The Signal (2024) User Reviews

I love the message

[durham100 · 7/10 · 9 March 2024]

The acting Is pretty good. The story is fine and the run time is just about right.

The special effects are up to scratch and the production overall is highly polished.

This is a very watchable show.

But above all, I love the message.

Voyager 1 set out in 1977 and to date has traveled billions of miles. The world was going through some stuff back then and if it were a thinking being the spacecraft might have hoped if it came back after all those miles, the world would have moved on, grown up and become a better place to live.

It does come back and guess what... the planet is in a even worse state. More divided, more war, more death, more misery, more greed.

The message of this series is clear and correct;

SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE.

Sadly I doubt the message will get through to those who are the problem.

Interessting First Contact Scenario

[ilegendi · 7/10 · 8 March 2024]

I just finished the series and found it quite interessting. The acting was okay, the production value was good though it sometimes had its B-Movie moments, but overall the story was suspensful and I had a good time with it. What I think made this one special is the premise of it. I dont want to spoil it for you, but the ending was good in a way that it felt satisfying to watch and remebered me in a good way of the movie Contact, one of my all time favorite Sci-Fi Movies. It makes you think about what a First Contact scenario might look like and it indeed makes sense for me, I can imagine things like these in some way in our world. But I can also see some people being not happy with the ending, that leaves much to your imagination. But you can and maybe will think a lot about the show's message in the days after. Guess that's what it's all about with watching movies!

Give it a try, binge it as if was a long movie and enjoy your ride!

It had more potential

[francogrex · 6/10 · 10 March 2024]

For any sci-fi + mystery movie it's difficult to write a review without revealing elements of the story, therefore I will trying to be as generic as possible in my review. Let's start first with the good qualities of this very short series: 1) it's short therefore you wouldn't feel like you have invested or wasted a lot of time if you reached the end and felt disappointed, 2) there was good suspense all along,it was enjoyable to feel that suspense, the atmosphere was very well constructed, in the mystery elements I couldn't find any fault in them in hindsight, 3) the acting was good. However the negative and it's only one negative but an important one, I didn't like how it developed towards the end, it was disappointing to say the least. I think it had more potential, they could have done something more with it involving as much science white maintaining the excitement and the fictional aspect of it. That's all I'm going to say without spoiling it. Do I recommend you to go ahead and watch it? Yes go ahead but you should know that the current average IMDB rating of 6 over 10 in my view, accurately reflects the value of this series; knowing that, it's your choice should you decide to go ahead and watch it.

Sorry, TOTALLY unrealistic

[Cri_tical · 30 March 2024]

There are 3 (at minimum) enormous flaws with this movie: 1) Radio telescopes across the world are constantly searching for signals and would have detected this transmission 2) Any object heading towards earth would be detected again by numerous ongoing surveys of the skies, which are constantly monitored for asteroids, etc. They would not need to "guess" where an incoming object is and would NEVER launch a missile at something without positive identification. This part was TOTAL NONSENSE.

3) If Voyager reentered the Earth's atmosphere it would BURN UP! It has NO heat shield!

I gave it two stars just because I wasn't sure how they would spin the ending of this nonsense.

Had so much potential...

[jmtrreis · 6/10 · 20 March 2024]

Had a lot of potential but it was disappointing at the end, on one of the worst endings I've ever seen... You spend the entirety of the series thinking and imagining scenarios where in the end nothing like that happened, but not like a twist in a good way, it was a twist where actually nothing happens, absolutely anything... Reviewed it as a 6 because until the last episode it's somewhat good and keeps you imagining how it may end, but eventually disappoints right in the end because nothing falls into place of how it could've been. The acting is good and the dept of the characters as well, 6/10.

Watch in original language. It is good just not what you'd expect.

[orellanespetrillo · 7/10 · 18 April 2024]

7.5 maybe, read on.

• It won't be the most remarkable thing you'll see but better than most. It is interesting.

• The first mistake you should avoid is to listen in your own language or English. If you can, listen in German. Acting is on point.

• The second mistake is to expect Independence Day, Arrival or any other good/bad first contact plot. Don't. It is about humans. About our biases. About the messy we are and the messes we make.

• It is not fan service. It is not satisfying. It can get cheesy but it has layers.

• Some things don't make obvious sense, they are at the edge of logic but it is ok, it is fiction, not a documentary.

If you can live with that. Enjoy.

Decent but be prepared to suspend quite a lot of disbelief

[robhayden-50932 · 7/10 · 27 March 2024]

I enjoyed this up until the last episode. The acting is great. Another review questioned criticism of the acting based on dubbing but I only ever use subtitles.

