The Reaping Reviews

• Reap the pleasure of this one on the big screen!

  
  By A3II7VQOJ0Q1XD on 2007-04-10
  Not since the movie Stigmata has there been an amazing religious-themed thriller such as The Reaping that once again challenges Christian belief! Look past any controversy this movie dukes out with Bible thumping crazies, and try to appreciate it for it's true cinematic pleasure. You will NOT be disappointed. This movie is a white knuckle thrill ride for those of us who enjoy a good scare.
  
  Hilary Swank plays a former Christian missionary who now specializes in debunking religious phenomena, who has been called upon to investigate a small Louisiana town which seems to be suffering from the 10 Biblical plagues. Kudos to the film crew staying down south in between Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita to continue filming! At first, the small town of Haven seems like any Maple Drive all-American town but I had trouble believing we were deep in voodoo country. Hilary's assistant is the only black man in town! But all that is quickly thrown aside when the two accompany officials to take a look at the town river that has turned red. The Spanish moss-laced scenery is breath taking and you will soon be settled in for a good chill that doesn't go away so easily.
  
  One by one, the ten plagues start to affect the town and are linked to a backwoods family shunned by the towns folk. Hilary and her assistant investigate but have trouble dismissing the plagues with the help of science. It all builds up to a magnificent locust attack scene that you MUST see on the big screen. I haven't seen anything as fun since Hitchcock's The Birds, and can't wait to see it again on DVD.
  
  With a twist at the end that you will never guess, there is hope for a sequel!
  
  

• Biblical Muddle

  
  By A3GKPMHV4U64IY on 2007-10-29
  Hilary Swank is an ordained minister who has turned her back on religion. She now spends her time disproving religious phenomenon. Now she has been called to the small town of Haven where supposedly a young girl turned the local river into blood. But no sooner does the investigation begin than frogs fall from the sky. Soon more plagues manifest in the small community. Many of the townsfolk feel it is the work of a young girl living in the swamp and that she should be eliminated. But what is really going on and what role is Swank supposed to play? Another minster who Swank is acquainted with thinks he may have the answer.
  
  As the film moves along it does a very good job of playing The Old Testament and keeping things on track. But later when the new prophesy is brought in it gets a little muddled. I found it interesting that it had to be stressed that the prophesy was older than Christ when they are reliving events far older. Is magic at work? Is it God? The Devil? Is faith required? Overall a pretty good movie although it gets a little muddled at the end as explanations are offered too quickly to sink in as the action escalates. Could have been a little better but still pretty good. Check it out.
  
  

• The best movie ever...

  
  By AJURG1ELICSPC on 2007-03-24
  Outstanding production by Hopkins and magnificent work by Swank! 5 stars from start to finish!!!
  
  

• Surprisingly entertaining

  
  By A3HOGE326DO4NC on 2007-09-15
  Considering the big critics' reviews of this film (which I almost let dissaude me from seeing it in the theatre), I thought it a very pleasant surprise.
  
  Clearly hiring Swank blew the budget, but fortunately, she was fabulous as always (not just looking, but also acting) and carried the film through the drier parts (of which there were few).
  
  On the other hand, the CGI left much to be desired and as to be expected, there's more than a heaping helpin' of it in this biblical plague flick. I guess it wouldn't be practical to dye an entire swamp red but the blatant phoniness of the water-into-blood scenes greatly diminished the awe effect. And the supernatural hellstorm at the end could've been footage ripped wholesale from My Science Project - cutting edge 20 years ago, but Flintstonic by today's standards. Yet, I didn't much care.
  
  The screenplay was well-written and coherent (something that cannot be said of many recent entries in this genre) and even the now obligatory "twist" ending strengthened rather than detracted from the story.
  
  As defined by my "time-check" count, this film pulled a strong zero. And whenever I can make it through 100 minutes of cinema without so much as glance at the watch, something's gotta be right. Not a fantastic film by most measures, the Reaping is nevertheless an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.
  
  
  

• THIS IS WHY I AVOID THE BIBLE-BELT!!!

  
  By A14WRQ0X8ETKE9 on 2007-10-22
  I am not understanding the bad reviews being dished out onto this film. In fact, I almost didn't watch it because of them. I am so happy that I opted to ignore the negative hype. I enjoyed this movie immensely! Swank's character had been dealt a faith destroying event in her life and became a witch-hunter of miracles. God brings her back by giving her the real deal. This was just a fantastic movie and I do not want to spoil it for others by saying too much. Just please watch it without the influence of the bad reviews.
  
