The Cell

"Enter the mind of a killer."

2000 1h 47m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 1,799

HorrorScience FictionThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A psychotherapist journeys inside a comatose serial killer in the hopes of saving his latest victim.

“Enter the mind of a killer.”

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Cast

Jennifer Lopez
Catherine Deane
Vince Vaughn
Peter Novak
Vincent D'Onofrio
Carl Rudolph Stargher
Catherine Sutherland
Anne Marie Vicksey
James Gammon
Teddy Lee
Colton James
Edward Baines
Dylan Baker
Henry West
Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Dr. Miriam Kent

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tarsem Singh
Writers: Trevor Goring, Mark Protosevich
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.2× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

26 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Germany.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Cell Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tarsem Singh, shot by Paul Laufer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Howard Shore. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Paul Rubell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn and Vincent D'Onofrio carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tarsem Singh directs. Paul Laufer behind the camera. Howard Shore scores. Paul Rubell cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America, Germany. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 3.2× over at the box office.
226 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Germany.
4Part of the "The Cell Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Tarsem Singh, shot by Paul Laufer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Howard Shore. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Paul Rubell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn and Vincent D'Onofrio carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Enter the mind of a killer.".
10IMDB entry: tt0209958 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 16 themes, including "california", "schizophrenia", "drowning", "virtual reality".

The technical file

Cinematography: Paul Laufer
Original score: Howard Shore
Editing: Paul Rubell
Production design: Tom Foden
Costume design: Eiko Ishioka
Makeup / hair: Camille Calvet
VFX supervisor: Dennis Berardi
Sound: Jayme S. Parker
Stunt coordinator: Jack Gill
Runtime: 107 min · 1h 47m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $33,000,000
Box office: $104,155,843
Return: 316% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Cell (2000)

Part of

The Cell Collection

The Cell is a 2000 science fiction psychological horror film directed by Tarsem Singh in his directorial debut, and starring Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn, and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film follows scientists as they use experimental technology to enter the mind of a comatose serial killer in order to locate where he has hidden his latest kidnap victim. A sequel, The Cell 2, was released direct to DVD on June 16, 2009. The story centers on The Cusp, a serial killer who murders his victims, and then brings them back to life, over and over again until they beg to die. Maya (Tessie Santiago) is a psychic investigator and surviving victim of The Cusp, whose abilities developed after spending a year in a coma. Maya must use her powers to travel into the mind of the killer unprotected, in order to save his latest victim.

Also by

Tarsem Singh

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Gimly2018-10-26
★ 6/10
I can't... I can't call The Cell good... But it's artistically spectacular, features one of D'Onofrio's best roles ever, and though it has unoriginal concepts, it uses them in originally thematic ways. I can't call The Cell good... But I can tell you to watch it. Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go.
Kewl Kat2018-10-26
★ 10/10
The Cell is a forgotten classic. Way ahead of its time, it is a cinematic delight. It could be best described as a psychological thriller but it is so much more. Don't hesitate to enjoy this gem. It is visually stunning with a gripping story. JLo is good in this despite her booty never being the focus. Yes, it makes an appearance in a side view but it doesn't overwhelm. For serious, this is a 10-star film. Have fun!
Wuchak2021-04-05
Going inside the mind of a psycho A child psychologist who’s adept with an innovative procedure (Jennifer Lopez) agrees to help FBI agents (Vince Vaughn and Jake Weber) by entering the mind of a comatose serial killer (Vincent D'Onofrio) in order to find clues to where his latest kidnap victim is held captive. Will they find her in time? "The Cell" (2000) is a psychological crime drama/thriller that combines “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991) with “The Matrix” (1999) and the style of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Dracula” (1992); meanwhile the sordid elements recall “The General’s Daughter” (1999). Although the plot seems convoluted, the film is actually easy to follow and it’s a veritable feast for the eyes. The best ‘feast’ is Jennifer in her prime. Also on the female front is Catherine Sutherland as one of the victims. The only thing that takes down my rating is the early scene showing how the sick phukk gets his jollies with female corpses. Who wants to see that? How about just hinting at it or describing it verbally? The film runs 1 hour, 47 minutes, and was shot mostly in Southern Cal, e.g. San Diego (neurosciences facility), Los Angeles (hospital), Bakersfield (the silos), Taft & Pomona; as well as the Namib Desert (mind scenes with the boy). GRADE: B