BROADCAST SIGNAL INTRUSION (2021) Reviews and overview

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‘Follow the tapes’
Broadcast Signal Intrusion is a 2021 American crime horror film about a video archivist who unearths a series of sinister pirate broadcasts. He then becomes obsessed with uncovering the dark conspiracy behind them.

Directed by Jacob Gentry (Synchronicity; The Signal) from a screenplay co-written by Phil Drinkwater and Tim Woodall.

The Queensbury Pictures production stars Harry Shum Jr., Kelley Mack, Chris Sullivan and Justin Welborn.

Reviews:
“Regardless of the fiction’s frustrating flaws, affinity for the amalgamation of homages can hypnotically hook viewers into the movie’s weird world. I might have intermittently lost interest in the plot’s stalling tactics if not for the intoxicating dread permeating the drama. The film is not consistently tense, but it is consistently textured.” Culture Crypt

“While the momentum definitely dips in the latter half of the film, things pick up big time in the last 15 minutes of Broadcast Signal Intrusion, and those are moments that are going to stick with me for quite a long time […] the sequences involving the masks in the film provide BSI with unforgettable imagery that will also probably haunt me for years to come.” Daily Dead

“The information that is conveyed to the audience is interesting and vital, but the way that it’s delivered by the supporting cast and the words they speak are way too obvious […] Perhaps, if the film were to only follow Shum Jr.’s character as he traces the source of the intrusions and things weren’t so explicitly said by others, then it could have risen higher. It’s a shame because for the most part, one is heavily captivated.” Discussing Film

“While Harry Shum Jr. and his quiet, charismatic obsession make for a suitable anchor down this rabbit hole of a film, the film never reaches its true potential. The chilling atmosphere and haunting premise is squandered on a rather standard conspiracy thriller that only rarely feels coherent.” Film Pulse

Broadcast Signal Intrusion is an atmospheric conspiracy thriller in need of one more script revision (along with an insert reshoot as the typos in a newspaper headline closeup are glaring) to solidify its ideas. Not everything needs to be answered in a film, obviously, but most viewers want and need something concrete to hold onto.” Film School Rejects

” …despite the Shaye St. John-like creepiness of the video images, there is really nothing unsettling to remember. As far as the gumshoe detective work by James who can’t figure out how intrusive broadcast hackers operate — and sadly by the end, neither do we — it all kind of falls flat and uneventful once we reach the end. Still, Gentry has a great eye.” iHorror

“Though the feature-length film is a missed opportunity, perhaps the best way to enjoy it is by using it as an opportunity to explore a fascinating real-life mystery that’s still unsolved while immersing yourself in the film’s evocative atmosphere and watching Harry Shum Jr. do his magic.” Loud and Clear

” …Broadcast Signal Intrusion is without a doubt a visually impressive film. And that’s before you even consider the intrusions themselves. The pirate broadcasts crawl under your skin with their unsettling sights and cacophonous sounds […] Most of the effects work is unnerving rather than horrifying, but when the blood does flow, it packs an unexpected punch.” Modern Horrors

“Unfortunately, after keeping us gripped for 80 minutes, Broadcast Signal Intrusion sputters to an unsatisfying conclusion that may well sour a lot of viewers on the overall movie. Even if it ultimately leads nowhere of note, Broadcast Signal Intrusion is a mystery worth investigating for fans of conspiracy thrillers.” The Movie Waffler

Broadcast Signal Intrusion is one of those murky, confounding films that asks you to accept that the filmmakers know where they’re going, despite evidence to the contrary […] Shum is convincing James, who fills the empty void in his life with a desperate grab at hope, but it’s not enough to make this a signal worth tuning in to.” Punch Drunk Critics

“The ease to identifying this movie’s references are almost a fault, but it’s exciting to see Gentry use them for freaky riffing and with Shum Jr.’s raw performance leading the way. So long as it keeps us going from one strange revelation to the next, Broadcast Signal Intrusion works. And those masks are truly scary, long before James get more info about who is behind them.” RogerEbert.com

“The red herrings and dead ends that James and Alice help ramp up the suspense and keep the momentum, and the claustrophobic sense of paranoia and conspiracy wonderfully calls back to political thrillers of the past. So, despite it’s minor flaws, Broadcast Signal Intrusion remains a beautifully eerie neo-noir mystery drenched in analog terror.” Rue Morgue

Broadcast Signal Intrusion does a spectacular job of melding the haunting trumpet soundtrack of a 1970s conspiracy crime thriller (think auteur composer Michael Small) with the vague and bland 1990s time stamp. […] Director Jacob Gentry perfectly melds an incredible tapestry of characters, technology, and darkness together into a way that oddly makes conspiracy theories make sense — even for just a fleeting moment.” The Scariest Things

“Sure, the film gets bogged down a bit in its third act, more resembling a run-of-the-mill thriller than the creative effort established earlier on. But overall, it’s a well-done film, that grew out of a great idea.” Tilt

Release:
Broadcast Signal Intrusion had its European premiere at the 2021 Arrow Video FrightFest in London on August 27th.

The Dark Sky Films On-Demand release was on October 22, 2021, and the Blu-ray and DVD releases are on December 7, 2021.

Cast and characters (alphabetical):
Anthony E. Cabral … Group Sharer
Richard Cotovsky … Manager
Jeff Dlugolecki … Creepy Guy in Alley
Jennifer Jelsema … Nora
Thomas Kosik … Bar patron
Kelley Mack … Alice
Steve Pringle … Dr Stuart Lithgow
Harry Shum Jr. … James
Madrid St. Angelo … Proprietor
Chris Sullivan … Phreaker
James Swanton … Sal-E Sparx
Preston Tate Jr. … Man
Justin Welborn … Michael
Michael B. Woods … MacAlister
Arif Yampolsky … Chester

Technical details:
1 hour 44 minutes

Trailer:

MOVIES and MANIA rating:

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