  
• A Plague on the Silver Screen
  By A18G7GG53G2X8A on 2007-04-06
  It's very surprising that "The Reaping" doesn't work; religious messages have been notoriously well acquainted with the horror genre, and most of the time, it works quite well ("The Exorcist," "The Omen," "Frailty," the original "Wicker Man," etc.). Maybe that's because they relied on both shock value and story for advancement. "The Reaping" certainly succeeds in being shocking, with plenty of pop out scares and a few well placed disturbing images. But in terms of story, something was seriously lacking. The events of this film make absolutely no sense, with one crucial plot device clashing against every other, turning it into a convoluted mess. This isn't a case of leaving with more questions than answers; you leave with no answers at all.
  
  The plot centers on Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank), a Louisiana State University professor. When not in class, she travels the world, using her scientific skills to debunk claims of miraculous events. She was once a devout Christian, but she lost her faith when her husband and daughter were murdered on an African missionary excursion. This clearly adds conflict to the story, as shown when a man named Doug (David Morrissey) seeks her assistance. Strange things have been happening in his hometown of Haven, namely the first plague of the Old Testament (a river turning into blood). Upon entering Haven and examining the river, Winter learns of Loren McConnell (AnnaSophia Robb), a young girl believed to be responsible for her brother's death. She's also believed to be a servant of Satan, which may account for the condition of the river.
  
  Winter is initially unwilling to accept anything the town believes; she's confident that she can find a scientific explanation for the river turning red. But then another biblical plague occurs. Then another. And another. And another. After a while it becomes obvious that something powerful is at work here, something that cannot be explained through science. This understandably leaves Winter unsure of anything anymore. Are the plagues actually religious phenomena, and is a young girl responsible for it all?
  
  That's about as much of the plot as I can describe; the last half of the film is wall-to-wall revelations, none of which I can give away. What I can say is that the revelations are confusing and nonsensical. There's a complicated subplot involving a satanic cult and birth order, with the first borns safe from harm and the second borns in danger, or something like that. There's also a brief performance by Stephen Rea as Father Costigan, a priest who was with Winter when her family was murdered. He knows that she's in danger because of an ancient prophecy that predates Christianity. What no one seems to know is why she needed to be involved at all; were it not for the fact that she's the main character, one would have a hard time explaining why the simple folk of Haven, Louisiana would need her. I can't elaborate on this, but I will say that the final plot twists are of no help.
  
  Apparently, this film was delayed, with an original release date of August 2006. I can't help but feel that such a long delay contributed to the mess it's currently in; it seemed as if important details were edited out in order to appease the studio execs, the MPAA, the test audiences, or any combination thereof. I can definitely say that the film's structure is bad, but I'm not sure I can say the same thing about the film in general. I obviously don't know this for sure, but I have a feeling that a well-edited director's cut would fix everything, or at least enough of it to make the events of the story much more understandable. When and if such a version of "The Reaping" comes to fruition, I'll recommend it. Until then, keep as far away from this film as possible; it's a disaster of biblical proportions.
  
  
• Did this film "reap" (pun intended) what it has sown?..
  By A2UUP58XPQW3GF on 2007-09-03
  I am biased. I love Hilary Swank. Like Biblical thrillers. Impressed with great visual effects.
  Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank is a great actress, I believe given the right role, she will portray it to near-perfection. Her latest film, "The Reaping" is a Biblical thriller based on the 10 Plagues in the Book of Exodus. I'm assuming most, if not everyone has heard the story of Moses, if you did, then, you pretty much know what the film is about. The question is: What is the motivation for the 10 Biblical plagues?
  
  Plot synopsis partially derived from the back cover:
  Katherine Winter, (Hilary Swank) a former ordained minister who lost her faith is now an occult investigator with the purpose of debunking modern "miracles" bringing a scientific explanation to superstition and exposing frauds. Events in a small town called Haven, Louisiana defies all scientific explanation. The 10 Biblical plagues are occurring in the same order as in the book of Exodus. Katherine's investigations uncover more questions, she finds that the plagues are linked to the murder of a boy and a young girl. Are they Harbingers of evil or something else? Time is running out for Katherine, as it turns out not just the town is at stake, but maybe creation itself..
  
