Stephen King Says This 11%-Rated Horror Is His Most Underrated Adaptation: "Terrific, Eccentric Movie"
Not even a stellar acting duo and King's name are a guarantee of quality.
Stephen King adaptations have long since become a genre unto themselves, where masterpieces like The Shawshank Redemption sit alongside outright flops.
King himself sometimes surprises fans with his assessments of the adaptations of his books. While viewers and critics often condemn the same works, King unexpectedly rises to their defense.
Stephen King Doesn't Understand Why 'Cell' Was Such a Flop
This is precisely what happened with one of his most panned movies, Cell. In an interview, King expressed genuine bewilderment at the cold reception Cell received:
“I frankly never understood why people didn't like Cell. Because, to me, that was a terrific, eccentric movie with some really eccentric, strange performances in it.”
King added:
“John Cusack at his best, and Samuel L Jackson is terrific. So I would say Cell, for sure.”
What Is 'Cell' About?
Artist Clayton Riddell witnesses a mysterious signal transmitted through cell phones that instantly turns everyone within range into violent, deranged individuals.
In this chaotic world, Clayton joins forces with a few survivors, including a seasoned man named Tom McCourt. Their goal is to find Clayton's wife and son and try to figure out what caused the deadly impulse.
To Be Fair, 'Cell' Is Indeed a Rather Weak And Chaotic Stephen King Adaptation
To be fair, King's opinion on Cell is rather exceptional. Despite its stellar cast and intriguing premise, director Tod Williams' movie was roundly panned.
The screenplay retained only the characters' names and the basic plot from the novel. Fans hoping for a repeat of the chemistry between John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson after the brilliant 1408 were disappointed.
Cell became bogged down in the characters' aimless wandering from location to location, devoid of tension and meaning. The book's deeper themes and emotions were replaced by a collection of zombie apocalypse cliches.
Maybe King sees something in the adaptation of his work that's inaccessible to a wider audience. Maybe he appreciates its attempt to convey eccentricity and individual acting flourishes.
However, most viewers and critics find Cell to be a chaotic, incoherent, and creatively unsuccessful project.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Cell'?
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Cell has 11% from critics and 17% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the movie has a score of 4.5/10.
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On Letterboxd, Cell scored 1.9/5.0.
Where to Watch 'Cell'?
Cell is available to stream on Plex and The Roku Channel.
