Pulse 2006

Mattie, portrayed by Kristen Bell, visits her friend Douglas Ziegler, played by Kel O’Neill, who has been strangely unreachable for a week. Upon entering his apartment, Mattie is shocked when Douglas behaves erratically and ultimately takes his own life before her eyes. Soon after, she uncovers that Douglas was working on a groundbreaking wireless signal that inadvertently unleashed a dark force capable of eroding the will to live, triggering a horrifying epidemic of suicides which only amplifies its power with each life lost.

As Mattie investigates further, she discovers a myriad of viruses appearing on Douglas’s computer, culminating in a chilling message that reads, “Do you want to see a ghost?” Upon accessing that ominous webpage, she realizes that both she and her surroundings are mirrored on the screen. This revelation sends chills down Mattie’s spine as she encounters strange net creatures—greenish-grey figures grotesquely dubbed as “ghosts.” The situation escalates as more people fall victim to the website’s allure, leading to devastating consequences where individuals turn into mere dust after watching.

The campus becomes eerily desolate; Mattie especially feels the absence of her friend Isabelle Fuentes, played by Christina Milian, who becomes one of the victims during a harrowing encounter with the ghostly beings. In her quest for answers, Mattie links Douglas’s second-hand computer back to its original owner, Dexter, depicted by Ian Somerhalder. Initially reluctant, Dexter soon acknowledges the creeping terror and agrees to join Mattie in combating the malevolent force.

Together, they hatch a desperate plan to deploy a virus developed by Josh, played by Jonathan Tucker, aiming to collapse the destructive network and preserve the human way of life. Yet, Josh, in an act of fear, isolates himself within his apartment, employing red tape as a measure of protection. Despite his frantic state, he eventually reveals the project he and Douglas were working on—a network connection meant to stretch far and wide. As paranoia and despair mount, they find themselves in a race against time as Dawg’s spirits invade, leading to Josh’s ultimate downfall when the cyber-creatures penetrate his defenses.

Armed with the coveted virus, Mattie and Dexter venture deep into Douglas’s building, ready to upload the program to a central modem located in the basement. As they navigate their way, they face off against a grotesque array of cyber-creatures. During the struggle, Mattie is momentarily ensnared, her resolve extinguished by the ghostly creatures. Just in time, Dexter pulls her back, reminding her to avert her gaze from the creature’s face. Upon finally locating the main server, they inject the virus, only to witness the system reboot, reigniting the connection to the outside world.

In what feels like a hollow victory, they flee the desolate city in a car, witnessing the once-bustling streets now eerily deserted, as all forms of communication and technology succumb to the invasive force. The only surviving message is a military radio broadcast instructing them to find refuge away from the city. After a grim night spent in their vehicle, they fend off one last assault from a four-armed creature before escaping to the countryside.

Ultimately, Mattie realizes that the life they once knew has vanished, forcing humanity to revert to a primitive existence, free of technological comforts. The film concludes with a haunting reflection from Mattie, who understands the grim fate of civilization: both ghostly figures and human survivors are locked in a struggle for existence in a world where modernity has been entirely consumed.