  "The Reaping" has a very interesting premise, but the screenplay is far from perfect. To its credit, it does execute a lot more things RIGHT than wrong. Although, not wholly original, it has a lot of similarities to "Bless the Child" and "Rosemary's Baby", I have to say by going into a different direction by taking the time in character development, it succeeds in bringing a bit of mystery. The studio responsible is Dark Castle Entertainment, known for gory thrillers like the remake of "House on Haunted Hill" and "Ghost Ship". People who are expecting a fast-paced bloody horror film will be disappointed. Visually speaking, "The Reaping" has phenomenal special effects that surpasses most horror flicks, the EFX are realistically done, especially the "Locusts swarm", the visuals are very impressive. (I hated the cheesy EFX in "The Haunting" remake)
  
  As mentioned above, the film goes to a different direction. It ignores the blood and gore approach, it is more a tightly-wound thriller than a horror film. The direction by Stephen Hopkins could have done better with a lot less banter, but all in all, each main character is fleshed out a little more(even the townsfolk). Some may say it could have done without these factors, because the screenplay did divert into a "pointless" direction at times that it did have some dull moments but I rather thought that they were still necessary to liven the transition from each plague. After all, the plagues didn't happen overnight. Does "The Reaping" deliver as a thriller? Yes, but it did stumble a bit in that area. It is NOT an "edge of your seat" kind but rather it takes its time.
  
  As usual, Hilary Swank does a great performance. This movie would have failed miserably with a lesser actress in the lead, but Hilary passes with flying colors and does the best anyone can expect from her character. David Morissey and Stephen Rea both do a decent supporting performance.
  
  I saw the Warner Bros. Asian region-3 release, I think it would be safe to say the U.S. release will utilize the same transfer.
  VIDEO/AUDIO: Anamorphic Widescreen. The transfer is flawless, very sharp and clean. Colors are radiant although a bit on the softer side. Black levels are very solid throughout. The 5.1 Dolby Digital track is very powerful and suited for the film. I'm a DTS fan myself, but the 5.1 Dolby is not shabby.
  Closing remarks:
  "The Reaping" is not reinventing the suspense thriller genre, but with the strong performances of its leads, especially Swank, and the different approach it went with character development, it is worth a watch. The way it is directed may be a bit slow at times and the heavy-handed climax may not be perfect, but the special effects together with the main premise kept me interested for the most part. It may not hold up to repeated viewings, but it is at least worth a rental for most people and gets a "Recommended" rating for those who like Biblical thrillers. (3 ½ stars)
  
  
  
  
• It was Fair
  By A4JP4T1F95D0A on 2008-01-06
  The Reaping deals with a former missionary(Swank) whose family was killed in the name of God in Africa. She has lost all faith and her life is dedicated to debunking miracles around the globe. She is then called to a hidden little town in Louisiana to investigate the start of the Biblical plagues supposedly caused by a doe eyed little girl. This is not really a scary movie, with barely a single jump. It is more of a supernatural mystery more in line with The Skeleton Key. It is a fair movie with a nice twist or two at the end. It is helped by strong acting. As for the Blu ray quality, it seemed a little off. Some parts looked crisp and clear, others looked no better than regular dvd. This is an okay movie for a slow rental week.
  
  
• the scariest movie ive ever seen!
  By A32JKNQ6BABMQ2 on 2007-10-19
  this movie wont just scare you it will @!#$[mess] you up for life!it helps to know what the 10 plagues were.if you dont i ask why the heck havent been reading your bible?dont you know you go to...........well anyway,maybe not ,maybe youll just get plagued.parts of this movie are gut-wreanching.some are hard to hear,much less watch.yes ive seen the exorcist and the texas chainsaw massacre and freddy,jason,mike myers,chucky,pinhead and the omen series but they all pale in comparison to this wrath of the almighty,scare your butt back to sunday school,god-fearing movie here!god is really more of a teacher than someone to be feared-magneto.i agree,but god was definately p'od in this one.so take your meds,sit back and watch and with any luck,youll forget your hideous nightmares that are bound to follow.
  
