‘Music to die for’
The Cello is a 2023 mystery horror thriller film about an aspiring cellist who learns that acquiring a new instrument has dark consequences.
Directed by American genre filmmaker Darren Lynn Bousman (Spiral: From the Book of Saw; St. Agatha; Abbatoir; The Barrens; Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV) from a screenplay written by Turki Alalshikh. Produced by Lee Nelson. The soundtrack score was composed by Joseph Bishara.
The Saudi Arabian production stars Jeremy Irons (Dead Ringers), Tobin Bell (Saw franchise), Samer Ismail (The Day I Lost My Shadow) and Elham Ali (Zero Distance).
Plot:
Like many musicians, accomplished Saudi cellist Nasser (Samer Ismail) has aspirations for greatness, though he feels like he’s held back by the old, dilapidated instrument he’s forced to play.
When Nasser is offered the chance to take possession of a gorgeous red cello by a mysterious shop owner (Tobin Bell), he finds new inspiration both for his playing and for his composing. What Nasser doesn’t realise is that this cello has a nefarious past.
As he prepares for an important audition with a prominent philharmonic, that past shows itself in the form of an ancient conductor (Jeremy Irons) and the suffering and death of those close to him. Nasser must now decide if achieving his dreams is worth the horror that comes with playing such a perfect instrument…
Reviews:
“I’m not a big fan of horror, but the idea of the horror Cello was perfect, and the execution was amazing. Watching Jeremy Irons and Tobin Bell in a horror movie is a privileged experience. The scenes of Al Ula were lovely too. The camera angles were perfect.” 10 out of 10, Alhamdan
“The plot was incredibly weak and predictable, offering no real surprises or twists. The characters were poorly developed and lacked depth, making it difficult to empathize with or care about their fates. The pacing was sluggish, with long stretches of boredom that did nothing to build tension or create a sense of unease.” 1 out of 10, Msadaldrees
Release:
In the US, Destiny Entertainment will release The Cello theatrically nationwide on December 8, 2023.
Trailer 1:
Trailer 2:
