A textbook “doomed teenager” movie setup that veers promisingly into “District 9” territory, director William Eubank‘s “The Signal” aims for something beyond the current cinematic landscape, but doesn’t quite reach the desired frequency.
Working from a script he co-wrote with Carlyle Eubank and David Frigerio, director Eubank cleverly assembles a scrappy sci-fi adventure out of familiar horror-movie parts. But a game performance by Brenton Thwaites (“Maleficent”) in the lead role eventually outpaces the provocative central mystery, stylishly driving the audience toward a resolution that lacks equivalent substance.
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Thwaites plays Nic Eastman, a computer-whiz MIT student who’s driving his girlfriend Haley (Olivia Cooke, “Bates Motel”) across the country, with his pal Jonah (Beau Knapp) along for the ride.