  
• a disaster of Biblical proportions
  By A19ZXK9HHVRV1X on 2007-12-04
  *spoilers*
  
  *1/2
  
  Professor Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank) is some sort of professional miracle-debunker (ah, the things they provide government grant-money for these days) who is called to a small town in the Louisiana Bayou to investigate the claim that the water in the local river has mysteriously turned to blood. Once an ordained minister but now an atheistic skeptic - a condition brought on by the death of her young daughter - Winter sets out to find a rational, scientific explanation for the phenomenon, only to discover, when she arrives there, that the town is indeed suffering from what appears to be a Biblical Ten Plagues redux. Soon, frogs are falling from the sky, cattle are dying in the fields, food is becoming infested with maggots, boils are popping up on the citizenry, swarms of locusts are plaguing the town etc., etc., etc.
  
  "The Reaping" is another in a long line of Bible-inspired thrillers that are long on silliness and short on thrills. With its largely incoherent, cobbled-together tale of prophecy fulfillment and ritualized child sacrifice, the movie manages to insult scientists, atheists, religious folk and rural Southerners - not to mention the intelligence of its audience - with just about equal fervor. Not to worry, though, for the unbeliever - as is always the case in such films - has her religious faith miraculously restored to her in the end, although it comes with a mighty steep price as revealed in the story`s tiresomely "ironic" coda.
  
  All involved in this overwrought and undernourished fiasco seem to be phoning in their work, from the performers to the writers to the director to the special effects technicians. As for Ms. Swank's appearance in this swill, all we can say is rarely has a two-time Oscar winner fallen this far.
  
  
• Sowing Silly Seeds
  By A139ZF7CJVVTJU on 2007-05-29
  Faith isn't a hard thing to lose, but it is a hard thing to let go of. After all, even believing in nothing requires its own kind of faith. Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank) is an ex-missionary, an ordained minister who lost her faith somewhere in the dreary hillocks of her troubled past. Now she keeps her eyes in safer and saner (if not more clinical) pastures, spending her time as an LSU professor whose specialty is debunking myths and miracles. She approaches her job with the grim satisfaction of an older brother telling his younger sibling that, no, Santa Claus is NOT real.
  
  Her services are soon required by a small town in New Orleans by the name of Haven (that's called "irony," folks!). It seems a local boy was recently killed. It may or may not have been at the hands of a local girl, Loren. The only thing that is certain is that, for some reason, the local river has turned to blood. The uber-fundamentalist townfolk are certain that the ten Biblical plagues have come to their sleepy corner of the world, and they believe that the adorably creepy girl is the reason.
  
  Anna Sophia Robb (Bridge to Terabithia) plays the questionable and mostly-mute tyke with the same sort of numb withdrawl that can be found in Swank's Katherine Winter. Both actresses seem stunned to find themselves in such a schlocky movie, and neither one of them looks like they're having much fun.
  
  There's fun to be had, I suppose. The plagues trundle across the screen dutifully, some of them thrown in off-handedly as if they were mere hurdles to cross (the plagues of flies and frogs are mostly laughable), others done succinctly to cool effect (the aforementioned river of blood, the plague of darkness). Attached to these mostly gratuitous images is a story about sacrifice, devil worship, and heavenly vengeance.
  
  Although the plotting certainly isn't sloppy, it's also not very sound. Much like a freshly erected stack of Jenga blocks, one gets the impression it wouldn't take two well-planned pokes to send the whole thing tumbling to the ground. Katherine doesn't have much to do in the movie, in spite of her weird-n-wild surroundings, so most of her role consists of creepy dream after creepy dream, as well as so many jittering, incomprehensible flashbacks that the whole film threatens to turn into one epileptic-inducing trailer for itself.
  
  Trailers can be entertaining in and of themselves, though, and this is no real exception. The shards of light and the scattered images do eventually resolve into some kind of sense. Although that resolution isn't particularly surprising, it is industrious, at least until the final scene. The makers of "The Reaping," already a (happily) hackneyed film, tack on a (mordantly) hackneyed ending. The result is labored and dumb, albeit not surprising.
  
  "The Reaping" is by no means a good film, and some would rightfully call it bad. Given the decent story (such as it is) and the hokum it trots out with such cheesy abandon, I don't fault the film much for the flaws in its faith. It's nice -- if even in a shadowy way -- to find, in the midst of a world without spirit, a movie that isn't afraid to flaunt its over-cooked soul.
  
