The Messengers

Plot synopsis:
The movie begins in black and white with Mary Rollins (Shirley McQueen) hiding away her two children, teenage daughter Lindsay (Tatiana Maslany) and young boy Michael (Jodelle Ferland) in an old farm house. She tells her son to be a big boy as they enter a bedroom. All this has been in black and white. The door is closed and begins to shake, the mother puts the boy under the bed. He is crying and she tries to hush him up. The door bangs open and an invisible force throws her against the wall. The mysterious shadow leaves, the boy runs into the hall to his sister. She is just as scared and she asks 'Where's mom?' The force throws her over the banister of the stairs, later she is dragged into the basement by her feet, leaving deep nail marks in the floor. The boy runs into the kitchen and hides in a cupboard. However, the thing comes and after a heart stopping moment pulls him out. The screen fades to black.Title credits roll. Now the screen is colour and we see a car driving down the highway. They talk and come into the farm we saw at the beginning. Jess (Kristen Stewart) gets out of the car and goes into the house alone. She looks around and behind her the cupboard opens and closes behind her. She looks in and sees a little wind up tractor way back at the back. She reaches in trying to reach it and it lurches forward and begins to move. She is going back out and hears a noise from the basement and the door is locked when she tries it. She notices some strange marks on the wooden floor (the marks which Lindsay had scratched off). Jess goes upstairs and her dad Roy (Dylan McDermott) talks to her about how much she likes the house.Denise (Penelope Ann Miller) is Jess' mother and sees a watermark on the walls and starts scrubbing it. Later she is flipping the sheets and making waves and the little boy Ben (Evan and Theodore Turner) sees two bloody legs under the sheets. Jess and mom share an odd moment and Jess goes to the basement to put boxes down there when she hears a noise.A drifter called John Burwell (John Corbett) happens to pass by and is hired to work the sunflower fields. Dad will pay him later when the harvest is sold.Jess is continually drawn to the cellar with unsettling results. She sees a childlike ghost figure that leaves her with bruises on her arm landing her in the ER. Her parents have left her alone at home babysitting her brother, and she phones the police terrified because they are being attacked and the house is crumbling down. The policeofficer (Michael Daingerfield) says they will let things be only this once, but that if she ever again phones the police saying that there is a lot of damage and nothing has happened, there will be consequences.The doctor (Anna Hagan) asks the parents if she's had any personal issues that would cause her to want to hurt herself. Mom explains she's struggled a bit with "emotional issues" from the Chicago they left behind. On the car ride home she explains "these things attacked me" but dad wants none of it saying she did it to herself. Jess goes into the house to see a pocket watch open by itself to show a woman's photo inside. Mom and Dad argue about the move to the country and ensuing problems, especially because Roy rejected an offer to buy the farm to some other unkown person with a 15% extra over the price they paid for it, without even telling her. The realty seller Colby Price (William B. Davis) seems weird, but he doesn't seem to have anything to do with the farm mystery afterwards.Jess takes off on her bicycle and meets up with a boy from town. They ride together into town in his pickup and they discuss how she thinks the Rollins didn't just "leave" the town for good, they died. She shares the story of her drunk driving accident that caused little Ben to be hospitalized. Ben hasn't spoken since. The treatment of Ben's condition has added to the financial pressures of the family, but to no avail.Back at the farm mom is having chat with Ben. He points outside toward the barn and she asks "what did you see?" He points again at the barn and she asks what he sees and he makes an ugly face pulling down is eyes with his fingers. The crows come back in flocks and begin to attack drifter John out in the sunflower fields. He is beaten by the crows but survives. Denise puts Ben to bed and hears a creaking sound. The stain in the wall is lifesize now as a body appears in 3-D form.In town Jess goes to the local drug store with her friend Bobby (Dustin Milligan) to watch again the newspaper cutouts. Jess sees a photo of the Rollins family. The man in the photo is the drifter John.Back at the farm, John remembers his bad harvest; has a flashback of himself overwon by the situation, and the bank manager flashing a deed. He heads to the house as Denise is readying to leave the house with Ben. John flashes back to his own wife and child who were about to leave him and he thinks Denise