Film Muser Rating : 2 / 5
Release Date : February 2, 2007
Running Time : 84 minutes
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The Messengers is about a family who leaves Chicago to live on a farm in rural North Dakota. Kristen Stewart plays Jess, who’s troubles in Chicago acted as the catalyst for her family’s relocation. In hopes of starting a new life, the family takes up sunflower farming led by the father Roy, played by Dylan McDermott. From the first moments the family moves into the 100 year old farmhouse, strange things start to happen. The idea is that children are more in touch with the paranormal activities, and even though Jess as a teenager is able to see some things, her toddler brother can see almost everything. As the movie progresses, the ghosts start to get more aggressive with Jess, leading to a showdown with the true villain.

Kristen Stewart in The Messengers

The Messengers reminded me of a lot of horror movies that have been released lately including 2004′s The Grudge. We get a lot of really creepy scenes one after another, but that’s all we really get. You would think that as the film progresses, each interaction with the paranormal would help reveal something about the mystery, but instead we get just more of the same until the final showdown. I think it would be a lot more fulfilling to see the story unravel in some sort of way. It just seems as though story elements are sacrificed in order to make room for scary scenes.

Despite the disappointing story, there are some genuinely scary scenes. There are your obvious scenes that are meant to startle you, but there are also scenes that are drawn out over a minute or two that I found quite scary. The mood that is created with the camera angles coupled with the musical score are done really well, and I found them to be very effective. To fully appreciate the creepiness of this film, be sure not to watch this film at two o’clock in the afternoon with the sun shining in your windows. Directed by the Pang brothers from Hong Kong, the film really showcases their unique filming style. I was a real fan of these uncommon shots they chose, and I think it helped create the mood that defines this film.

I also thought that the acting in the film was decent. I remember seeing Panic Room in 2002 and thinking that then twelve year old Kristen Stewart was a real strong actress. In The Messengers she does another fine job, and for still being young and early in her career, did a good job of leading the cast. Dylan McDermott does a good job playing her father, but John Corbett’s performance as a farmhand, kind of falls apart by the end of the film.

If having a genuinely creepy movie experience is what you like, The Messengers definitely delivers. However the lack of a strong story coupled with the missing explanations just wasn’t enough for me to really enjoy this film. Maybe a horror movie regarding the paranormal shouldn’t, or couldn’t have all of the answers, but I have a real tough time getting a sense of fulfillment when you leave a movie being as much in the dark as you were at the beginning. If you do decide to check this one out, take some time to appreciate the sense of style that Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang bring to the film.

Memorable Scene
Like I mentioned, the Pang brothers are able to really stretch out some scary scenes. There was one in particular that I found awesome in this regard. Jess is carrying her younger brother Ben as she gets him to point out where he is seeing the ghosts. As she walks down a hall Ben starts to point behind her, and Jess can sense something is there as well. The shot faces Jess, with half of her face in frame and in focus. You can just barely make out a figure approaching behind her. The scene cuts back and forth between this shot, and Ben pointing at the figure. The creepy music works so well with this scene, and I can honestly say that this was one of the better scary scenes I’ve seen in a film recently. I’m sure you have to see it to get the full effect.