Hellphone (2010) User Reviews

Full of laughs and surprises

[ajitsemail · 7/10 · 9 February 2011]

Fantastic idea. We use cellphones all day, what if they could kill you? Well, they do kill you but that is another review. Hellphone is a well executed film that really revels in the story and ideas. The film has a enjoyable lightness to it even though it moves like lightning. I found myself constantly laughing or chuckling to myself.

The story might take place in a small town but it doesn't reuse the tired-old clichés. People are connected, they love their technology, it is a chaotic vibrant environment. My favorite moments in this film are when people are unable to get off their phones even though they know it could kill them. I see this everyday when I drive to work. It is funny scary kind of stuff.

Overall, it is an entertaining movie that speaks to a lot of issues that are currently cropping up. The fight scenes towards the end are awesome! I hope they make a sequel.

Hellphone

[ggblue229 · 8/10 · 17 November 2010]

This movie was way better than I originally expected. Considering the VERY small budget, this movie was ultimately Excellent. The main actors were lovable. I laughed so hard on some scenes. Best of all, "Hellphone" was unpredictable. A few scenes made me jump in my seat....I never saw that coming. I would definitely see this movie again. I believe the extras did a great job. The opportunity for the residents of the small town of Madison to be in a film was encouraging, to say the least. "Hellphone", makes you wonder, do towns like this really exist in the United States?? Maybe they do; so the next time you big city people decide to buy a home in a small, quaint and quiet town, you may want to check the history first. You never know what secrets rest behind the sweet, welcoming, demur folks that will soon be your neighbors.

Hellphone - pleasant (and unpleasant) surprise!

[dfdforest · 8/10 · 30 November 2010]

Overall experience was of total amazement and delight… despite such a goofy premise, the movie actually worked! One of the most amazing aspects for me, was that everything sort of made sense in the film. In 2008, I caught wind of this project concept for a horror/comedy/drama film about killer cellphones. I was fascinated... "this I gotta see".

The movie seems to poke fun at itself right from the start, and that alone made it interesting and totally endearing. About 2 minutes in, I suddenly found myself completely into the movie solely on its own merit.

Production quality was great, and despite one or two choppy spots it had excellent consistency, a cohesive film. Sound effects, from monster voicing to footsteps to ambient sounds were convincing, and I particularly enjoyed the score & thematic elements, and gunplay blended with on-screen action. The 'attack' of the phones was completely unnerving.

A true testament to Hellphone is that I actually caught myself criticizing it by comparing to present day major Hollywood blockbuster CGI. After seeing Hellphone, I realized that I was comparing a low-budget independent film to movies that had budgets of $25 million+! The directors accomplished feats in Hellphone that would have been impossible for ANY studio 15 years ago! The cellphone POV screen effect completely registered, and I seamlessly and subconsciously believed I was looking out through the inside of the phone. When comparing this movie to notorious independent film CGI offerings(the feet/birds in Birdemic come to mind), Hellphone sits high above the norm, which underscores the skill of director Jason Pierce.

The principle actors did a phenomenal job, and I absolutely accepted the fact that this was a small North Carolina caketown. The subplot's romantic complication was handled well, and I enjoyed the genuine imperfection and conflict among the 4 leads. Very clever character development, and not sappy or contrived.

The Unpleasant Surprise -- I was quite uncomfortable through parts of this movie. The reason for this was because I was genuinely scared. This was rather unexpected, and I had no intention of being frightened going in. Well done. For the first 15 minutes of the film, I completely 'bit' on the suspense that welled up in my gut every time a cellphone was answered on-screen. Masterful plot development.

Overall, Hellphone is a solid film on a shoestring pittance; a great treatment of a very challenging & potentially disastrous plot concept.

Surprisingly good!

