It's intended as an indictment of our overdependence on communications devices, but the premise is out-of-this-world unbelievable.
Comment
08/12/06
Pulse (2006)
12
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:67
Fresh:8
Rotten:59
Average Rating:3.5/10
Consensus: Another stale American remake of a successful Japanese horror film, Pulse bypasses the emotional substance of the original and overcompensates with pumped-up visuals and every known horror cliche.
Theatrical Release:08-09-2006
Synopsis: Jim Sonzero's remake of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Japanese horror hit KAIRO (2001) is a techno-thriller cowritten by Wes Craven (SCREAM, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET). Kristen Bell (VERONICA MARS) stars as... [More]
Starring: Kristen Bell, Ian Somerhalder, Rick Gonzalez, Samm Levine
Director: Jim Sonzero
Reviews for Pulse
An hour into the movie, I shut out the story and dialogue entirely and just focused on the visuals. That made the boring Bell and the cast of third-string teen movie supporting players somehow easier to bear.
08/12/06
Pulse is the remake of a 2001 J-horror film that was derivative and pokey, even before Hollywood got its hands on it.
08/12/06
What's the point in warning of the perils of the information age by creating a scareless, formulaic film that fits so snugly into the thoughtless consumerism of the culture you're trying to criticize?
08/11/06
Riddled with obtuse plotting and a noticeable lack of continuity, Pulse steams forward with such unabashed inanity, you really have to give your brain a rest to even make it to the end.
08/11/06
This domestic redo of Kurosawa's ghost story is a reasonably sinister scary movie that faithfully taps into its predecessor's existential dread and distrust of technology.
08/11/06
Captures almost none of the original's ambience, piling on the rote, head-banging shocks in lieu of clammy ambiguity.
08/11/06
Pulse is a lesson in Horror Filmmaking 101 - a generic, uninspired slog through just about every single genre cliché ever committed to celluloid.
08/11/06
A creepy, clever thriller is re-envisioned into the type of cliché-filled teen horror movie that Wes Craven spoofed in the Scream movies.
08/11/06
It was hard to find the pulse in this tame remake.
08/11/06
Pulse, co-written by horror maven Wes Craven, is no Scream - but that doesn't mean it's not a scream all the same.
08/10/06
What really separates it from the pack is its thematically rich exploration of how communications technology can unwittingly bring about a sort of cultural death.
11/16/05
Latest News for Pulse
October 22, 2008:
Dimension Plots Batch of DTV Sequels, Spinoffs 
Dimension Films' Extreme division is prepping a slew of direct-to-DVD titles, many of them offshoots of theatrical releases -- including sequels for "Pulse," "Children of the... More...
August 09, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Chan and Tucker Back in Action
Another wide assortment of summer offerings will hit the multiplexes across North America this weekend. The action-comedy sequel Rush Hour 3 leads the way as the main course and... More...
July 30, 2007:
Frank Miller Faults Weinsteins for Sin City 2 Delay
While sitting on a Comic Con panel, Frank Miller was asked about the hold-up on Sin City 2. (Numerous times, probably.) And it looks like the celebrated author / artist /... More...
August 20, 2006:
Box Office Wrapup: Snakes Opens at #1, But Lacks Bite
Samuel L. Jackson's much-talked-about thriller Snakes on a Plane landed in first place at the North American box office this weekend, but lacked the kind of bite that was... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds