The Cell

The Cell (2000)

  • 45% of critics liked it
    (144 reviews)

  • 55% of users liked it
    (160,220 ratings)

In this science fiction thriller, child psychiatrist Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez) has developed a technique that allows her to travel through the minds of her patients. When Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio), a multiple murderer who methodically drowns his victims and performs bizarre rituals… More

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In Theaters
Aug 18, 2000 Wide
On DVD
Dec 19, 2000
New Line Cinema

Critic Reviews

  • Nick Funnell, Time Out

    Lopez is hard to take as the empathetic psychologist who uses a synaptic transfer machine to penetrate the comatose killer's tortured psyche in hopes of finding his latest victim.

  • Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

    Tarsem uses the dramatically shallow plot to create a dream world densely packed with images of beauty and terror that cling to the memory even if you don't want them to.

  • Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

    The major problem is that The Cell continuously echoes The Silence of the Lambs, only minus the intricate character interplay, Jonathan Demme's direction and the taut storyline.

  • Susan Stark, Detroit News

    The trippy, highly mannered, widely referential imagery is certainly its strongest selling point, despite wonderfully grounding (and, on the rides, bizarre) work by Lopez.

  • Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

    Had Tarsem stuck a Chanel bag or bottle of Calvin Klein perfume into the picture, he'd have ruined nothing.

Read all 24 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Emil K


    Visually gorgeous entertainment, but as a storywise very hollow film that mixes sci-fi, horror and thriller elements into one unique looking package. Director Tarsem Singh, who is mostly known from his popular music videos that has very unique visuals, surely makes this a good… More

  • Universal D


    Visually stunning but thematically scant take on what it would be like to enter another's psyche, in this case a serial (psycho/sexual) killer whose last victim is still trapped in a cell somewhere. Lopez and D'Onofrio are competent as antagonists delivering the drama but… More

  • Conner R


    I really do admire Tarsem's The Cell for it's amazing nightmare sequences. However, the hit-or-miss casting and lack of interest make this a lot worse than it theoretically should be. While Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn are fine on their own, this miscasting wasn't… More

  • Dead A


    This was sort of interesting.

  • Ross C


    Run-of-the-mill serial killer thriller with a sci-fi twist. Using futuristic technology J. Lo enters the comatose serial killer's mind to help solve the mystery. The fantasy dream sequences make for a good late night visual feast.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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Cast

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