The Jennifer Lopez Horror Movie That’ll Have You Second-Guessing Everything

When considering early-2000s horror, Jennifer Lopez doesn't often come to mind. However, 2000's The Cell remains one of the most interesting, underappreciated genre gems of the entire decade, which is saying a lot, considering that the Y2K aesthetic has helped to produce some of the most stylish and singular genre films in any decade (just see Ginger Snaps for proof).

Directed by Tarsem Singh, whose other directing credits include 2011's The Immortals and 2012's Mirror Mirror, crafted a thematically dense and introspective sci-fi horror film with ornate and otherworldly visuals. It's the kind of movie that—had it come out in 2024—would be praised for its originality and vision. As a whole, it would surely be appropriated by genre junkies as an immediate cult classic.

What Is 'The Cell' About?

The Cell tells the story of altruistic child psychologist, Catherine Deane (Lopez), and jaded FBI agent, Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn), as they attempt to locate the victim of serial killer, Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio). Stargher was deeply traumatized as a child, causing him to commit disturbing and elaborate acts of torture on himself and his victims. Catherine works in a high-tech lab which allows her to enter the minds of her patients.

When Stargher enters a coma, she and Novak enter his troubled subconscious, unveiling the layers of trauma beneath in an effort to find the location of his most recent victim, and possibly even to heal Stargher himself. The movie proposes the question of what compels people to commit acts of horrific violence, along with the degrees of culpability involved. The movie takes advantage of its premise's dream logic to a mesmerizing effect, with set-pieces that are beautiful and disturbing in equal measure.

Stargher enjoys suspending himself from hooks straight out of a Takashi Miike film. The various restraints and many mechanisms involving grinding metal and chains undeniably give the movie psychosexual undertones. Many of the devices in the film feel like not-so-subtle nods to the Hellraiser movies, as do the grins of sick pleasure present on Stargher's face throughout the movie. The Cell also places Lopez's Catherine in both sensual and maternal roles, all within Stargher's mind to visually represent his confused perception of women. As someone who has clearly never had either a mother figure or any intimate relationships with women, it adds an extra layer to his tortured psyche without over-explaining it. Some may consider the film too vague, but it's refreshing to see a big-budget movie embrace the show-don't-tell model of storytelling that is so often lacking in other high-concept genre films.

'The Cell' Had an Unfortunate (and Undeservedly) Lukewarm Reception

Jennifer Lopez in The Cell

The reception to The Cell was less than stellar, with many critics finding the film to favor vapid and style over substance. However, the movie undeniably has a lot of ideas on its mind, and it's unrealized ambition makes it more worthy of admiration than if it had been a straightforward crime thriller. The movie never presents anything to the audience that feels disconnected from the narrative, making any criticism that it is about pure style over substance difficult to see. Similarly to The Matrix sequels, The Cell is clearly overflowing with imagination and humanism. Whether or not it's effective in its lofty storytelling is up to the viewer, but it can't be denied that the movie has an ambition seldom matched by the many other counterparts in its genre.

Read Also Amal Clooney Wore Optical Illusion Jeans Cosigned by Jennifer Lopez—Fall-Ready Styles Start at $44

One critic who had nothing but positive things to say about the film was Roger Ebert, who praised Singh for his direction, going so far as to refer to him as a "visual virtuoso who juggles his storylines effortlessly". Ebert even gave the film four stars and placed it at number six in his top ten films of the year. Other critically acclaimed thrillers such as Memento and Unbreakable garnered less affection from the iconic film critic, whose opinion often deviated from the general critical consensus.

Despite the divisive initial reactions to The Cell, its combination of horror, thriller, and science fiction elements set it apart from the pack. It's twisted, engrossing, and doesn't feed all the information to you at once, making the audience work for it, instead. Mileage will vary on whether viewers find the journey worth taking, but Singh makes sure to pack all 107 minutes with enough pathos and bizarre imagery to appeal to horror fans.

They Just Don't Make Movies Like 'The Cell' Anymore

Vincent D'Onofrio in The Cell

An aspect of The Cell that is so refreshing—particularly so in 2024—is how tactile the sets are. The movie doesn't overly rely on CGI to realize its vision, instead opting for elaborate costumes and set pieces, making it a masterclass in world-building. At the time of its release, the CGI renaissance was already upon us and films were beginning to look more artificial than ever. But The Cell doesn't have the smooth surfaces or the shoddily-rendered atmospheres that plagued many films of that era. It has beautiful cinematography and real locations that prove the filmmakers took the film seriously. It would be decades before filmmakers and studios realized that artificial-looking vistas just wouldn't cut it anymore, and many still fail to realize this today. The color grading is also excellent, making the whole film feel tangible and lived-in; the movie is stylish without sacrificing any sense of realism.

