In their U.S. film directorial debut, the Hong Kong-born Pang twins, Oxide and Danny, have fashioned a stylish yet partially by-the-numbers horror movie that seeks to showcase the duo´s unique Asian horror sensibilities to a larger audience. That movie is Sony Pictures´ "The Messengers," which surprisingly did relatively well at the box-office, raking in just over $35 million on a $16 million budget. It was surprising because this film actually came and went without much fanfare or promotion by the studio. Moreover, it opened during the always challenging media-saturated Superbowl weekend. This unlikely success bodes well for the Pang brothers´ reputation and after watching this movie, I am definitely looking forward to any future Hollywood movie projects from them.
"The Messengers" starts off predictably enough with a flashback sequence that shows the occupants of a house--a mother and her two children--frightened and trying desperately to get away from something or someone who, for some reason or another, is viciously trying to hurt them. One by one, each of them are killed and the story abruptly shifts to the present, where we find a family traveling in a car on a deserted road with wide open fields on both sides. The opening conversation clues us in on their situation. They are the Solomon family--father Roy (Dylan McDermott), mother Denise (Penelope Ann Miller), teenage daughter Jessica (Kristen Stewart) and young son Ben (played by twins Evan and Theodore Turner)--and they are in the process of moving to a farmhouse in rural North Dakota from the city of Chicago after an undisclosed incident involving Jessica (or Jess for short). Obviously, moving to a middle-of-nowhere town from a big city would be a huge change for anyone, let alone a teenager and Jess is more than unhappy about her current situation.
When the family finally arrives at their destination, their new home, appropriately enough, essentially looks like something out of a horror movie. Why anyone would want to move into a dump like this one is beyond me but the Solomons are looking for a fresh start and Roy probably acquired it at a bargain basement price. From the outside, it looks like nothing more than a severely run down and downright creepy farmhouse, surrounded by a large tract of fallow land. The condition of the interior fares much better as it looks 10 years younger than the exterior but the long dark corridors exude an ominous feeling. As Jess explores the house, we are given visual clues that this is really the exact same house that the family from the opening flashback sequence was killed in. Uh-oh! To top it all off, a sinister presence may also be lurking in the shadows within the house.
Sure enough, strange occurrences start to happen and for a while it seems that the only person who can see these entities or ghosts is little Ben. This plays off the movie´s theme, suggesting that young children are more susceptible to paranormal phenomena than adults. In one eerie scene, Roy finds Ben outside his crib, running around, laughing and chasing a non-existent thing or person in his room. We, the audience know what it is but Roy doesn´t, leaving us feeling frightened for the innocent boy. Soon, Jess gets to experience these unexplained events too but in a more violent manner. Of course, like in most horror movies, the two adults in the house are clueless as to what´s really happening and they think Jess is just acting up to rebel against their move to North Dakota.
At first glance, "The Messengers" may seem like your typical haunted house movie and it even gives out that sort of vibe loud and clear. However, do give the movie a chance and you would be somewhat surprised by the ending, providing a neat little twist that slightly separates it from your run-of-the-mill horror flick. For anyone who has sat through the Pang brothers´ international smash horror movie, "The Eye," you can pretty much get an idea of the sort of visual and cinematic style to expect from "The Messengers." One of the scariest scenes from "The Eye" is the one in the elevator where the protagonist senses a presence behind her. In that scene, the Pangs use their signature visual close-up to emphasize the fear in the protagonists´ eyes (no surprise there!) while letting the audience have full view of the horrific thing closing in behind her. This signature close-up is recreated in "The Messengers" and it provides one of the most tension-filled moments in the entire movie.
Getting top billing for this movie is Kristen Stewart, a seasoned 17-year old whose previous works include "Panic Room" with Jodi Foster, "Cold Creek Manor" with Dennis Quaid and "Zathura: A Space Adventure." Stewart is really effective here, playing a brooding teenager who has to fight off angry spirits dwelling in her home. I also like the twin boys who play Ben. They make the scenes where Ben is able to see the ghosts that others can´t see not only believable but hell of a lot scary as well. An actor whom I have not mentioned so far is John Corbett who plays a drifter named Burwell, who lands a job working on the sunflower farm with Roy. Also of note is the actor who plays the elusive Cigarette-Smoking Man from the "X-Files" TV series, William B. Davis. It´s a shame that Davis´ part in this movie is unfortunately only a minor one but his brief presence alone gave me the creeps!
