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Pulse

7/10

Stars: Kristen Bell, Ian Somerhalder, Christina Milian, Jonathan Tucker, Samm Levine

Director: Jim Sonzero

To begin with, this horror film (based on a Japanese original), peopled by characters who appeas to live in green semi-darkness, seems all spooky scenes and no story. But, like the ghosts in its machines, it does exert a grip on you before the end.

Once again, it's computers that are to blame. Goldarned contraptions have a lot to answer for. Josh (Tucker) has hacked into a weird frequency discovered by a computer geek, and discovered that, in doing so, he has released ghosts and ghouls that emerge from computers and drain humans of the will to live.

'I let it loose and now I don't know how to stop it,' he groans, just before hanging himself.

While colleagues bar their rooms with red sticky tape (which keeps the demons out!), Josh's ex (Bell) entreats new squeeze Dexter (Somerhalder, once of TV's Lost) to put a stop to it. 'There is no system to shut down,' he tells her. 'They are the system.'

Yup, a warning to us all not to get too enthusiastic with our surfing. Pretty scary too - and very bleak the further it goes on. Only people doing things alone provides the (customary) minor irritation. 'All right, I'll go,' says the next victim (Rick Gonzalez). But, knowing the peril, why on earth didn't he and his friends all go together? (OK, on this occasion it might not have helped).

Genre fans will recognise gaunt cult figure Brad Dourif in a wordless cameo at the start as 'Thin bookish guy'.

David Quinlan

USA 2006. UK Distributor: UIP (Dimension). Colour.
88 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 2, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 31 Aug 2006