Cellphone – Movie Review (4/5)

CELLPHONE is a new horror movie that you do not want to miss. Contrary to what the marketing and PR would have you think, it’s a bold and strong horror drama. Not a carbon copy horror B-movie. Read our full Cellphone movie review here!

CELLPHONE is a horror movie that could easily be labeled a horror drama. Sure, there’s a supernatural element, but it’s nowhere near what the poster, trailer, or even title would have you think. This is a movie that deals with PTSD, sorrow, and depression while offering creepy and scary moments that feel both familiar and foreign.

Instead of the low-budget copycat horror movie about a possessed cellphone (like the swimming pool in Night Swim), this horror movie is so much more. Think indie horror movies or Ari Aster and Jordan Peele-style horror rather than your average B-horror movie.

Continue reading our Cellphone movie review below. Find it on VOD from February 13, 2024.

Heartbreaking and horrifying

From the scene where we meet the main character Wynne, I got the feeling that this movie would be very different than I expected. Instead of being another story about a haunted or possessed object (a cell phone, in this case), it’s so much more.

Wynne (a wonderful portrayal by Whitney Rose Pynn) is grieving the death of her fiancé as she has left her life behind to begin again. Or rather, she’s just trying to get away from memories and guilt. All while still seeing her dead fiancé everywhere and blaming herself for his death.

She then starts seeing strange and disturbing images on her cell phone. At first, these things are minor, but strange, things. Later, they turn into images of someone being dead. She realizes that she needs to figure out what’s going on or someone will die.

Maybe even herself, if she’s going by what happened to those who lived in the same house before her. Then again, she has also been diagnosed with PTSD and isn’t sure if she can trust anything she sees.

Small cast, big performances

As well as Whitney Rose Pynn being amazing in the lead as Wynne, I have to mention a few others from this small cast. Sure, there’s genre darling Malcolm McDowell as Bob, the landlord who often calls Wynne just as something weird happens. With his distinctive voice, he is the perfect choice for this smaller role.

However, as the deceased fiancé Liam, we see a wonderful and heartfelt portrayal from Jared Noble. You can really feel the love shared between Wynne and Liam in every scene.

And then there’s the funny and strangely charming Chris, who keeps showing up at Wynne’s temporary home. Justin Malik Jackson is perfect in the role of the awkward friend she never wanted, but very clearly needed.

A horror movie for Valentine’s Day

There are several horror movies about Valentine’s Day but they usually just take place on the day for lovers and feature a whole lot of blood and death. With this one, however, you get a horror movie that deals with heartbreaking love while having moments of pure dread and horror as well.

It’s truly a horror movie for Valentine’s Day. The kind that will make you want to hold your loved one a bit tighter. Both because things get creepy, but also (mostly!) because the story makes you realize that tomorrow is not promised. Not for any of us.

As a horror movie, Cellphone takes its audience so much further and deeper than I ever expected. The poster and title scream teen horror along the lines of Polaroid and Countdown. The actual movie couldn’t be further away from this often predictable formulaic horror movie.

And this is coming from someone who also very much enjoys movies like Polaroid and Countdown. However, they do not stay with me beyond a fun movie night. Cellphone is staying with me in ways I would expect from a Jordan Peele or Ari Aster movie.

And yes, I know I’m pulling out big names, but this horror movie is along those lines more than any conventional “possessed” or “demonic”-based horror movie.

Watch Cellphone on VOD

The movie was directed by Luke Sommer and written by Rachel Sommer. It’s the feature debut of both filmmakers, and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next. Cellphone is a feature-length version of a short film titled Cell Phone which they made in 2012.

Though changes have been made to the story – just like in Lights Out.

More people with the last name Sommer are on board this project with Jan Sommer and Matthew Sommer as producers. Having all these people with the same last name as filmmakers made me think of the Adams Family.

That’s not a bad thing at all. Quite the contrary, the Adams family is a family of filmmakers who also always manage to deliver something unique and unexpected. As much as I like a nice Friday night horror movie, these deeper horror movies are what stay with me for the longest time.

So please, forget the awful decisions made regarding the marketing choices for this horror movie and just watch it. Trust me, it has a story that is both engaging and relatable on much deeper levels than you’d ever expect!

Cellphone is released as direct-to-VOD on February 13, 2024.

Details

Director: Luke Sommer
Writer: Rachel Sommer
Cast: Whitney Rose Pynn, Malcolm McDowell, Justin Malik Jackson, Jared Noble, Isaac Versaw, Katherine Barber