The Reaping
Starring: Hilary Swank, David Morrissey, Stephen Rea
Directed by: Stephen Hopkins
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Thriller
2007
Times Seen:
Tim: 1
Summary: A religious "miracle" debunker (Hilary Swank) travels to a small rural community that seems to be experiencing the ten Biblical plagues.
Review:
Tim: This is a film that is right up my alley, yet I couldn�t bring myself to enjoy it. First off, it seems like it steals from multiple other films in the same genre. It doesn�t even bother to add new elements or to breathe new life into the story. It is a pure recycle job, with a ton of special effects, in an attempt to cover up its rotten underbelly.
By the film�s conclusion, we don�t even care what is happening. The actors are still acting all dramatic and scared, and there�s something about a little girl who some people are protecting, while other people want to kill. I couldn�t really keep the whole thing straight, because I just simply didn�t care. The film starts off strongly, and I legitimately thought this might have been surprisingly good. However, the whole thing falls apart soon after, and we�re left with forty minutes left in a movie we�re finding it increasingly difficult to care about.
The special effects are decent, but nothing astounding. They feel like they were used as a panacea to cover up the film�s flaws. This doesn�t even begin to work. We see right through the device. The movie has surprisingly little substance or heart.
Hilary Swank puts a decent amount of effort into the role. At times, you�d swear she really wants this to work, while others, you�re convinced she�s sleepwalking through it. The rest of the cast felt hastily assembled, because this is really all about Swank. No one does a particularly amazing job.
The Reaping is another lackluster film in a subgenre made up of mostly disappointing films. I doubt anyone will remember this movie or regard it with anything but passing notice. This is a forgettable movie that does far too much wrong, and it is better left unremembered.
Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5
If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Bless the Child