What do you get when you mix Chris Evans’ everyman charm, Kim Basinger’s formidable intensity, and Jason Statham’s menacing presence? One word, Cellular. The 2004 action film didn’t try to complicate things, it simply threw an ordinary guy into what was hands-down an extraordinary situation. In the film, Evans plays Ryan, your run-of-the-mill care-free guy, whose day takes a drastic turn after he receives a random call from Jessica Martin (Basinger) who claims she’s being held hostage. In a bid for survival, Jessica managed to piece together a broken phone and somehow get a hold of Ryan by sheer luck — or bad luck, depending on how you look at it.

Director, David R. Ellis tapped into a premise that was relatively unique at the time and kept dialing up the tension with every scene. Then there’s Statham, who brought his usual ruggedness and grit to the part of Ethan Greer, a villainous kidnapper. It’s safe to say that the danger was palpable and believable all the way. While the film never attained blockbuster status, we’ve got to give it credit for doing something that was relatively “out there” in the early 2000s. Even more, its blend of suspense, action, and strong performances makes it one of the more memorable action thrillers of its time.

‘Cellular’ Turned a Simple Premise Into a Memorable, Character-Driven Thriller
Image via Warner Bros

On the surface level, Cellular seems like your average watch — a guy gets a random phone call from a kidnapped lady and ends up having to save her. But, it takes this run-of-the-mill setup and transforms it into something way more intense and out of the box courtesy of a strong cast, continuous action, and the clever use of tech. The true winner was restraint, Ellis didn’t overcomplicate the story, instead, he used tension to keep things interesting at every turn.

Here, Chris Evans, long before his Steve Rogers days starts out as a slightly self-absorbed guy without a carefree outlook on life. But once he gets that fated phone call, he slowly metamorphoses into the hero the movie needs. It’s how he handles each hurdle that really sells it, from a low phone battery to being chased by thugs. Every step he takes is familiar and relatable, so he doesn’t come off as your typical, invincible action hero. Then there’s Basinger’s character who adds some much-needed emotional depth to the narrative. Despite being stashed away in one location for most of the film, her performance adds this tangible sense of terror and urgency. Having her reconstruct a broken phone highlights her resourcefulness and desperation and grounds the plot by mixing in some realism with its over-the-top action scenes.

Let’s not forget Statham, who proved he could be as convincing a villain as a hero. The fact that he’s a former cop turned criminal makes him more than just a one-dimensional villain. He’s as believable as the rest of the star-studded cast and uses his menacing presence to inject more tension into the plot. But what really stands out here is his unsettling calm in the midst of what should be pandemonium — it’s one of the things that keeps Cellular from being another predictable action flick.

‘Cellular’s Plot Didn’t Follow Your Typical Early 2000s Thriller Formula

The early 2000s had its fair share of action-packed, predictable thrillers, but best believe that Cellular wasn’t one of them. Most films within the genre in that era tapped into more straightforward plotlines, Cellular picked an everyday guy, threw him into a high-stakes situation, and kept the dice rolling. In all of this, what really stood out was how the film used technology — specifically, the cell phone — as both a lifeline and a source of tension.

A cellphone is this mundane tool that’s often overlooked, but here it became a major plot device that dictated every move the film’s protagonist made. From the constant threat of losing the signal to the even more relatable one of a dying battery, the stakes were at an all-time high. Making this even better is the fact that the movie didn’t solely rely on brute force to fit into the action genre, but resourcefulness and a sheer will to survive played a part too. Now, we can’t say that Cellular was beyond reproach. The film had its flaws and far-fetched aspects. However, its unique mix of tech-driven tension and the chemistry between its star-studded cast gave it a leg-up.

Cellular is currently available to buy or rent on Apple TV+ in the U.S.

WATCH ON APPLE TV+