Pulse
4/23/2024:
This was interesting to watch on Tubi because I feel like the scares were not as intense. The cinematography, editing and music were all on point, but the scares were a bit subdued. I also think everyone reacted very oddly, as if they knew they were in a horror film. The CGI was good for the most part for 2001 but there were a few bad and otherwise random scenes at the end that were egregious. The ending to this is something quite profound and I am still processing it as I write this...
10/11/2026:
Rewatching this on Criterion was an interesting experience, especially compared to my previous viewing on Tubi. The scares were still somewhat subdued this time around, although the film's atmosphere and overall presentation remain just as compelling. The cinematography, editing, and musical score are all excellent, working together to create an unsettling sense of dread that lingers long after the more overtly frightening scenes have passed.
One aspect I still struggle with is how strangely some of the characters react to the events unfolding around them. At times, their behavior feels unnatural, almost as if they are aware they are participating in a horror film. The CGI is also surprisingly effective for a film from 2001, although a few sequences toward the end are noticeably rough and feel somewhat out of place.
However, what truly elevates this film is its ending. There is something profoundly haunting about the way it brings its ideas together, and I find myself continuing to think about its implications even as I write this review. For all my reservations, Pulse is a fascinating and deeply unsettling film that leaves you with much more to contemplate than the scares themselves.
This was interesting to watch on Tubi because I feel like the scares were not as intense. The cinematography, editing and music were all on point, but the scares were a bit subdued. I also think everyone reacted very oddly, as if they knew they were in a horror film. The CGI was good for the most part for 2001 but there were a few bad and otherwise random scenes at the end that were egregious. The ending to this is something quite profound and I am still processing it as I write this...
10/11/2026:
Rewatching this on Criterion was an interesting experience, especially compared to my previous viewing on Tubi. The scares were still somewhat subdued this time around, although the film's atmosphere and overall presentation remain just as compelling. The cinematography, editing, and musical score are all excellent, working together to create an unsettling sense of dread that lingers long after the more overtly frightening scenes have passed.
One aspect I still struggle with is how strangely some of the characters react to the events unfolding around them. At times, their behavior feels unnatural, almost as if they are aware they are participating in a horror film. The CGI is also surprisingly effective for a film from 2001, although a few sequences toward the end are noticeably rough and feel somewhat out of place.
However, what truly elevates this film is its ending. There is something profoundly haunting about the way it brings its ideas together, and I find myself continuing to think about its implications even as I write this review. For all my reservations, Pulse is a fascinating and deeply unsettling film that leaves you with much more to contemplate than the scares themselves.
Mini Review: Rewatching this on Criterion was interesting compared to my previous viewing on Tubi. The scares remain subdued, but the cinematography, editing, and score create an unsettling atmosphere. Some reactions feel unnatural, as if the characters know they're in a horror film. The CGI is impressive for 2001, though a few ending scenes are rough. The haunting ending has me thinking about its implications. Despite its flaws, Pulse offers more to contemplate than the scares themselves long after viewing
More Reviews of Pulse
griggs79
Few horror films make loneliness feel this creepy. Pulse takes the cursed technology idea made famous by Ring and gives it a millennial twist — trading videotapes ...
trine
We discussed a scene from this in class. It was really effective and scary then, and so was the entire movie for me (and 3 friends watching this). Intensely dreadful, claustroph...
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