[zacroseanna · 10/10 · 29 November 2010]

I was not sure what to expect with this movie as I am not a horror "buff" and I knew this was done on a tiny budget. I was pleasantly surprised! It felt like a "real movie" instead of a budget/homemade one. I jumped out of my seat and then laughed myself silly. The writing is great and the actors did an awesome job bringing the characters to life. Well done! I would recommend this to anyone with a love of campy/horror. The fact that it is was filmed in my home state was an added bonus! It is nice to see that films can be produced in local communities! It highlights a lovely town in North Carolina and portrays some of the charm of a small town.

so much fun!

[jayejaye-1 · 9/10 · 23 November 2010]

I can't believe what the makers of this film were able to do with it! it is so cleverly written and it's obvious that the writer has a love for the campy/horror genre. It gives nods to Evil Dead, as well it should! The actors were wonderful! The leads carried their roles confidently. It's so nice to see a truly strong female lead that dominates the movie...and stays strong until the end! none of the typical strong female who turns wimpy in the end! and the two guys who vie for her affection play off of each other splendidly! what great chemistry between them! It was so nice to see NC featured, particularly a small town like Madison! See this film! it's worth your while and it's important to support independent film makers!

Fun, Well Done!

[martinmessick · 8/10 · 29 November 2010]

This movie is great in its own right and amazing considering that it was accomplished on such a tight budget. It boggles the mind to think how the writer, directors and cast were able to create such a cohesive cinematic experience while relying on a minuscule budget and the assistance the community could (and did) provide. Although this "genre" of movie is not in my normal mainstay, I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to seeing it again. The film contains items of interest that are often missing in large budget productions: it has mystery, romance, history, culture all wrapped around a plot with enough complexity to maintain the viewer's interest. While I was watching I was taken to the small-town Madison and forgot where I was sitting. Well done!

A great independent feature length horror / comedy movie

[cwcoleman-901-290127 · 8/10 · 19 November 2010]

This was my first experience with a 'shoestring budget' film, and I was very impressed. The movie starts off with suspense and keeps it going until the very end. A healthy dose of comedy keeps the laughs coming - the coroner was my favorite character.

The three main characters (sexy assistant police chief, witty computer technician, and ignorant coroner) work together well. Scenes in the police office, high school gym, and lake give the film it's hometown touch. I felt right at home watching the possessed cell phone call it's victims.

A topic we can all relate to - answering a phone - brings the 'horror' to everyone. The comedy of a phone walking along the street and stoner kids helping it along - cracked me up. The jokes throughout the movie keep it light - not overly 'horrifying'.

Summary - this movie has it all, support a North Carolina artist and go see it twice.

Thinking twice about answering my celly, and here's why...

[JBGirl007 · 8/10 · 8 February 2011]

Why can't bad people just die? In Hellphone, the dead/bad find a way to torment and kill using modern technology. So... why was I laughing so much? Here's why, Hellphone is innovative, and Hellphone is a first. The story is completely original. I can't think of any film that has a similar theme or storyline. That alone held my interest, but there's more.

The actors were surprisingly talented, and the special effects were Hollywood grade. I kept thinking I had misread about the low budget to make this film, but this film really delivered. I laughed more than I ever expected, and saw some things I won't soon forget.

I would imagine this film holds some secrets that would be valuable to other filmmakers, no matter their budget. For me, I just enjoyed the laughs and the giant cellphone monster kicking everyone around.

Huge fun!

[michael_r_fisher · 30 July 2011]

"Hellphone" was a wonderfully fun romp, combining just the right amounts of camp and suspense. The results on the screen are far beyond what one would expect for the $19k budget, with the inclusion of surprisingly successful CGI effects. The cell phone creature was really quite convincing, moving quite naturally and interacting with the live characters in a very natural manner.

The film drew references from a number of interesting quarters, including a somewhat Hitchcockian shower scene and a Bluetooth Greek chorus. I did struggle a bit to connect the opening establishing scene with the present-day events of the film, but finally realized that this movie is not intended to stand up to deep scrutiny. Once I relaxed it became a lot more fun.

Performances by the main cast were quite good, and Phillip Ward was a particular standout as Bill.

Well worth the investment of a couple of hours of your life and a tub or two of popcorn!