"The Messengers" starts off predictably enough with a flashback sequence that shows the occupants of a house--a mother and her two children--frightened and trying desperately to get away from something or someone who, for some reason or another, is viciously trying to hurt them. One by one, each of them are killed and the story abruptly shifts to the present, where we find a family traveling in a car on a deserted road with wide open fields on both sides. The opening conversation clues us in on their situation. They are the Solomon family--father Roy (Dylan McDermott), mother Denise (Penelope Ann Miller), teenage daughter Jessica (Kristen Stewart) and young son Ben (played by twins Evan and Theodore Turner)--and they are in the process of moving to a farmhouse in rural North Dakota from the city of Chicago after an undisclosed incident involving Jessica (or Jess for short). Obviously, moving to a middle-of-nowhere town from a big city would be a huge change for anyone, let alone a teenager and Jess is more than unhappy about her current situation.
When the family finally arrives at their destination, their new home, appropriately enough, essentially looks like something out of a horror movie. Why anyone would want to move into a dump like this one is beyond me but the Solomons are looking for a fresh start and Roy probably acquired it at a bargain basement price. From the outside, it looks like nothing more than a severely run down and downright creepy farmhouse, surrounded by a large tract of fallow land. The condition of the interior fares much better as it looks 10 years younger than the exterior but the long dark corridors exude an ominous feeling. As Jess explores the house, we are given visual clues that this is really the exact same house that the family from the opening flashback sequence was killed in. Uh-oh! To top it all off, a sinister presence may also be lurking in the shadows within the house.
Sure enough, strange occurrences start to happen and for a while it seems that the only person who can see these entities or ghosts is little Ben. This plays off the movie´s theme, suggesting that young children are more susceptible to paranormal phenomena than adults. In one eerie scene, Roy finds Ben outside his crib, running around, laughing and chasing a non-existent thing or person in his room. We, the audience know what it is but Roy doesn´t, leaving us feeling frightened for the innocent boy. Soon, Jess gets to experience these unexplained events too but in a more violent manner. Of course, like in most horror movies, the two adults in the house are clueless as to what´s really happening and they think Jess is just acting up to rebel against their move to North Dakota.
At first glance, "The Messengers" may seem like your typical haunted house movie and it even gives out that sort of vibe loud and clear. However, do give the movie a chance and you would be somewhat surprised by the ending, providing a neat little twist that slightly separates it from your run-of-the-mill horror flick. For anyone who has sat through the Pang brothers´ international smash horror movie, "The Eye," you can pretty much get an idea of the sort of visual and cinematic style to expect from "The Messengers." One of the scariest scenes from "The Eye" is the one in the elevator where the protagonist senses a presence behind her. In that scene, the Pangs use their signature visual close-up to emphasize the fear in the protagonists´ eyes (no surprise there!) while letting the audience have full view of the horrific thing closing in behind her. This signature close-up is recreated in "The Messengers" and it provides one of the most tension-filled moments in the entire movie.
Getting top billing for this movie is Kristen Stewart, a seasoned 17-year old whose previous works include "Panic Room" with Jodi Foster, "Cold Creek Manor" with Dennis Quaid and "Zathura: A Space Adventure." Stewart is really effective here, playing a brooding teenager who has to fight off angry spirits dwelling in her home. I also like the twin boys who play Ben. They make the scenes where Ben is able to see the ghosts that others can´t see not only believable but hell of a lot scary as well. An actor whom I have not mentioned so far is John Corbett who plays a drifter named Burwell, who lands a job working on the sunflower farm with Roy. Also of note is the actor who plays the elusive Cigarette-Smoking Man from the "X-Files" TV series, William B. Davis. It´s a shame that Davis´ part in this movie is unfortunately only a minor one but his brief presence alone gave me the creeps!
