* * *1/2 out of 4.

Rating: Null/10 (23 August 2002)

Deeply emotional, extremely heartfelt film about a priest (Mel Gibson) who has recently lost his wife in a freak accident. His brother (Joaquin Phoenix) has moved in to help him take care of the kids. The local sheriff (Cherry Jones) tries to comfort him, but Gibson pushes everyone away. Then weird circles appear in his crop fields and his kids claim to see creatures.

Mel Gibson turns in the best performance to date in his career in a role in which he is cast against type. The rest of the cast is exceptional, with Cherry Jones really standing out in a brief performance. Good set-up gives way to many frightening and masterfully done scare scenes. Only the final frames disappoint.
Rated PG-13 for Violence.