is his wife Mary. She escapes from him hiding behind a locked door. Jess and her friend arrive back from town and call for mom and Ben while walking through the house with an axe. They are chased through the house by John with walls getting marked up along the way. Jess goes down to the cellar and finds Denise and Ben. They all have seen something. John calls for Mary threatening her with a pitchfork demanding that she opens the door.John continues his search through the house for his "family" while Denise, Jess and Ben hide in the cellar. Dad arrives back home and asks Bobby where they are. Upon seeing Jess, Roy takes it in the back with John's pitchfork. John knocks Jess about in the cellar. Random objects begin moving toward a spot on the floor and then disappear into a hole. Jess narrowly avoids the pitchfork. She pushes away drifter John and he falls into a now liquified pit, pulled down by the aparitions of the murdered former family. They swallow up John into the pitch-black mud. When John is killed, they think it's over. The pit inhabitants aren't done yet as they reach for Jess. She is saved by Roy and Denise. The police come to investigate and Roy is taken to the hospital seriously injured but alive nonetheless.Some time afterwards Jess is smiling. The future has Ben speaking, the crops growing and everyone seems happy!However several crows fly around the farm in a flock...

Tags: murder, flashback

Review:
Anyone looking for a highbrow horror tale here can look elsewhere.Getting back to the story though, and a family with a mysterious past move to a new home in the middle of the country, a home with a chequered history of its own, and it is not long before daughter Jess encounters the secrets of the house...Husband Roy is desperate to make a go of this new life, by making a successful harvest with the fertile soil in the fields next to where they now live, and despite some troubles between mother and daughter it seems that they are going to try putting their problems behind them.The house has other ideas though.The Messengers makes no apology for what it is - an old-fashioned ghost story with a hint of horror and which benefits from a slightly shallow plot to aid with fast story telling and scares.
Yeah, it's not exactly earth shatteringly terrifying but it does a better job of building tension than most of its peers.Its special effects are reasonably decent, and never look too fake bar bar one single occasion in the cellar.The acting too is acceptable and does the job - Kristen Stewart does her best with the material and produces what the role requires.But the fun here is with the overall feel of the movie - it just works as long as you don't try to expect too much from it.The only oddity is 'Cigarette Smoking Man' from X-Files William B Davis making an unnecessary and pointless appearance twice as a real estate broker - a side story which was totally inept and served no purpose and gave the actor all of 20 seconds of screen time.That aside, good movie and worth seeing as long as you don't expect more than it is..
Yet despite all the negative I continued to hear about it, I went and saw it anyways, and I'm glad I did.Many plot points, such as a haunted house in the middle of nowhere, parents not listening to their kids, and ghosts out for revenge are ideas that Hollywood has used and recycled more times than a person can count.
Certain scenes were rather predictable, so I won't claim that the movie really innovates on any of the standard horror elements, but there are plenty of moments that had me jump in my seat, and had the female members of the audience squealing and clutching their boyfriends.Overall I felt at the end of the movie that, while not amazing, it was worthy of my time and money to see with a couple friends on a lazy afternoon..
But even having not seen the majority of the Japanese horror movies that have give rise to the over-abundance of 'ghosts-in-my-house' wave (and, likewise, to their American counterparts), there isn't too much with surprise or shocks in The Messengers.
I'm sure they're self-conscious of the films they're paying homage/ripping off (the one scene involving the crows and their rendezvous with John Corbett's character is like a chummier mash of The Birds and North by Northwest; Shining and Close Encounters references seem a little more than clear to me too), yet they also succumb to having their film be really affect-less.
It's never too stupid though; I didn't have a disliking toward any one character, with the exception being maybe towards the end with Corbett (I don't think I'm spoiling much there), and it's the sort of typical family-moves-into-a-creepy-house story that decides to hit the usual bases without going rapidly wrong on the marks.But there's also the muddle that comes in dealing with the supernatural side of things, amid the average scares of 'what did I hear in the other room, I'll go check'.