In their U.S. film directorial debut, the Hong Kong-born Pang twins, Oxide and Danny, have fashioned a stylish yet partially by-the-numbers horror movie that seeks to showcase the duo´s unique Asian horror sensibilities to a larger audience. That movie is Sony Pictures´ "The Messengers," which surprisingly did relatively well at the box-office, raking in just over $35 million on a $16 million budget. It was surprising because this film actually came and went without much fanfare or promotion by the studio. Moreover, it opened during the always challenging media-saturated Superbowl weekend. This unlikely success bodes well for the Pang brothers´ reputation and after watching this movie, I am definitely looking forward to any future Hollywood movie projects from them.
"The Messengers" starts off predictably enough with a flashback sequence that shows the occupants of a house--a mother and her two children--frightened and trying desperately to get away from something or someone who, for some reason or another, is viciously trying to hurt them. One by one, each of them are killed and the story abruptly shifts to the present, where we find a family traveling in a car on a deserted road with wide open fields on both sides. The opening conversation clues us in on their situation. They are the Solomon family--father Roy (Dylan McDermott), mother Denise (Penelope Ann Miller), teenage daughter Jessica (Kristen Stewart) and young son Ben (played by twins Evan and Theodore Turner)--and they are in the process of moving to a farmhouse in rural North Dakota from the city of Chicago after an undisclosed incident involving Jessica (or Jess for short). Obviously, moving to a middle-of-nowhere town from a big city would be a huge change for anyone, let alone a teenager and Jess is more than unhappy about her current situation.
When the family finally arrives at their destination, their new home, appropriately enough, essentially looks like something out of a horror movie. Why anyone would want to move into a dump like this one is beyond me but the Solomons are looking for a fresh start and Roy probably acquired it at a bargain basement price. From the outside, it looks like nothing more than a severely run down and downright creepy farmhouse, surrounded by a large tract of fallow land. The condition of the interior fares much better as it looks 10 years younger than the exterior but the long dark corridors exude an ominous feeling. As Jess explores the house, we are given visual clues that this is really the exact same house that the family from the opening flashback sequence was killed in. Uh-oh! To top it all off, a sinister presence may also be lurking in the shadows within the house.
Sure enough, strange occurrences start to happen and for a while it seems that the only person who can see these entities or ghosts is little Ben. This plays off the movie´s theme, suggesting that young children are more susceptible to paranormal phenomena than adults. In one eerie scene, Roy finds Ben outside his crib, running around, laughing and chasing a non-existent thing or person in his room. We, the audience know what it is but Roy doesn´t, leaving us feeling frightened for the innocent boy. Soon, Jess gets to experience these unexplained events too but in a more violent manner. Of course, like in most horror movies, the two adults in the house are clueless as to what´s really happening and they think Jess is just acting up to rebel against their move to North Dakota.
At first glance, "The Messengers" may seem like your typical haunted house movie and it even gives out that sort of vibe loud and clear. However, do give the movie a chance and you would be somewhat surprised by the ending, providing a neat little twist that slightly separates it from your run-of-the-mill horror flick. For anyone who has sat through the Pang brothers´ international smash horror movie, "The Eye," you can pretty much get an idea of the sort of visual and cinematic style to expect from "The Messengers." One of the scariest scenes from "The Eye" is the one in the elevator where the protagonist senses a presence behind her. In that scene, the Pangs use their signature visual close-up to emphasize the fear in the protagonists´ eyes (no surprise there!) while letting the audience have full view of the horrific thing closing in behind her. This signature close-up is recreated in "The Messengers" and it provides one of the most tension-filled moments in the entire movie.
Getting top billing for this movie is Kristen Stewart, a seasoned 17-year old whose previous works include "Panic Room" with Jodi Foster, "Cold Creek Manor" with Dennis Quaid and "Zathura: A Space Adventure." Stewart is really effective here, playing a brooding teenager who has to fight off angry spirits dwelling in her home. I also like the twin boys who play Ben. They make the scenes where Ben is able to see the ghosts that others can´t see not only believable but hell of a lot scary as well. An actor whom I have not mentioned so far is John Corbett who plays a drifter named Burwell, who lands a job working on the sunflower farm with Roy. Also of note is the actor who plays the elusive Cigarette-Smoking Man from the "X-Files" TV series, William B. Davis. It´s a shame that Davis´ part in this movie is unfortunately only a minor one but his brief presence alone gave me the creeps!