Setup is done well and drew me in, there is enough going on to make you curious although some of the revelations are dragged out, the effects are good enough with only one or two dodgy bits of CGI. The relationship between Sven and Charlie is nuanced and convincing. Most of the other characters are delivered well although space jock being allowed on the ISS seemed ludicrous.

The ending felt a bit anti-climactic to me as well as completely infeasible but the message about how we deal with crises as a species seems sadly accurate at the moment.

Final comment - one other scathing review poured scorn on the idea of someone being able to listen in on radio transmissions between Paula and Charlie. If you're going to watch sci-fi, maybe consider understanding a bit of science first.

Had potential, fell apart

[crmarala · 4/10 · 24 March 2024]

Well, I'm disappointed. It was an interesting setup, but half-way through the whole thing just completely comes apart at the seams: things make little sense, too many cliches, and a silly ending. Just a lot of illogical stuff, and it desperately tries to be grander and more significant than it actually is, or can be, given the plot. Oh, and the actors mostly aren't fantastic either. I actually liked the girl, but Florian David Fitz for example is primarily doing his best wet towel impression and it was really hard for me to feel for him in the way I was supposed to.

Save yourself some time, watch "Dark" instead. And if you've watched that already, watch it again. Or, you know, one of the many other series available on Netflix - but not this.

I'm a German speaker btw, so I always enjoy good German language movies or series and I really wanted to like this, but - this ain't it, chief.

You can't rate the show's acting if you don't speak German!

[rossettoart · 9/10 · 10 March 2024]

There's people on here complaining about the acting? You mean the voice acting? It's dubbed. You're writing a review on the English IMDB. How can you possibly know the acting is bad if you're not able to speak German?.. It's so cringy to read. Nothing based on their physical movements says bad acting. The fact that they're actually making a show on this topic is awarding. There's not enough shows like it. So far it seems good. If you're watching something dubbed it's going to be a little harder to get into. Just be fair to the people making it and show some common sense. No show deserves a 1 unless it's offensive. Rate it appropriately or don't.

Well, after all it's worth watching

[udashay · 7/10 · 9 March 2024]

This German sci-fi mini-series has some valuable achievements that covers the flaws, and the first is of course the acting of the little girl, Charlie. She was so magnificent that there was a vivid tension in each scene she was part of, and her big and beautiful eyes, so clever, The story itself is quite idealistic, and naive, but maybe that's what we need these days, The design to point the only Arab astronaut as the evil in the spaceship was quite intrigue and smelled like profiling. Don't get me wrong, to cast an Arab to the role is good decision but then to lead him to be the terrorist is not so wise, Anyway, good acting, good film making, but finally it was found up to be a pure science story, not a science fiction...

Promising, but very poorly executed

[miguelvasques-96919 · 4/10 · 10 March 2024]

Really interesting episode 1, with an intriguing setup. Unfortunately, then it gets reaaally bad from episode 2. So many cliches and predictable plot devices - like, exactly the SAME type of scenes we've already watched in "Arrival", "Contact", etc, (we also have an eccentric billionaire financing the astronaut here, like in "Contact" with Jodie Foster!) except with mediocre writing and so many inconsistencies.

Even though there are only 4 episodes, they managed to get so many filler moments to drag the plot. If anyone is hoping for a well-crafted German Tv series like "Dark", unfortunately this is not it - more like "Lifetime Sappy TV Movie of the Week".

Don't expect an alien action series

[VillieSkies · 8/10 · 21 March 2024]

The series were deep and mostly focused on us, humans. I loved it. It surprised me in so many ways. It got my attention from the first to the very last second. The ending got me unprepared, too. Unpredictable endings are something I miss in the movies nowadays and this one was a nice getaway from the typical forseen stories. If you want something different and character oriented, I strongly recommend this one. If you are expecting the next "alien against humanity" type of series with battles and guns, don't start. As a movie is closer to "Arrival", but amazingly different in so many ways. Just give it a chance.

Nice idea

[sidojay · 6/10 · 18 March 2024]

On one hand, I'm thinking why I wasted so much time of my life to watch it, but at the same time, it's a masterpiece. It's neither of the two beliefs the series could offer much more, but of course, that's in my own mind and imagination. A very nice message in the end. The actors perform quite well you should watch it in German to see for yourself. It's more of a sci-fi within the viewer's mind than a regular sci-fi in the full sense of the term. Personally, I watched all the episodes in one go I don't know if it would hold my interest if I watched it sporadically. The involvement of politics may spoil the overall story for some, but it's realistic, I believe, especially considering the ending. I can say I felt a similar frustration to what I experienced when I watched "Don't Look Up."

