When a strange signal pulsates through all cell phone networks worldwide, it starts a murderous epidemic of epic proportions when users become bloodthirsty creatures, and a group of people in New England are among the survivors to deal with the ensuing chaos after.
Not a polished work of filmmaking. Some of the nighttime scenes are so poorly lit it's difficult to tell what's happening. The editing is ragged and adds to the confusion. More than a few of the supporting performances are embarrassingly amateurish.
– Richard Roeper,
Chicago Sun-Times,
7 Jul 2016
rotten:
Even King's commentary on how cyber-connectivity breeds brainlessness feels shoehorned-in - mostly limited to a few lines from a snooty private-school administrator played by Stacy Keach.
– Noel Murray,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Jul 2016
rotten:
Even if it weren't cheap-looking and dreary, "Cell" would still be hobbled by an entertainment landscape already lousy with zombies, and a hive-mind premise that - at least metaphorically - has been all but realized.
– Jeannette Catsoulis,
New York Times,
7 Jul 2016
rotten:
The concept of humankind turning into one enormous mobile hotspot for use by an evil mastermind has legs. It's too bad Cell cuts the idea off at the knees.
– Odie Henderson,
RogerEbert.com,
8 Jul 2016
rotten:
What makes this movie about a zombie attack different from any other movie about a zombie attack? Nothing but its ineptitude.