The Cell (2000)
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A team of scientists uses experimental technology to help a social worker enter the mind of a comatose serial killer to find a missing victim.
The story
Child psychologist Catherine Deane is hired to conduct an experimental virtual reality treatment for coma patients using a 'Neurological Cartography and Synaptic Transfer System.' This technology allows her to enter a comatose mind to attempt to bring them into consciousness. When a serial killer, Carl Rudolph Stargher, falls into a coma just as the FBI identifies him, he leaves no leads regarding the location of his latest victim, Julia Hickson. After learning of the experimental technology, Agent Peter Novak persuades Deane to enter Stargher's mind to discover the victim's location.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Catherine Deane enters the dark dreamscape of Stargher's twisted psyche, which features his memories of abuse and a demonic alter ego known as King Stargher. To help her, Agent Peter Novak enters the mind to remind her of her reality. During their escape, Novak finds a clue leading to a physical location in Bakersfield. Novak successfully rescues the victim, Julia Hickson, from a water-filled enclosure. Following the rescue, Deane remains behind in the mindscape. She chooses to use the 'reverse feed' to pull Stargher's mind into her own, creating a sanctuary for him. In this final sequence, she acts as a savior to his inner child, ultimately leading to his death in the real world while she remains in a state of peace. In the aftermath, Deane and Novak meet outside, and Deane is approved to use the technology on a young boy, Edward Baines.
- First release year
- 2000
- Runtime (minutes)
- 107
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tarsem Singh
- Writers
- Mark Protosevich · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jennifer Lopez · Catherine Deane; Vince Vaughn · Peter Novak; Vincent D'Onofrio · Carl Rudolph Stargher; Marianne Jean-Baptiste · one of the scientific researchers; Jake Weber; Dylan Baker; Tara Subkoff; Pruitt Taylor Vince · a physician
- Genres
- science fiction; psychological horror
- Themes
- victimhood; trauma; empathy
- Tone and mood
- surreal; dreamlike; disturbing
- Setting
- A surreal dreamscape within a serial killer's mind and the real world of California and rural Bakersfield.
- Premise and plot tags
- serial killer; virtual reality; psychology
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received "deeply divided" reviews from film critics, with some praising the visuals and others criticizing the plot and emphasis on style over substance. It was a box office success.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 40 · scale: 100 · review count: 32
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Makeup · nomination; Saturn Award · nomination · nomination
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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