Seemed brilliant - but the ending was a let down

[AnnaLynShelby · 2/10 · 23 March 2024]

I was heavily invested in this miniseries. Had all the components I enjoy: tragedy, mystical, suspense, crime, twists and turns, and aliens. But the ending fell flat in a ridiculous way. In a way that makes you wonder if you've been "punked." The message the filmmakers were trying to make didn't even make any sense. I feel like I wasted the bulk of two days on a story that could have had a neat ending. It is as if the writers went on strike the day the ending was to be written.

How can the platform approve of this ending, hype this up so much when at the same time The OA was cancelled despite a brilliant 4/5 season arch and story completion? Who knows. Joke is on me.

Sleep aid

[ggmsfn · 8 March 2024]

This show is very calm and very, very slow. The story is about enough for a single Twilight Zone episode (but far less entertaining) and is crammed with every cliché the writers could think of. The result is that there are no interesting, surprising or even original ideas, as every concept in this production has already been done better by someone with more talent.

The score is some of the worst kitsch ever recorded, but since it's just as calm and very, very slow as the rest of the show, it won't wake you up.

Do yourself a favor and heed the warnings of the people who suffered through this forgettable nonsense for you and took the time to write a review: This is an incredibly boring show. But perfect for falling asleep to.

Hello!!!

[albertval-69560 · 7/10 · 11 March 2024]

This series has a similar vibes to an earlier German production, "Dark." Both films are engaging scifi thrillers. But at only 4 episodes, the film spins an interesting story with an equally interesting premise. The premise has been talked about for so long, yet we're still waiting for a tangible outcome. It will probably take much longer than our lifetime before anything happens. After all, we're talking light years here.

Inevitably, the viewer has to ask a couple of questions. One, is what happens to Voyager 1, which the series suggests, plausible scientifically? Two, how was it possible for Paula to be allowed on the flight to the space station given her condition?

That being said, the viewer is glued to his/her seat as he/she follows what's happening to Sven, Charlie and Paula. Sometimes, it's a bit disorienting because of the time jumps--to the present and to the recent past.

Great acting from the young actress, Yuna Bennett, who's able to hold her own against Peri Benmeister and Florian Fitz.

Scifi lovers should have a good time with this binge worthy series.

Ending is objectively a letdown, no way around that--still enjoyable (MINOR spoilers)

[bgdyar · 7/10 · 12 March 2024]

I'm a sucker for first contact media, be it games, books, whatever; when it comes to the screen though, I am let down 100% of the time. Filmmakers are too afraid to show ayy lmaos, so it's either a nothingburger or it takes the shape of a human. There's always dramatic music playing with a wholesome message about how humanity sucks, etc. Ones that do are 99% low budget or terribly unimaginative. How about extra-dimensional entities? Why is it always either humanoid or arachnid, with basically nothing in between except slugs, Buenos Aires, or the Nolan take, where's it's literally just ourselves?

Rant over, Das Signal is an enjoyable watch. I found the acting to be quite good and have no idea why people think it's otherwise. This is a first for me--literally--but I actually didn't think the little kid was a hindrance. 2005's War of the Worlds this is absolutely not and I think she'll definitely grow up to be a fine actress if she's nailing things so young.

As for the progression, it's typically vague. There are powers at be who have motivations that never become clear and it's made tremendously worse since the conclusion is without a doubt weak. It's not like a BSG love/hate scenario, it's simply not good, not satisfying, and not what this series deserved. The writers should be ashamed of themselves.

Do I recommend it? If you routinely get fooled by the first contact premise and don't rage about smoothbrain finales then yes. If it gets to you, then hard skip.

Decent story, just so humanly negative

[cppinotnoir · 7/10 · 3 April 2024]

Without giving any spoilers, it seems a lot of the characters are without basic morals, which made it quite unbelievable. The special effects are decent, but you seriously need to suspend disbelief in numerous situations. Watch the original German version versus the the terribly dubbed English.

I'm not entirely sure why they brought the strange Russian woman into the equation....she was interesting at first, but then not so much.

The Americans on the ISS were actually a breath of fresh air! At least they brought a bit of comedy into the situation. Speaking of the ISS, they did a seriously good job of placing you there!

Give me a break

[anthony-712 · 1/10 · 5 April 2024]

The ending of this series was so contrived I seriously felt like it was an April Fool's joke. No one could have seriously thought this was in any remote way possible. They took the plotline from Star Trek: The Motion Picture and dumbed it down so far I was literally stunned. First of all, there are no dead zones in orbit any more. Second, Voyager didn't broadcast, it sends dots and bleeps. Thirdly, everyone knows Veeger, er Voyager would have burned up in re-rentry. Thirdly, there was no reason for the billionaire to kill her only connection to the coordinates of the landing. Fourthly, about one million people would have seen Voyager returning to Earth. Fifthly, the only thing the "alien" told her, for three months, was "hello"? And from that decided to tell the world? And no one she talked to questioned that? It just keeps getting worse and worse. Don't watch this. You'll hate yourself if you watch the entire thing.

