I read this book by Stephen King when it came out a few years ago, and was thrilled to have a King novel that didn’t pretend to be anything other than a horror story.  And while in general movies based on Stephen King’s books don’t always turn out great, Cell has John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, who were both awesome in 1408, one of the better King adaptations in recent years.

Unfortunately, there’s a reason I don’t recall this film being in theaters.  It’s fairly formulaic and lackluster, and has a different ending than the book.  The opening scenes where people on their cell phones get a “pulse” that turns them into rabid zombies is great, but the movie never really gets better.

Which means… recommendations are in order!

• 1408 (2007) – Definitely a better adaptation, and super creepy.
• One Missed Call (2003) – The Japanese version is much better than the American remake. I feel like the remake changed the tune of the haunted ringtone, which was super creepy in the original.
• Pulse (2001) aka Kairo – Forget haunted cell phones, this time the ghosts are invading through the internet.  There are some truly creepy scenes in this one.
• When a Stranger Calls (1979 & 2006) – I have to say, the remake takes the most frightening part of the original and expands it into an entire movie – the original’s plot after the scary phone call (“it’s coming from inside the house!”) doesn’t really follow.