IMDb 4.5 2016 HD

Cell

Cell

2016
Horror Science Fiction Thriller
98 min R USA
4.7 / 10
4.5 IMDB

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…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Tod Williams / Gail Hunter / Chip Signore / Matthew Goodwin
Starring
John Cusack / Samuel L. Jackson / Isabelle Fuhrman / Owen Teague / Clark Sarullo / Anthony Reynolds / Erin Elizabeth Burns / Stacy Keach

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

chilling chaotic familiar predictable effective grim serviceable competent unsettling rote urgent bleak

Reviews

S
Seraphina Reed
Apr 17, 2026
2.0 / 5
2.0

The terrifying potential of a global cell phone signal gone rogue is the hook for 'Cell,' and for a while, it’s an effective one. The film’s depiction of the immediate chaos is stark and unsettling, hinting at a…

A
Arthur Pendelton
Apr 17, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

'Cell' offers a refreshingly analogue take on apocalyptic horror, using our constant connectivity as its insidious catalyst. The initial descent into madness is depicted with a visceral, almost frantic energy, making for a compelling opening act. John Cusack…

G
Genevieve Dubois
Apr 17, 2026
2.0 / 5
2.0

In 'Cell,' the concept is far more compelling than its execution. The swift transformation of humanity into ravenous hordes, triggered by a ubiquitous signal, sets a tone of immediate dread. However, the film falters in developing its characters…

M
Marcus Bellweather
Apr 17, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

Based on Stephen King's novel, 'Cell' unleashes a potent, if occasionally rough, vision of technological Armageddon. The idea of a signal turning everyone into a killer is a germane modern fear, and the film captures the immediate pandemonium…

E
Eleanor Vance
Apr 17, 2026
2.5 / 5
2.5

The premise of 'Cell' is undeniably chilling, tapping into our modern reliance on technology. John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson anchor the film with their seasoned presence, attempting to lend gravitas to a narrative that often struggles with…

FAQs

The central conceit of 'Cell' is that a mysterious signal transmitted through all cell phone networks worldwide initiates a devastating epidemic. This signal causes a radical and violent transformation in those exposed, turning them into bloodthirsty, aggressive creatures. The film depicts this as an instantaneous and uncontrollable phenomenon, leading to widespread panic and the swift collapse of civil order as the infected become a direct, lethal threat to the uninfected.