Ok ok, it's not really an 8 but I'm giving it one anyway.

[pazu7 · 8/10 · 9 March 2024]

Small spoiler) This is more of a 7, because I genuinely enjoyed it, but, yet again, I am giving rating a series up because it's getting hate it doesn't deserve, for the message of the story, and because Yuna Bennett is a little gem. There are problem with the story and (spoiler) even if Voyager didn't burn up in the atmosphere it would have crashed into a million piece on impact. But those technical issues aside, I think this series had a message for humanity that we could all use right now. Some idiot said it had poor acting which makes me wonder wtf he was watching. I thought all the roles were performed with excellence, especially "Charlie" the little girl played by Yuna Bennett, who casually steals almost every scene she is in. Admittedly the story goes a bit over the top towards the end but, again, that didn't bother me so much. I was intrigued and entertained and moved by the conclusion. And that's really all I need from a show.

Amazing overarching concept, but poor storytelling

[fyh-47564 · 6/10 · 13 March 2024]

The 4 episodes mini series would fit a lot better in a 90 mins movie.

The pace of the main mystery solving is unnecessarily slow, with extremely clear clues provided early on. Once the audience grasps the nature of the mystery, the final answer becomes predictable, yet the characters take an excessively long time to reach the conclusion.

The characters building seem very forced and not consecutive. The female astronaut was initially depicted as a confident and independent woman in the flashbacks (occasionally give cringe and "I'm not like other girls" vibe), but her behavior in space reveals constant self-doubt and reliance on the older Black Orphan for decision-making. She's been described as the smartest by all other characters, but even the ultimate "outsmarting" "two steps ahead" came across as mere attempts to rectify previous mistakes.

The portrayal of the father's inability to cope with grief, resulting in neglect of the child's feelings, the child in denial of mother's death, the father's outburst, the "I wish you were the one died", so overly cliché even an AI could handle this emotional line better.

On the good side, the final concept and the message it sends is magnificent, and Mini Mr. Robot's performance was outstanding!

Don't read if you don't want to be really dissapointed!

[tantsamsa · 2/10 · 31 March 2024]

Nasa still ha contact with the Voyagers, after all these years they are sending data.

And they are set to never return to our solar system. No way they would come back to earth.

And why would an alien say Hello and nothing more? And as far as I know there never was a record player on Voyager, just instructions in how to build them.

Lot's of other flaws here. Like setting fire to a journal isn't going to help.

They are not putting someone mentally instable up on ISS.

It made me so mad i wrote my first review after decades on the site.

I give it two stars for the actors doing their best to save the catastroph. The girl was good.

Excellent German sci-fi

[CineCineCineCine · 8/10 · 9 March 2024]

I'm posting here to counteract a couple of totally unfair reviews giving this very interesting German series too low a score.

I really enjoyed it and the end was really magical.

Since it's an European series, it will not have the easy sentimental glamour or special effects glitter of American series.

But I binge watched it with delight in it's original German version and can really recommend it.

With its female astronaut and the topic of first contact, it reminded me of another favorite, "Contact". It has also some undertones of "Encounters of the 3rd kind".

Please disregard those bad reviews that didn't go further that the first episode.

It's ok

[nezbitkn2 · 6/10 · 24 March 2024]

I have a lot of time for this genre of entertainment, whether it be a blockbuster movie or a searching tv series. It starts quick and gets you gripped like you wouldn't believe and so you keep on wondering and watching. However, it doesn't really materialise into something that you want it to. Or at least what I wanted it to. It becomes a bluff and a bit of a steal from the great film Interstellar. Everything we believe in is everything we can create ourselves. Bit of a poor ending to what could have been a great series but I suppose with only a few episodes granted they had to come to a conclusion quicker than would normally be necessary. Worth a watch. Not brilliant. Decent.

Failure on almost every level

[briuki · 1/10 · 10 March 2024]

I only signed up here to write this review because I felt the urgent need to.

This is the worst series I've seen in a long time - on almost every level! Above all, the production design, costumes and the visual staging of the actors are unimaginative, uninspired and above all just superficial: Peri Baumeister floats through space like a perfectly styled candidate in a model show, Florian David Fitz stumbles through his scenes like a confused clown in funny clothes and recites some lines every now and then. This has nothing to do with creative or interesting writing.

Really good actresses like Meret Becker or Katharina Thalbach are completely burned out by this senseless production.