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The Cell

  • 2000
  • R
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
113K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,172
138
Jennifer Lopez in The Cell (2000)
Trailer for The Cell
Play trailer2:29
1 Video
99+ Photos
Body HorrorPsychological HorrorPsychological ThrillerSerial KillerCrimeHorrorSci-FiThriller

An F.B.I. Agent persuades a social worker, who is adept with a new experimental technology, to enter the mind of a comatose serial killer in order to learn where he has hidden his latest kid... Read allAn F.B.I. Agent persuades a social worker, who is adept with a new experimental technology, to enter the mind of a comatose serial killer in order to learn where he has hidden his latest kidnap victim.An F.B.I. Agent persuades a social worker, who is adept with a new experimental technology, to enter the mind of a comatose serial killer in order to learn where he has hidden his latest kidnap victim.

  • Director
    • Tarsem Singh
  • Writer
    • Mark Protosevich
  • Stars
    • Jennifer Lopez
    • Vince Vaughn
    • Vincent D'Onofrio
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    113K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,172
    138
    • Director
      • Tarsem Singh
    • Writer
      • Mark Protosevich
    • Stars
      • Jennifer Lopez
      • Vince Vaughn
      • Vincent D'Onofrio
    • 758User reviews
    • 111Critic reviews
    • 40Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 9 wins & 29 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Cell
    Trailer 2:29
    The Cell

    Photos169

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    Top cast40

    Edit
    Jennifer Lopez
    Jennifer Lopez
    • Catherine Deane
    Vince Vaughn
    Vince Vaughn
    • Peter Novak
    Vincent D'Onofrio
    Vincent D'Onofrio
    • Carl Stargher
    Colton James
    Colton James
    • Edward Baines
    Dylan Baker
    Dylan Baker
    • Henry West
    Marianne Jean-Baptiste
    Marianne Jean-Baptiste
    • Dr. Miriam Kent
    Gerry Becker
    Gerry Becker
    • Dr. Cooperman
    Musetta Vander
    Musetta Vander
    • Ella Baines
    Patrick Bauchau
    Patrick Bauchau
    • Lucien Baines
    Catherine Sutherland
    Catherine Sutherland
    • Anne Marie Vicksey
    James Gammon
    James Gammon
    • Teddy Lee
    Jake Weber
    Jake Weber
    • Gordon Ramsey
    Dean Norris
    Dean Norris
    • Cole
    Tara Subkoff
    Tara Subkoff
    • Julia Hickson
    Lauri Johnson
    Lauri Johnson
    • Mrs. Hickson
    John Cothran
    John Cothran
    • Agent Stockwell
    • (as John Cothran Jr.)
    Jack Conley
    Jack Conley
    • Agent Brock
    Kamar de los Reyes
    Kamar de los Reyes
    • Officer Alexander
    • Director
      • Tarsem Singh
    • Writer
      • Mark Protosevich
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews758

    6.4113.3K
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    Featured reviews

    duncancmccann

    Thinking too much maybe...

    I've read so many analytical essays amongst the reviews on here. You know what? Stop watching every film as if it's a challenge to something else. Just let the present experience envelope you. I saw this on TV and immediately went online to buy a copy. All the actors do a good job, the plot is not 100% new it's true - but hey, c'mon, go with the flow. Visually it is stunning, beautiful, terrifying, glorious. Too many people look at films to find the flaws - every film has flaws, but this one overcomes any you may pick on. Sit back, relax, then realise thet Vincent D'Onofrio give Hannibal Lecter a run for his money.
    9asthmaticpunk

    It's All In the Pictures

    Forget about the plot of this movie. Forget about the fact that it is wonderfully acted by Vince Vaughn and Vincend D'Onofrio. Forget about the fact that it is one of the few movies starring Jennifer Lopez that I can stomach. Although the story may be impossible to believe and much of the dialogue seems contrived, the one and only important thing to remember when contemplating watching this movie is that it contains some of the most amazing and disturbing imagery ever put on film. It is as if Salvador Dali decided to make a crime drama. A must see for anyone seriously interested in cinematography and the use of the film cell as a canvas on which to display true works of visual art. I would have to give this movie a 9/10 for it's amazing visual display.
    7Boba_Fett1138

    Creativly original.

    This movie is definitely a case of style over substance but the style is good and certainly more than unique on its own to make "The Cell" a memorable and above average movie.

    "The Cell" is beautifully looking with impressive sets, costumes and make-up. Yes, it's real eye candy to watch all. The movie has some perfectly 'dreamy' sequences that are certainly odd but also very beautiful and imaginative to look at. This movie is a perfect mix of an art-house type of movie and a typical Hollywood-thriller, that is accessible to both fans of the genre.

    The story itself is pretty far fetched and doesn't always make sense. Because of that the movie isn't always pleasant and likable to watch but like I mentioned before, the style compensates for this. The style makes you keep watching till the end and provides the best moments of the movie.

    Vincent D'Onofrio is unforgettable as the serial-killer with a twisted mind. Vincent D'Onofrio is really underused as an actor and this movie shows his talent once more. I'm not particularly happy about the casting of Jennifer Lopez. I know that she can act in some of her movies but she really wasn't suitable to play the main character in this movie. Her character wasn't strong enough and she was overshadowed by Vincent D'Onofrio and Vince Vaughn. Still I felt that Vince Vaughn was also miscast in this movie. He didn't fit the role well enough and no, I'm not saying that because I'm used of seeing him only in comedies now days. The rest of the supporting cast is good and still give the movie a certain degree of credibility.

