Roy Solomon (Dylan McDermott), his wife Denise (Penelope Ann Miller), their teenage daughter Jessica (Kristen Stewart) and their little son Ben move from Chicago to an old farm in North Dakota to rebuild their family, financially affected by the long unemployment of Roy and a car accident of Jessica that has brought serious problems to Ben. Roy plants sunflowers in the land and hires the stranger Burwell (John Corbett) to help him until the harvest. When Jess sees ghosts and poltergeists in the house, her parents do not believe on her. She tries to prove that she is not insane or trying to call their attentions, and discovers the fate of the former owners.
Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang are (or were) among my favorite directors of horror movies. Unfortunately they moved to Hollywood, and the commercial effect of this industry is certainly affecting the work of the brothers. "The Messenger" is not a bad movie, and I have actually startled many times. However, there is absolutely no originality in the story that blends "The Shining", "The Birds", "Wicked Little Things", "The Sixth Sense", "The Others", "The Amityville Horror", "Poltergeist", "The Gate", "The Ring", "The Grudge" and many other movies, plus a collection of clichés and a terrible happy end. The story has a great flaw and does not explain why Jessica and her family are haunted by the Rollins; however, when Burwell threatens the Solomon family, why the ghosts do not protect them? My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Os Mensageiros" ("The Messengers")
Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang are (or were) among my favorite directors of horror movies. Unfortunately they moved to Hollywood, and the commercial effect of this industry is certainly affecting the work of the brothers. "The Messenger" is not a bad movie, and I have actually startled many times. However, there is absolutely no originality in the story that blends "The Shining", "The Birds", "Wicked Little Things", "The Sixth Sense", "The Others", "The Amityville Horror", "Poltergeist", "The Gate", "The Ring", "The Grudge" and many other movies, plus a collection of clichés and a terrible happy end. The story has a great flaw and does not explain why Jessica and her family are haunted by the Rollins; however, when Burwell threatens the Solomon family, why the ghosts do not protect them? My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Os Mensageiros" ("The Messengers")