  
• I'm Weeping.
  By A3F9VH8916IA40 on 2007-12-17
  I'm not even going to bother with a full review, this movie isn't worth my time or energy to write about. Simply put, this movie is bad, not just bad, but horrendous, ugly, silly and trite. Phrases like "brain dead" and "insulting to all intelligent beings" does not even come close to describing the hole this film dug itself. It's almost like a serious Hot Fuzz (Widescreen Edition) with biblical plagues, can you possibly see that? Its bad people, avoid this like a plague (no pun intended. Okay, maybe it was).
  
  Re-watch value; EXTREMLY low.
  
  
• Hilary shines...
  By A14XUPKHVN220 on 2007-04-08
  I just came out of the movie THE REAPING and it was pretty good. I was really scared and intrigued throughout the movie. Hilary does a terrific job and the other characters work really well together. Theres that cutie-patoutie BEN (Idris Elba) in the movie. He meshes really well with Hilary. Believable, intriguing and scary! Go see it:)
  
  
• I Wish I Had Decided To Rent It Out Instead...
  By AK1OBVI54SY73 on 2007-04-23
  I mean horror films are fun to watch in the theater regardless of how it turns out but I still think my friend wasted too much money to have us go out and see this. This was yet another one of those horror movies that literally plague the modern world- one that looks so promising on commercials and yet completely disappoints you when you see the entire thing.
  
  It's not that it was utter garbage. The plot itself keeps your interest but you nonetheless get a bit irritated at how the story unravels. At first this character Swank plays, who is a know- it- all whose job is to go see places of miracles and then find a scientific explantation to them, travels to a small southern town to to check out this supposed river of blood. Suddenly, shocker, they find out it's real blood. By the time the results come back and confirm it is real blood already there have been livestock dying and the children there have a head full of lice among the locusts as well, which were the most interesting scenes in this film- but Swank soon just grows fascinated with the one girl the whole town is blaming this on, supposedly the girl who killed her brother and that was how it started. But of course there is a lot more to it than the town says but I'll leave that little interesting twist for curious readers to find out when they finally see it.
  
  I don't know what exactly ruined this movie. I agree it does sound like a good treat but something really was wrong. Horror films are made by the dozen these days but that doesn't mean horror is easy to succeed in, for a lot of these new films flop because something is seriously lacking as in this one. The best horror films have really an underlying tension that isn't obvious but rather subtle and just scratching at the surface up till the very end. Maybe The Reaping was just trying too hard to be so creepy and so shocking that instead it got sappy and overdrammatic. I think in some parts it was exactly that. I also think Swank is just an overrated actress who can't do well without a strong cast behind her- and she just had an average horror movie cast in the Reaping.
  
  I don't recommend this movie unless you just really are into these type of stories like I am. 3/5
  
  
• Ms. Swank What Were Ya Thinking?
  By A1ALEJHF8AWGEB on 2007-06-26
  This put the B in Bad Movies! Don't waste your hard earn money. If you can catch it on cable in a few years, do so but if you miss it.... trust me you didn't miss much!
  
  
• Nothing to scare your socks off, despite what the trailer and posters suggest.
  By A3C6CZC2JP67VK on 2007-09-04
  "The Reaping" is supposed to be this year's entry into the horror/thriller/lost faith genre, but doesn't quite know where to go. Should it be just a horror flick? No. How about a "lost faith" story? Nope. But it does qualify for being a thriller, in my opinion. The Reaping is as formulaic as it may be; it's still fun to watch. Hilary Swank finally looks feminine despite portraying yet another fearless female. She plays Katherine Winter, an ex-woman of the cloth who turned her back on the Church after suffering personal tragedy, and now spends her time as a professor debunking miracles as myths.
  
  But she runs out of plausible explanations when what appears to be the Bible's Ten Plagues begin to afflict a small town and she is called there to help its citizens. They blame a young girl, Loren McConnell (played frighteningly well by AnnaSophia Robb), whom they accuse of having killed her brother in a river that has now turned into blood, the first plague. Katherine encounters her several times and has trouble getting into an objective frame of mind as she likens Loren, no matter how creepy looking she is, to her own daughter.
  
