The Cell
Common Sense says
- R
- 2000
- 107 minutes
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the movie has many gross, upsetting, and scary moments, including child abuse, torture, murder, perversion, mutilation, a terrifying full-immersion baptism, and characters in peril. A character smokes marijuana to calm her nerves.
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User Reviews
Excellent plot! This is not for the faint of heart though...
this is my favorite movie its a comlete mind bender
What's the story?
A serial killer is in some sort of irreversible catatonia, and the police need to find where he has hidden his last victim, who may still be alive. So they turn to Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez), who has developed a means to communicate with comatose patients by entering their dreams. The police decide to allow her to see if she can make any progress with the serial killer.
Is it any good?
I think the idea here was to cross The Silence of the Lambs with The Matrix. THE CELL's so-called plot seems to be just an excuse for lots and lots of stunning but often gruesome surreal visual effects that fall somewhere between the hyper-clarity of a nightmare and the claustrophobic grotesquery of a bad acid trip.
The movie is all sensation, no plot, no logic, no meaning, no effort to explore or illuminate. It is filled with juxtapositions that seem more meaningful than they are, creating an illusion of profundity that dissolves before your eyes.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about what it would be like to enter someone else's mind and about the differences in the ways individuals think. They may also want to talk about mental illness, its causes and treatments.
Movie details
- In theaters: August 18, 2000
- On DVD or streaming: December 19, 2000
- Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn, Vincent D'Onofrio
- Director: Tarsem Singh
- Studio: Warner Bros.
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Run time: 107 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: bizarre violence and sexual images, nudity and language
For kids who love thrills
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.