The Horror Show
The Signal
by David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry
Back in 2007, I was starting my year at the New York Film Academy in Manhattan. There was a large screening room where they would show various films for classes and, on occasion, they would host optional things in the evenings there. One day, some classmates and I attended a screening of a new film that was being shopped around. All I knew at the time was that it was a film called “The Signal” and had something to do with the horror genre. The latter made me game enough to see it and the movie began. It started out like a typical amateurish low-budget slasher type movie. We're in the middle of the action as some crazed maniac stalks a group of helpless women in the woods. The quality was low and reminded me of plenty of shot-on-video features I had seen in the past, but it was intriguing enough. Then, the title sequence ends and the actual movie begins. You see, the opening is actually taken from a short film that one of the directors had done for a 48-hour film festival. Not only does the opening scene present itself as jarring and well seeped in the murderous mindset, but it ended up being the perfect introduction. Because when we enter into the actual story, the actual look of the film pops as especially gorgeous.
Suddenly we are in a much cleaner, professionally shot room, where we meet our two heroes. Mya (Anessa Ramsey) and Ben (Justin Welborn) are two lovers, carrying on a secret relationship. Their arrangement is especially hidden form Mya's frightening, unhinged husband Lewis (AJ Bowen). Ben encourages Mya to leave her husband and skip town with him. She clearly would love nothing more, but feels she can't and leaves. There is something strange going on with the phones and Ben's television is broadcasting a strange hypnotic signal of unknown origin. This setup works very well for the film.
After a brief interaction with a bleeding man in the parking garage of Ben's apartment, Mya gets back to her own. It is here that she discovers that things have started to change. It is the day before New Year’s Eve, but people are filled with a different kind of energy. Suddenly everyone, including her husband, is acting especially violent with a heavy bloodlust. Starting around here the film is segmented into three chapters called “Transmissions.” Make no mistake, this is not an anthology film with unrelated stories. Nor is it really in tune with “Trick 'r Treat” or “Pulp Fiction,” which contain stories that lightly connect. This is one solid story that shifts directions and changes perspectives. You see, the signal makes people get “The crazy.” Normal, unsuspecting people, suddenly find themselves victims and predators out of nowhere.
Each “transmission” has a different director and overall tone. The first, entitled “Crazy in Love” serves as a love story that spirals into a horror film. The second, entitled “The Jealousy Monster,” is more dark-comedy based and primarily follows Lewis. On a journey to find Mya, he ends up in a house lead by a woman who had previously been planning a New Year’s Eve party. Her landlord Clark (Scott Poythress) is also hauled up with them. This story is especially interesting because it manages to not only be the comedic segment, but also the most disturbing. Even though there is humor, the situation hasn't lightened at all and we are still in a world overrun with homicide and mayhem. It was around here when I said to myself “Is it just me or is this amazing?” during the first viewing. The movie shows a master understanding of tone, which is often overlooked by other films. Because of this, the shift from horror to horror/comedy doesn't seem jarring or out of place. It's one even flow that just keeps moving.
The third and final Transmission is entitled “Escape from Terminus.” The third act brings all the elements of the film together beautifully as we follow Ben and a new-found friend on his journey to find Mya and hightail it out of town. The film concludes just as it should and leaves you with the perfect feeling to accompany the rest of the movie. It's an overall experience that is capped off by a strong conclusion that leaves me believing that the filmmakers thought about this one for quite a while.
The film is quite different from other films dealing with the beginning of an apocalypse of sorts. As opposed to “The Crazies” or a number of zombie films, there are no “mindless” killers. As one character says early on, they seem to all think what they're doing is completely rational. This is developed more throughout the film, in which we see the delusions of the various characters first hand. It's hard to hate anyone in the film because they are not really in control and actually think that their actions are completely justified.
The characters are so engaging and even given the chaos you find yourself genuinely concerned with their well-being. I am, perhaps, the least romantic person who ever lived. I'm fairly certain that the concept of romance was developed by a secret government organization to keep the dullards in line. But even I clicked with these characters right off the bat and wanted to see them make it. This is because of a combination of talented actors and a style of writing that works so well with the situations. The characters are likeable and you root for them right off the bat. There are no clear-cut good and bad people as there are just simply survivors. This is an all-out war that leaves no hand unbloodied and in the end, everyone is on equal ground. AJ Bowen delivers a strong performance and it's genuinely terrifying to see his character become more and more intimidating as the film progresses.
The story doesn't get wrapped up in any one element. The humor, romantic subplot and side characters all blend together so as not to overwhelm the film itself. They all have their great moments, but the movie feels like one big living thing. A lot of projects get too wrapped up in being stylish and just end up being boring. The Signal is one of the few films that is stylized as hell and still hits all sorts of emotional marks and truly tells a good story. It just feels like an overall success that is a blast to experience. All the acting is top-notch and nothing is predictable. It's obvious that actual care and attention was put forth for this venture, which is something I truly appreciate in a film.
I love low-budget films and a lot of them revel in cheesiness. But The Signal is completely different from this concept. It was made for only half a million dollars and you would never guess it. It has a very professional look and overall feel and the film never feels like it's suffering from any kind of hindrance. It's a heartfelt, brutal, emotional ride that displays the respectability that horror films are capable of and is very impressive. The tone is somber, but alive and somehow the three directors manage to make a film that feels complete and fluid. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to experience this film, something that I have done repeatedly. It's an adrenaline-driven nightmare that manages to be quite beautiful and captures a feeling all its own.
PJ Griffin, HMS
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