The Cell (2000)

The Cell is a 2000 science fiction psychological horror film directed by Tarsem Singh in his directorial debut, written by Mark Protosevich, and starring Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn, and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film follows a team of scientists as they use experimental technology to help a social worker enter the mind of a comatose serial killer in order to locate where he has hidden his latest kidnap victim. Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Jake Weber, Dylan Baker, Tara Subkoff, and Pruitt Taylor Vince appear in supporting roles.

Protosevich began developing the film in the mid-1990s, and sold the screenplay to New Line Cinema in 1998, at which point Singh became attached as director. A co-production between the United States and Germany, The Cell was filmed in 1999 in California, with additional photography occurring in Namibia and Barcelona.

The Cell premiered in the United States in August 2000 and received "deeply divided" reviews from film critics, with some praising the visuals, direction, make-up, costumes and D'Onofrio's performance, and others criticizing the plot, an emphasis on style rather than substance, and masochistic creation. Among the critics who hailed the film was Roger Ebert, who named it one of the ten best films of 2000. It received numerous nominations and awards from various critical associations, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Makeup, as well as four Saturn Award nominations. Despite the film's mixed critical response, it was a box office success, grossing over $104 million against a $33 million budget.