers from uneven direction that chooses style over substance. It almost seems like a feature length NIN music video mixed with a Marilyn Manson music video. J-LO, Vaughn and Vincent D'Onofrio give great performances, Lopez is the weakest of the bunch especially in some of the dream sequences but she gives a good performance overall.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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