This Stephen King apocalyptic horror adaptation raises more questions than it answers

Released in 2016, Tod Williams’ Cell was seen as a promising project, both because of its mercurial cast and the fact that it was a Stephen King book adaptation.

Starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson in leading roles, the film fell flat critically, with film experts deriding it for its below-par screenplay and lack of suspense. However, the Stephen King faithful still tuned in to the film, only to be flabbergasted by the strange and somewhat unresolved ending of the sci-fi horror flick.

Spoilers for Cell follow!

The premise of the movie revolves around a deadly virus called “The Pulse” that is triggered through people’s cellphones, turning them into “phoners,” which are zombie equivalents. Clay Riddell (Cusack), a graphic artist fresh off a lucky break and estranged from his family, is caught in the fiasco while traveling. He is joined by a transportation worker, Thomas McCourt (Jackson), and Alice (Isabelle Fuhrman), in his attempt to survive the bloodthirsty zombies and reach his family, and on their way, the trio faces a multitude of deadly challenges.

As the film progresses, Clay and the posse (minus Alice, who is killed during the events of the movie) finally make it to his house, only for him to find out that his son Johnny (Ethan Andrew Casto) has left his home with a note on the fridge, and that his ex-wife Sharon (Clark Sarullo) was affected by the epidemic at some point. His worst fear comes true when he has to face off against her while opening the attic, narrowly managing to put an end to her.

Reading the note his son left for him, Clay heads to Kashwak to find him. Upon reaching the destination, Clay is confronted with a horrific situation, as he realizes he has to get past a swarm of phoners and their leader, “The Raggedy Man,” to ensure his son’s safety. After he manages to shoot him repeatedly and run him over, he notices Johnny, who’s been infected. In a state of grief, he triggers the explosives kept in his truck remotely, taking out the horde and their leader in a suicidal act.

After the explosion, the film shows the father and the son walking together towards Canada, but shortly after, it is revealed that the explosion was just an illusion and Clay has also become a phoner. Fan theories suggest that the film’s ending can be interpreted in multiple ways, including the possibility of Clay imagining the zombie apocalypse completely in his head, which seems plausible because of his artistic line of work.

Another speculative theory suggests that Clay could have become a phoner earlier in the film during the events that take place at the airport; however, that arc doesn’t fit well with the incidents that follow. All in all, Cell remains an enigma of a film, with its convoluted plot raising more questions than it answers.