The Cell also has a satisfying conclusion that feels earned. In what is essentially a film about fighting for the soul of one who seems too far gone to be redeemed, the movie visually represents and concludes its conflict with a surprising degree of grace. The performances vary in quality, with Jennifer Lopez unfortunately being the weakest link. She doesn't do a bad job by any means, but her performance is the least naturalistic among the three main leads. D'Onofrio gives a career best, which could honestly be said of most of his performances, but The Cell proves that he has been one of the best character actors of his generation for the past 25 years. He has quite a bit to do in the film, and it wouldn't work if his performance wasn't absolutely menacing. Vince Vaughn is also extremely convincing as a former prosecutor-turned-FBI agent who has plenty of his own trauma to work through.

Overall, The Cell is a refreshing and deeply original sci-fi thriller worthy of reevaluation. It pushes all the right buttons, from the gorgeous to the grotesque. With allusions to the perverse imagination, The Cell takes what has been done and molds something new and fresh out of its influences. It doesn't reinvent the genre, but it is refreshingly original. It's an excellent reminder of what's possible when filmmakers take their genre seriously (and don't relegate horror and science fiction to mind-numbing entertainment). Hopefully, more fans of imaginative storytelling will catch on and give this film the cult status that it so clearly deserves.

The Cell is available to watch on Amazon Prime in the U.S.

Amal Clooney Wore Optical Illusion Jeans Cosigned by Jennifer Lopez—Fall-Ready Styles Start at $44

My list of must-try jean trends for 2026 is growing; it currently includes all the silhouettes one denim expert revealed to me as the must-watch of the year (save for baggy jeans, because I’ve been wearing those for years). That said, one style that didn’t land on said aforementioned list, but is clearly due for big, big things this year, is flare jeans. With a growing list of celebrity fans that includes Meghan Markle, Jennifer Lopez, Reese Witherspoon, Cindy Crawford, Kendrick Lamar (you know that moment), and, of course, Amal Clooney, there’s no denying the retro denim style that was popular in the early aughts is back—and bigger than ever.

The fact that Clooney wore flared jeans is noteworthy in and of itself. The human rights lawyer is known for her refined dressing approach, regularly opting for billowy trousers, trendy boho blouses, and comfy sweater dresses—all staples that read elegant and timeless. So, when I spotted her earlier this year in the laid-back blues while out to dinner with hubby George Clooney, I knew I had to write about it. Of course, the fact that she wore flare jeans, the style countless celebs have worn the last few weeks, is noteworthy, too, as it further cements the style’s ‘It’ status for 2026. 

Pistola Kinsley Flare Jeans

Spanx SpanxSculpt ReDefine Flare Jeans

Clooney opted for a pair of medium-wash jeans with subtle fading (another Y2K reference, IMO). Her blues had an ultra-high waist—so high, in fact, that they appeared to hit at the ribcage. It’s the complete opposite of the controversial low-rise denim, so it’s a possible sign that the high-high waist is coming back, too. Not to mention, Clooney’s jeans had a slightly oversized fit from the thighs to the ankles, but it’s that flared hem that has all my attention; it’s taking me back to my middle school days when I’d wear my True Religion flares every single day. (No joke.)

Gap High-Rise ‘70s Flare Jeans

Trending 19 Photos of Jennifer Lopez with Her ‘Coconuts,’ Max and Emme, Through the Years

Mother The Weekender Jeans

It’s undeniable that Clooney’s jeans have that nostalgic flair (ahem, flare, wink, wink), but it’s also undeniable that celebs are clamoring to the style because it’s incredibly flattering. The blues basically act like an optical illusion, making legs look super long, especially when paired with a style that has an extra-long hemline and sky-high platforms á la Lopez; the singer is 5-feet-5-inches, but don’t you agree with me that she looks way taller in these jeans? Yeah, that’s thanks to the flares. The flare hem and longer inseams help create the look of legs for days, but add in a high-waisted cut, platform heels, and a crop top, and you’ll fool people into thinking you’re inches taller. 

Leg-elongating factor aside, there’s no denying that flares are fun and nostalgia-inducing—and that’s exactly what I need right now. So, shop some more fun, funky flares from Frame, NYDJ, and Mavi below.

NYDJ Barbara Jeans

Gap High Rise ‘70s Flare Jeans

Frame The Icon Raw Hem Flare Jeans