The Cell [Limited Edition] 4K Ultra HD Review

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Tarsem Singh’s 2000 film The Cell is a sci-fi psychological thriller starring Jennifer Lopez and Vincent D’Onofrio. Lopez plays psychologist Catherine Deane involved in an innovative technology that allows a person to enter someone’s dreams as an analytical tool. When serial killer Carl Stargher (D’Onofrio) who has been kidnapping and drowning women has a stroke and lapses into a coma with is last victim still missing, the FBI turns to Deane for her help to find the victim. This means Deane must enter the horrifying, broken thoughts of Stargher.

Singh, who was most known for directing the R.E.M. “Losing My Religion” music video before this feature film debut, leans heavily into that same artistic, stunning, often rebarbative visual style for this film, weaving a hard boiled crime thriller with a dreamlike sci-fi fantasy.

The cohesiveness of the story does not always hold together, but this is by design – after all, we are dealing with the dreamworld. When you see D’Onofrio as a horned, devil-like creature, or Lopez draped in a vermillion nun’s habit, or the disjointed edits of images like snakes and or sun drenched windows, you get a sense of motion and symbolism in Singh’s style. It does not always work, but it is a fascinating film to watch.

The Video

Arrow Films has restored The Cell. The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K-16-bit at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging. Director Tarsem Singh and director of photography Paul Laufer approved the newly restored master. Both versions of the film are presented in 2.39:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) Dolby Vision.

At this point it is likely common knowledge that the director’s cut version of The Cell is missing frames and contains duplicate frames with incorrect audio layered over it, beginning around the 15:14 mark and ending around the 15:40 mark. At the time of writing, Arrow is aware of the issue and looking into it.

Now, on to the quality of the transfer: The Cell looks about as good as it can, which is to say this film is never going to look great. Originally shot on medium speed 35 mm Kodak Vision 200T 5274 film stock in the Super 35 format, the film makes uses of many visual effects done at lower resolutions plus film manipulations that heighten the grain structure. There is an overall softness that cannot be overcome, but the 4K scan presents the The Cell as naturally as it has ever looked, and the Dolby Vision grading gives the colors a little bit more pop. The specular highlights do not pop much, but they are satisfyingly bright.

The Audio

The Cell is presented with lossless English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 stereo mixes. I listened to the 5.1 mix, and it is a balanced and atmospheric mix in line with what one would expect for a film from its era. The score from Howard Shore fills the soundstage nicely and has natural dynamics, while dialogue is clean and intelligible as well. There is nothing to complain about here.

The Supplements

As a note, I did not receive the special features Blu-ray disc from Arrow for this review. What is included in the set is listed below:

Special Features:

Disc 1 4K:

• Critic Commentary – An audio commentary with film scholars Alexandra Heller- Nicholas and Josh Nelson. Recorded exclusively for Arrow Video in 2024.
• Screenwriter Commentary – An audio commentary with film critic Kay Lynch and screenwriter Mark Protosevich. Recorded exclusively for Arrow Video in 2024.
• Director Commentary – An archive audio commentary with director Tarsem Singh.
• Production Team Commentary – Archive audio commentary with contributions from director of photography Paul Laufer, production designer Tom Loden, makeup supervisor Michèle Burke, costume designer April Napier, visual effects supervisor Kevin Tod Haug, and composer Howard Shore.
• Projection of the Mind’s Eye (1080p; 01:29:39) –A feature-length interview with director Tarsem Singh. Recorded exclusively for Arrow Video in 2024.
• Between Two Worlds (1080p; 00:43:16) – An interview wit director of photography Paul Laufer. Recorded exclusively for Arrow Video in 2024.

Disc 2 – Alternate Version & Extras Blu-ray

• Previously unseen version of the Theatrical Cut of the film, presented in 1.78:1 aspect ratio with alternate grading, from a 2K master created by director of photography Paul Laufer
• Paul Laufer Illuminates, a new interview about the alternate master of The Cell presented on this disc
• Art is Where You Find It, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• The Costuming Auteur, a new visual essay by film critic Abby Bender
• Style as Substance: Reflections on Tarsem, an archive featurette
• Eight deleted/extended scenes with optional audio commentary by director Tarsem Singh
• Six multi-angle archive visual effects vignettes
• Theatrical trailers
• Image gallery

The Final Assessment

All hope is Arrow Video will do the right thing and institute a replacement program for The Cell to correct the issue with the director’s cut. Apart from that, this restoration is satisfying, not mind blowing, it does what it can with the source, which is an upgrade over the old Blu-ray.

The Cell [Limited Edition] is out on 4K Ultra HD January 21, 2025 from Arrow Video

• Rating Certificate: R (for bizarre violence and sexual images, nudity and language)
• Studios & Distributors: New Line Cinema | Caro-McLeod | RadicalMedia | Katira Productions GmbH & Co. KG | Avery Pix | Arrow Video
• Director: Tarsem Singh
• Written By: Mark Protosevich
• Run Time: 107 Mins. | 109 Mins. (Director’s Cut)
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible)
• HDR10 Metadata:
  • MaxLL: 522 nits
  • MaxFALL: 215 nits
  • Max. Luminance: 1000 nits
  • Min. Luminance: 0.0001 nits
• Primary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Secondary Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Subtitles: English SDH
• Street Date: 21 January 2025