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Parents' Guide to

Broadcast Signal Intrusion

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Confusing creeper may freak teens out; suicide, smoking.

Movie NR 2021 92 minutes
Broadcast Signal Intrusion Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

It's Chicago in 1999, and James (Harry Shum Jr.) works overnights as a video archivist, allowing him the solitude to wallow in his grief, which still lingers years after his wife's death. When he's transferring a news broadcast from a decade earlier, he stumbles upon a BROADCAST SIGNAL INTRUSION featuring a masked figure uttering something unintelligible. Intrigued, James starts digging to try to learn more.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

If you're going to spend 92 minutes diving into a rabbit hole, you want to find something more than fluff like this. This Frightfest script competition winner was inspired by actual pirate transmissions that occurred in 1987 in Chicago, when a person wearing a Max Headroom mask interrupted a couple of TV shows with bizarre statements and behavior. The perpetrator was never caught, and message boards went wild with conspiracy theories. This mystery dives into pockets that are pretty similar but takes the idea further, connecting nefarious behavior to the incidents.

Like a conspiracy theory, the story in Broadcast Signal Intrusion makes leaps that don't make sense and opens threads that are never sewn up. While eventually it becomes clear why James should care, it's hard to understand why anyone else does. With an ending that's open to interpretation, this is ultimately a frustrating quest that most will find fruitless. Take a note from the rabbit: Scurry away.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Broadcast Signal Intrusion uses real events to create a fictional story. Why do you think filmmakers might choose to change the facts for a movie? Do you think making a film about illegal acts could inspire copycats?

  • What sparks a conspiracy theory, and why do you think people are drawn to believe and follow them?

  • How are smoking and drinking portrayed here as ways to start conversations and create bonds? Does this make those activities seem more appealing? Do you think it's realistic?

  • What's the difference between perseverance and obsession?

  • Discuss the provocative sounds and imagery the filmmakers use to creep viewers out, while trying to keep the story grounded in reality. Are they effective? Truly terrifying events do occur, both before the story begins and toward the end. Why do you think the filmmakers chose not to show those incidents?

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