2008
Laura Linney as Erin
Tom Wilkinson as Father Moore
Jennifer Carpenter as Emily
Written by Paul Harris Boardman and Director Scott Derrickson
Synopsis: Emily is a small-town girl who goes off to college, but begins to experience some troubling visions. Before she dies, she seeks the help of her local parish priest, who is eventually put on trial for her negligent homicide. Throughout the course of the trial, and through a series of flashbacks of the events leading up to her death, many eerie events take place that affect the key players in the trial.
Not really a horror movie, but TEOER has so many supernatural elements that it really comes across that way. The plot line gives us a view of the life and beliefs of a priest who is truly conflicted in terms of what he should do to help a girl in serious trouble.
Great scenes:
- Laura Linney is awesome. Pick a scene with her in it; it’ll be good.
- Same goes for Tom Wilkinson.
- If you like the scary FX, you’ll like all of the flashbacks of Emily at school, Emily on the farm, etc. Jennifer Carpenter is a VERY physical actress and she does a fantastic job in this role.
- My personal favorite scene: the last scene with Emily just before she passes. When it’s brought forward to the present day, in the courtroom, there is so much emotion evident that I almost cried. (ALMOST. It’s a scary movie, remember?)
Scream Meter: 4/10 It’s scary, sure, but TEOER has so much plot that you almost forget that part of it. I jumped a couple of times, and there is a seriously disturbing scene in the family’s barn, so it garners a little bit of a scream rating.
Buddy Meter: 2/10 It’s not THAT scary. I’d watch it with friends because it’s SO GOOD that I’d want everyone I know to have the experience.
Overall Rating: 8/10 I REALLY like this movie. The acting is incredible, the story is well-written, everything just clicks. It’s a bit cheesy, and there’s a part that doesn’t really sit well with me near the end, relating to the trial, but it’s a great movie. Watch and enjoy.