    The musical score by Howard Shore was also surprising good and was sort of "Se7en" like at times. It suited the movie well and gave some of the scene's some extra mood and atmosphere.

    It's a far from perfect movie and the concept is far fetched and not always handled in the right way. Still "The Cell" is a perfectly watchable movie and perhaps even a bit of a must see, due to its style, originality and creativity.

    7/10

    http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
    kitsenugari

    The Cell: whoa... eww... whoa...

    The last time I reviewed a film helmed by a music video director, I was very angry at what I'd seen (`Mystery Men'), but Tarsem Singh spares us the fish-eye lenses and commercial overindulgences and decides to concentrate on presenting an astonishing visual and audible journey into the mind of a serial killer in `The Cell'.

    Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio) kills women by drowning them in glass cells, all the while videotaping the event. Afterwards, he disfigures the bodies to resemble dolls and then tosses the finished `products' off highways into ditches and streams. Nice guy. He also likes to suspend himself on chains attached to hooks inserted directly into his back. Lovely.

    Meanwhile, FBI agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn) is hot on the killer's trail, and although Carl's started to get sloppy, he's just kidnapped another girl and she has 40 hours before her cell fills with water. Carl is soon apprehended, but only because he enters into a schizophrenic seizure and falls into a coma on his kitchen floor. A coma? But how are they going to find out where the last victim is? Oh, if only they could TRAVEL INSIDE HIS MIND. Hey, what a coincidence! Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez) is a child psychologist involved in an experimental project that allows her to TRAVEL INSIDE THE MIND of coma victims.

    And so begins a strange array of visuals and sounds, blended together so unusually that you honestly feel like you're experiencing a dream… a not so pleasant dream. Not only is Carl's mind slightly twisted, it's violent, disturbingly sexual, and very graphic. But, it's also like a train wreck; you can't help but look. Oddly enough, Mr. Singh clearly had the resources to make his special effects scream out at you with bright color and absurd lavishness, but he chose instead to simplify, placing the terror in the scale and content of the visuals. I can't even use an example. All I can say is think about a dream you've had that you couldn't describe to someone, and that's what watching this movie is like. The photography is so stunning that it virtually eliminates the need for dialogue (only about half the film has discourse), and coupled with the horrifically spooky and scathing soundtrack, the film literally takes on a life of its own.

    My only objection is that when all is said and done, the only character we really understand is the serial killer. Several clues about the other characters' pasts led me to believe that their lives would come into play and that their own memories would be tested and confronted. To me, this would have taken this story to yet another psychological level, but perhaps it would have been too much for viewers.

    Despite this shortcoming, `The Cell' stills provides a myriad of images that will make you want to watch a lot of cute cartoons before turning in for the night. Still, I don't know what was more disturbing: the movie, or the parents in the next row over who brought their two small kids to watch it.
    6paulclaassen

    Incredible! Stunning visuals.

    We've seen this type of story before, but not like this! Wow, bloody, wow, the film's visuals are unusual and incredible! Almost every scene is masterfully done. To add to the visual experience, the photography and cinematography are equally impressive. The editing is also fantastic. The costumes and make-up are also absolutely stunning.

    This is the story of a sick madman - abused as a child - who abducts women and transforms them into dolls. There are a few very disturbing images, so be warned. The dream world is very realistically created to look and feel like a dream. This is one incredible movie! You can't help but marvel at this cinematic achievement!

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Vincent D'Onofrio later admitted that his wife refused to sleep in the same bed with him for two weeks after seeing his performance in the movie.
    • Goofs
      Any goofs occurring in the "subconscious" world which the characters enter, do not have to be consistent or conform to realistic physics, as the subconscious is arbitrary, and can create whatever rules it wants.
    • Quotes

      Miriam: Did we go sailing?

      Catherine Deane: Almost! Mocky-Lock showed up.

      Miriam: [saying a nursery rhyme] Mocky-Lock is the boogeyman, Mocky-Lock wants me where I am!

      Catherine Deane: Mocky-Lock is a pain in the ass.

    • Alternate versions
      One scene, where Vincent D'Onofrio hangs on his piercings, masturbating over the dead body of a woman, was not included in the US theatrical or DVD release, but can be seen in the European one. However, the US Blu-ray happens to contain the director's cut of the film, despite not being labelled as such on the packaging and the R-rating listed on the back. The runtime is listed as 109 (the length of the director's cut) which marks the first time the film has been released uncut in the US.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Cell: Deleted Scenes (2000)
    • Soundtracks
      O Sciore Cchiu Felice
      Written by Raiz (as G. Della Volpe), Stefano Facchielli (as S. Facchielli), Giovanni Mantice (as G. Mantice), Pier Paolo Polcari and Gennaro Tesone (as G. Tesone)

      Performed by Almamegretta (as Alma Me Gretta)

      Courtesy of BMG Ricordi S.p.A.

      By Arrangement with The RCA Records Label of BMG Entertainment

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    FAQ22

    • How long is The Cell?Powered by Alexa
    • What are the differences between the US-Theatrical version and the Director's Cut?
    • Where can I find more information on the movie?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 18, 2000 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Germany
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • La célula
    • Filming locations
      • Namibia
    • Production companies
      • New Line Cinema
      • Caro-McLeod
      • RadicalMedia
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $33,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $61,334,059
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $17,515,050
      • Aug 20, 2000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $104,155,843
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 47 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39:1

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