There's fair acting from the family (Kristen Stewart of Panic Room fills in the teenage-girl niche, and there's competent work from McDermott and Miller; Colbert is a little creepy, but I guess that's the point; William B.
In the end, the Messengers is nothing new, and won't contribute much at all to the horror genre at large, but I wouldn't throw it in my 'I hate this movie so much' bin either, as it only continues to that non-threatening realm of the kinda-creepy PG-13 haunted house picture..
It sounds like you have seen this film before yet the story still keeps you interested and in some cases even intrigued.A family move from Chicago to an eerie, abandoned farmhouse in North Dakota to start a fresh and to start growing sunflowers on its land, aw.
Then the teenager daughter Jess (Kristen Stewart, Panic Room) begins to sense strange happenings from the moment they move in, something just isn't quite right, her toddler brother, Ben, also begins to notice creaking noises and following shadows and the mother (Penelope Ann Miller) just can't get rid of THAT stain on the wall.
"The Messengers" revolves around a young teenager, Jess (Kristen Stewart), who moves out into rural North Dakota with her dad (Dylan McDermott), her mother (Penelope Ann Miller), and her little brother, to a sunflower farm.
But the increasingly frightening supernatural experiences that only Jess seems to see get more and more violent, and seem to have a relation to something that happened in the house years ago.With some obvious similarities to "The Grudge" (and just about every ghost story you can think of), "The Messengers" is an extremely derivative ghost tale that manages to hold itself up without becoming unbearably watchable.
Full of dark and shadowy rooms, ghost-like figures with ridiculously orchestrated jerky movements (reminiscent of "The Grudge"), mostly useless "jump" scares, and a small child character who can see things others can't, "The Messengers" is clichéd, no doubting that.
I can't say anything too horrible about the acting though.Overall, "The Messengers" is your typical, cliché-ridden modern ghost story, and it borrows so much from other recent films of it's type (which a lot of these films seem to do), that it becomes another one of those "we've seen it all before" horror movies.
After having problems in Chicago, the Solomon family moves to a remote North Dakota farmhouse to start anew, but their attempts at an idyllic farming life is disrupted when their teen daughter Jess (Kristen Stewart) and her 3-year-old brother Ben start seeing and being attacked by supernatural beings who won't allow them to live in peace.The Messengers starts off decently although it eventually becomes a generic horror film that's a lot more humorous than frightening.
However, since we have come a long way in terms of style and effects, it's not really that hard to make your movie look nice especially if you are working on a Hollywood film.The acting was atrocious and if this movie had been released in December, I'm sure it would have received several Razzie nominations.
No matter what movie it is you are seeing, the theatre will always be packed by people who have been awaiting the film, like free stuff, thought it'd be something to do, or just got lost.
I will credit the Pang Brothers, (directors of the acclaimed The Eye that I would like to watch more than before to see what they can do without Hollywood interferencesupposedly reshoots on The Messengers were done by someone else, but the brothers retained credit; it's a shame what our studio system does to foreigners especially when it was creative independence which made the films that brings them in and not bottomline interference), for really having a fitting style and for keeping the tired plot line somewhat fresh.
For being only 84 minutes, I almost think it would have worked better even shorter.Besides a very effective opening sequence, featuring the fantastic Jodelle Ferland, (strangely playing a boy), and a great atmospheric credit sequence, the only thing that saves the film from utter garbage is the acting.
Also, Kristen Stewart (Zathura) is brilliant, as she was in Zathura (2005).All in all, a sensationally creepy film with unsettling special effects, a creepy storyline, great acting, and a semi-original horror that's not as cheesy as it looks.Official MPAA rating: PG-13: Mature Thematic Material, Disturbing Violence and TerrorMy MPAA rating: PG-13: Mature Thematic Material, Disturbing Violence and Terror, and for Some LanguageMy Canadian rating: 14A: Violence, Frightening Scenes, Disturbing Content.
