The Signal – Blu-ray Movie Review

“The Signal” (Blu-ray) – Reviewed by Chris Eberle

Synopsis

College students Nic, Haley, and Jonah are on a road trip to California; but they are also in pursuit of a mysterious hacker who had breached the MIT computer server. They track him to a remote house in Arizona which seems to be abandoned. Suddenly there is a scream and Nic finds himself in a mysterious hospital where everyone is wearing protective suits. Haley is in a coma, and Jonah only speaks to Nic through an air conditioning vent. He is relentlessly interrogated by a Dr. Damon but given no information other than that he is infected with an alien pathogen.

After decoding the security lock on his room, he manages to escape only to find the world has changed in his absence. After narrowly evading capture, he discovers his true fate and that his surroundings are not what they seem.

Commentary

This is definitely one of those movies where you power your way through looking for the gotcha that makes it all worthwhile. I enjoyed the first act where Jonah and Nic battle the hacker online and discover his location. When they get there, it’s a Blair Witch scene with grainy night-vision images, point-of-view camera shots, and several boo-moments. The long second act takes place in the hospital and this is where things really slow down. You know the plot twist is coming; it just takes a long time to get there. It’s only a 90-minute film but the middle section really tests the viewer’s resolve. The ending is worth waiting for but only the most hard-core sci-fi/film-noir fans will want to buy this Blu-ray. For the rest of us, it’s worth a rental.

Technical

The image is solid, but not quite up to reference quality. Deep contrast is the best part with excellent detailed blacks and bright highlights. The color palette is warm throughout, even in the hospital which you’d expect to be more blue or green in tone. The scenes in the desert were well-done with appropriately rich red and orange hues. Overall sharpness was good but not the best I’ve seen.

The 5.1 audio mix makes expert use of the surround channels for ambient detail and effects. There were many moments that made me turn my head as sounds panned or just appeared to the sides and rear. There aren’t many loud moments so your sub will get a break but the soundstage and dynamic range are first-rate. Dialog was also clear and well-balanced.

Extras

Bonus features include a single making-of featurette, deleted scenes, and audio commentary with writers and producers.