"The Messengers" starts off predictably enough with a flashback sequence that shows the occupants of a house--a mother and her two children--frightened and trying desperately to get away from something or someone who, for some reason or another, is viciously trying to hurt them. One by one, each of them are killed and the story abruptly shifts to the present, where we find a family traveling in a car on a deserted road with wide open fields on both sides. The opening conversation clues us in on their situation. They are the Solomon family--father Roy (Dylan McDermott), mother Denise (Penelope Ann Miller), teenage daughter Jessica (Kristen Stewart) and young son Ben (played by twins Evan and Theodore Turner)--and they are in the process of moving to a farmhouse in rural North Dakota from the city of Chicago after an undisclosed incident involving Jessica (or Jess for short). Obviously, moving to a middle-of-nowhere town from a big city would be a huge change for anyone, let alone a teenager and Jess is more than unhappy about her current situation.
When the family finally arrives at their destination, their new home, appropriately enough, essentially looks like something out of a horror movie. Why anyone would want to move into a dump like this one is beyond me but the Solomons are looking for a fresh start and Roy probably acquired it at a bargain basement price. From the outside, it looks like nothing more than a severely run down and downright creepy farmhouse, surrounded by a large tract of fallow land. The condition of the interior fares much better as it looks 10 years younger than the exterior but the long dark corridors exude an ominous feeling. As Jess explores the house, we are given visual clues that this is really the exact same house that the family from the opening flashback sequence was killed in. Uh-oh! To top it all off, a sinister presence may also be lurking in the shadows within the house.
Sure enough, strange occurrences start to happen and for a while it seems that the only person who can see these entities or ghosts is little Ben. This plays off the movie´s theme, suggesting that young children are more susceptible to paranormal phenomena than adults. In one eerie scene, Roy finds Ben outside his crib, running around, laughing and chasing a non-existent thing or person in his room. We, the audience know what it is but Roy doesn´t, leaving us feeling frightened for the innocent boy. Soon, Jess gets to experience these unexplained events too but in a more violent manner. Of course, like in most horror movies, the two adults in the house are clueless as to what´s really happening and they think Jess is just acting up to rebel against their move to North Dakota.
At first glance, "The Messengers" may seem like your typical haunted house movie and it even gives out that sort of vibe loud and clear. However, do give the movie a chance and you would be somewhat surprised by the ending, providing a neat little twist that slightly separates it from your run-of-the-mill horror flick. For anyone who has sat through the Pang brothers´ international smash horror movie, "The Eye," you can pretty much get an idea of the sort of visual and cinematic style to expect from "The Messengers." One of the scariest scenes from "The Eye" is the one in the elevator where the protagonist senses a presence behind her. In that scene, the Pangs use their signature visual close-up to emphasize the fear in the protagonists´ eyes (no surprise there!) while letting the audience have full view of the horrific thing closing in behind her. This signature close-up is recreated in "The Messengers" and it provides one of the most tension-filled moments in the entire movie.
Getting top billing for this movie is Kristen Stewart, a seasoned 17-year old whose previous works include "Panic Room" with Jodi Foster, "Cold Creek Manor" with Dennis Quaid and "Zathura: A Space Adventure." Stewart is really effective here, playing a brooding teenager who has to fight off angry spirits dwelling in her home. I also like the twin boys who play Ben. They make the scenes where Ben is able to see the ghosts that others can´t see not only believable but hell of a lot scary as well. An actor whom I have not mentioned so far is John Corbett who plays a drifter named Burwell, who lands a job working on the sunflower farm with Roy. Also of note is the actor who plays the elusive Cigarette-Smoking Man from the "X-Files" TV series, William B. Davis. It´s a shame that Davis´ part in this movie is unfortunately only a minor one but his brief presence alone gave me the creeps!
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