Also, all the symbolism (e.g. the meaning of the crows, the meaning of the clock, the meaning of the final crisis and resolution) is ludicrously obvious.Dylan McDermott seems like he wandered off from a Disney family morality play and wound up in a horror movie; Penelope Ann Miller's performance made me feel that it was either going to be revealed she had just become part of the family or is the father's new girlfriend who, for some reason, chose to move in with him into a haunted house on the prairie - there is absolutely no chemistry between her and her husband, which is rationalized later on but, in my opinion, her performance is just too perfect in that area.
Combining all those factors, with a poor story line, just doesn't work for me.Good acting all around, but one scene when the family are driving in the SUV, the actors suddenly look as though they are all lost.
The Messengers' use of lighting, sound, camera angles and clever pacing ensure shocks are there, even if the story does not have the originality of the Pang Brothers' earlier work.Mom and Dad take their children, Jess and Ben, out to an isolated farmhouse where they all plan to make a new start.
There are hints of problems involving the kids, but it's also make-or-break time for Dad, who has left the city and needs to make a success of farming sunflowers.Frantic black-and-white horror sequences before the opening credits show us what happened to the last family.
While still good for some quick jumps, don't expect The Messengers to keep you up at night.The story is the simple one: a family from Chicago moves to a deserted farm in North Dakota.
Perhaps what is most disturbing about this movie is the complete lack of original content- it employs virtually every ghost/horror motif in the book, from the 'special kid' to the 'mysterious stranger', squawking crows, a toy moving by itself, mysterious stains that wont wash away, the creepy basement, the parents who don't buy their teenager's concerns about the 'new house', and on and on...
Otherwise, there's a small smattering of jump scares (which, if you watch as many horror movies as me, you know exactly when to expect them), a really lame plot, lots of scenes that could have led to good things but didn't, and plenty of clichés.
This movie was a mix between the Shining and Amitville Horror...I was so excited to see it; however, I was disappointed about a half hour into the movie...there are a few jump scenes but in trying to make a good horror flick, you want to make the viewer believe in your plot and the messengers was simply lacking in a solid plot...the jump scenes were few and overall, this type of movie has been done before...waste of time and money...if you're bored on a Sunday afternoon and there is absolutely nothing on TV, then i recommend renting this whenever it comes out and then watching it..but don't stretch yourself beyond that...consider yourself warned!.
The whole scary "idea" is never explained, although pictures occasionally flash up showing flashbacks.Overall, i would say, you will NOT get your money's worth if you wanted a good horror film.
The so-called 'creepy' effects are lifted (and laughably modified) from Ju-On/The Grudge, the plot is a mix of The Others, The Shining and Ju-On, and the movie has nothing scary about it; it only had those stupid 'jump' scenes - the telltale sign of a very weak horror film.
I'm very sorry they put the very good-looking McDermott in this movie because I think he is also a great actor, and deserved better than this role!
I laughed...Its just things that pop out with a deformed face, the scariest parts were put into the commercial.i LOVED the previews for different movies before the movie started...and Kristens acting was pretty good....and the little boy...totally adorable!.
The Messengers is a bad,generic and boring ''horror'' movie.The film has got a big problem:it does not scare.The performances and the screenplay are totally stupid.It uses old tricks for scaring and all the supernatural events make laugh.I would not call The Messengers as a bad movie...I would call it an accidental comedy because it's so bad that makes laugh.The only good thing about this movie is that it's short,so this crap will not stay with us for so long.There are a lot of masterpieces of horror genre which count with a low budget(like Subject Two,Lucky or May)which are sadly ignored,while this crap is all a success in the box office.So,I do not recommend this weak and pathetic horror film which is called The Messengers..
