The Signal
Magnet Releasing | Release Date: February 22, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
63
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
7
Negative:
2
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Film ThreatJeremy Knox
If you’re tired of zombie films or rabid people films, Signal is like a cool drink of water on a hot day. It’s got all the goodness from the best of those genres while creating its own niche at the same time. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Both apocalyptic and suitably vague, The Signal's only serious weakness comes from some borderline histrionic performances; then again, it's tough to call hysteria anything other than a sane response to a world gone mad. Crazy, man. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
It has a creepy power all its own. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
Unlike traditional zombie romps, these crazies don't stumble around mindlessly, noshing on human flesh. They look and act like normal people - until the second they go bonkers. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
The Signal is like a Romero zombie movie in which the zombies aren't dead, they're just really temperamental. Evil here is technology-born. Maybe our cellphones and satellite dishes are giving us all the crazy. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
The film suffers slightly from diminishing returns -- its first third is by far its scariest -- but it's still a bold, artful take on a popular horror idea. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerTirdad Derakhshani
The Signal has its share of things to say about urban paranoia, road rage, addiction - whether to sex, drugs or, more dangerously, consumerism. But it stands apart from other pictures of the same ilk by using its apocalypse as a backdrop to a bitter-sweet love story. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
The gimmicky yet strangely moving new fright flick The Signal distinguishes itself not through originality, but by smartly integrating just about every popular trend afflicting contemporary horror films. Read full review
70
VarietyRobert Koehler
Borrowing heavily from the current trend in zombie comedy and apocalyptic horror but shifting it away from the usual undead norms, pic carves out a fresh angle in the crowded indie horror universe while blatantly stealing ideas from Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Pulse." Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Cagey low-budget horror flick. Read full review
60
The New York TimesMatt Zoller Seitz
Part 1, directed by David Bruckner is superb, with affecting performances, a sense of dread reminiscent of John Carpenter’s “Prince of Darkness” and many striking images. Part 2, directed by Dan Bush aims for George Romero-style ghastly humor, but it’s more grating than funny. Part 3, directed by Jacob Gentry adds a splash of tragic love, but its preference for gore over feeling becomes monotonous. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Mostly comes down to rage fiends going at one another with baseball bats, knives, pesticide tanks, and power drills. Read full review
50
Village VoiceJim Ridley
This uneven but impressive shot-on-digital shocker earns a marker in the mausoleum of apocalyptic horror--a genre that's proving (un)surprisingly durable in the new century. Read full review
50
Washington PostJohn Anderson
In a movie about perception, misperception and the ramifications of misunderstanding, it's a bit ironic that the directors can't get out of one another's way. Read full review
50
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Just another low-budget effort from filmmakers who mistake cleverness for smarts. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
The picture eventually collapses under the weight of its own gimmickry, but it's still an entertaining distraction for cerebral horror fans who want an appetizer before the B-horror feast that is "Diary of the Dead." Read full review
50
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
The movie has grand (and Grand Guignol) bits and pieces, but despite the hype it’s no big deal. By horror standards, the premise isn’t especially outlandish. Read full review
38
Chicago TribuneSam Adams
The Signal combines the inconstancy of an omnibus film with the blandness of art by committee. The end result feels less like a blend of distinct styles than an opportunistic hodgepodge, a second-hand premise wedded to an attention-grabbing gimmick. Read full review
38
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
It doesn't take long for the The Signal's promising beginning to fade into a haze that leaves the viewer exhausted and irritated. Read full review
More From This Movie

63 Critic Reviews

6.3 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL