Pulse (2006)

Mysterious entities start taking over a group of friends through an obscure wireless signal spreading rapidly all over the city.

I’ll be quick… The dark and promising opening sequence unhooks you with its formulaic narrative once it gets you hooked. The audience it addresses becomes clear straight away and is none other than… American pre-millennials. Just before social media, androids and iPhones became our lives, this generation started carrying their cell phones with ostentatious designs everywhere.

In case you are wondering why I am doing a review now, it is because I’ve had that DVD on my shelf for the last 15 years, and I never got to watch it. Now, I know why. Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s original script and Wes Craven’s adaptation were allegedly significantly altered by Ray Wright, something that made Craven walk out before production even started and renounced the film. Besides Wright, director Jim Sonzero did not do a good job either. Unfortunately, he treated his audience like they were mentally incapacitated and that alone is a reason to look down on the film. I’ll give you one example to get an idea. Kristen Bell is wearing make-up from beginning to end. No matter what happens, the make-up is intact. It’s shocking that there were two more (horrendous) instalments after that.

I’m not going to waste your time. To sum up, the story could have been promising, the script is dull, and the filmmaking techniques were outdated long before the film was made. It is not Kristen Bell’s and Ian Somerhalder’s fault for being in it. They are really good actors. Watch it at your own risk.

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Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

Stay safe!