OK here goes.this movie sort of reminds me of "The "Grudge"(which i pretty much hated)and Pulse(2006)(which i liked)it starts off very very slow and eventually becomes somewhat interesting.it's not original for the most part,but it does have an added element that "The Grudge" certainly didn't have.there is one scene which is unexpected and sent shivers up my spine.Kristen Stewart plays Jess,who,along with her five year old brother ,begins to see strange occurrences in the family's new home out in the country.it seems they are not alone.of course the parents (Dylan McDermot,Penelope Ann Miller) don't believe her.naturally this creates tension.John Corbett plays a sort of drifter who ends up working in the fields for the family(they grow sunflower seeds).the acting in the movie isn't bad,but it seems everyone is playing their characters in an understated way.Kristen Stewart is pretty decent in her role,but a bit too pouty at times.i liked this movie much more than "The Grudge",but not quite as much as "Pulse".all things considered i give "The Messengers" a 6.5/10.
Thus I decided to give this movie a try and find out how is it.The story is about a family  husband (Dylan McDermott), wife (Penelope Ann Miller), daughter (Kristen Stewart) and a 2-3 year old son (Evan Turner) who comes to a small country house  away from the city to stay a peaceful life cultivating sunflowers.
The starting seems so good but story continues and makes you feel tired(between there were few day's and nights where nothing happens even if the house is being haunted), a ghost helps a family to take revenge..
There's several attack here which are downright creepy, including the main one which opens the film because it all happens in front of the kid, but moreso later efforts like the attack in the basement when she's supposedly babysitting the brother where the approaching ghost flips around furniture to the point of a haunted house movie as well as a secondary scene in the house when she's all along are lengthy, involved scenes that are incredibly chilling.
The Messengers is rated PG13 so if you're looking for a movie with some genuinely creepy and scary moments but without sex and gore, it's a good choice..
**SPOILERS** Senseless and disjointed horror house movie involving the transplanted, from Chicago, Solomon Family who have for some reason or another gotten into the sunflower seed business in far off North Dakota.Were kept in the dark for almost the entire film to just why Roy Solomon, Dylan McDermott, a life long Chicago resident all of a sudden decided to pack it in and become a farmer when he lost his job in the Windy City.
It's not long that strange things begin to happen at the Solomon Farm with hundreds of attacking and pecking crows descending on the place and driving Roy and his family his wife Denise, Penelope Ann Miller, infant son Ben who for some strange reason has two credits in the movie, Even & Throdore Turner, and especially his troubled teen-age daughter Jesse, Kristen Stewart, crazy.Jesse whom we later find out has her own problems, regarding her baby brother Ben, soon starts to see-like in the film "The Sixth Sense"-dead people all over place to the point where her concerned parents seriously feel that she may need immediate medical attention!
Here's my professional recommendation to the family in this film: Don't move into houses that look like ghosts live in them.
yes the movie did have it's good moments and scares,, one thing that i really did like was the homage to Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, perhaps the greatest horror movie of all time.
The plot of the film is about an ominous darkness that invades a seemingly serene sunflower farm in North Dakota, and the Solomon family is torn apart by suspicion, mayhem, and murder.So, you watch the trailer and think it's another PG-13, dumbed down horror movie, right?
The Messengers is a potpourri of a dozen horror movies you have seen before, including The Amityville Horror, The Shining, The Sixth Sense, The Birds, The Grudge, The Others and What Lies Beneath.Not only the jump sequences were taken from those other films, but this movie was full of clichés: Haunted house in the middle of nowhere, family with past problems trying to start over, little kid seeing strange things, rebel and beautiful teenager being attacked, weird animal behavior, strange things in the cellar, cracking doors that open and close themselves, mysterious stranger coming to help, and OF COURSE the twist near the end (because nowadays it seems a movie without a twist is not considered a movie).I have to admit the only reason I watched this movie was Kristen Stewart.
The earlier Pang Bros movies were scary because they had this special sound and it was new and nobody ever saw anything like it.
After some time I was able to watch a horror movie until the end without being bored.
If you like your horror movies watered down and predictable with the same old cheap screen tricks this is the film for you.