  During the time I was watching this I notice that some of the plagues could have used a scarier execution. Like, when the frogs fell out of the sky, they were only a few, and oddly, none fell on the characters, just around them. That would have been a perfect eww-gross opportunity. Also, with the frequent references to the eerie wind chimes that everyone in the town seemed to have, I kept expecting to see some connection in the end but it was unsatisfying a mere misdirection. Hilary Swank is a phenomenal actress, there is no question, and she deserves far greater than her role as Katherine Winter gives her to work with. David Morrissey, as Doug, is as bland as he was in 2006's Basic Instinct 2 (Unrated, Extended Cut)And coming off of her wonderful recent performance in Bridge to Terabithia (Widescreen Edition)Annasophia Robb has nothing at all to do but squint her eyes and look suspicious. The amount of dialogue she is given could be recited in full in the span of thirty seconds. It's a haphazard gimmick of a part that no child actor should be cursed with having to portray.
  
  Like Louisiana needed more problems after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it gets ten Biblical plagues in The Reaping, a great-looking thriller that's all beauty and no brains. Director Stephen Hopkins, who's done some good work on television but mostly bad work in features, starts early and keeps the shocks coming thick and fast. The trouble is, they're all tricks of editing and sound effects - nothing shocking actually happens. The obvious intent is to unnerve viewers and keep them on edge, but it will have the opposite effect on some, building up their immunity instead. Katherine's scientific explanation of the plagues in Exodus, whether you believe it or not, is the highlight of this movie. Everything else is just for effect, and enough of it is effective that The Reaping reaps a sow-sow rating. Nevertheless, watch "The Reaping" if you want to pass the time; if anything, it will keep your mind off your present life.
  
  
  
• Oh, It Was Supposed To Be Scary?
  By A3E5OY3YLZMOA9 on 2007-10-29
  Well you can tell by my blatant sarcasm that this movie was far from scary. If anything it had one really creepy part and the rest was like a supernatural episode of Law & Order or something. Most of the horror lovers will probably love my opening sentence and quickly get rid of this and that's why I wrote that first. The film is about a woman named Katherine (Hilary Swank) who has had a pretty tough life so far. She lost her child and husband during a expedition. Katherine investigates what seem to be supernatural acts and gives them a scientific explanation. Because of what happened to her family she has lost all faith. She is now a professor at LSU with her partner Ben played by Idris Elba. Her and Ben are called upon to help explain a crazy and shocking discovery.
  
  In a small town called Haven the river has turned completely red like blood, which is the first plague. After more and more start to happen like frogs falling from the trees into the river she encounters a young girl. The girl runs and then she is told that the town thinks the girl killed her brother and is the reason for the plagues. Because of this the town believes they have to kill the girl to stop the plagues. Katherine undergoes a huge battle trying to decide if the girl is truly evil or the exact opposite. There is some good to this movie, the acting is really good and it has great picture and sound quality. Also it's a interesting story and it kept me interested to the end.
  
  What messes up The Reaping is the fact that it is not even a thriller. It does not scare you at all and it takes forever to get to a point that you know is coming. There were a few scenes where they were building you up for something scary and then it stops. Nothing happens, just on to the next bit of information. It really was like a prolonged TV mystery that couldn't be too scary. What scared me most was that I almost bought this movie instead of borrowing it. I only hope my friend can trade this in or something. Overall the movie was ok but if your looking for something scary which this is obviously supposed to be don't even waste your time.
  
  
• Good enough
  By A3NL1KW56O3JR8 on 2007-10-30
  I seem to have liked this movie more than most people (but I like occult-type movies generally). Of course, the movie has a twist so, the question is: can you figure out the twist before it's revealed (I did, but not by much). I thought the twist was cool. Sure, there are plot elements that are a bit of a strecth but really, how much can you really expect from this type of movie.
  
  I thought TR was interesting and entertaining. Nobody is going to win any awards for this one but it was worth watching.
  
  Recommended.
  
  
• A weak rip off of better classics
  By A2UZLIH3BSGJ3N on 2007-11-04
  What can one say about "The Reaping"? Well, it isn't that original, basically it could have been pawned off as a cable of the month movie seen on Cinemax, HBO, Showtime or some other obscure cable channel. Pretty much everything you see in this film has been done before to one extent or another, so there are no real surprises. You have your biblical references and town folk made up of Christy Christers referencing the bible. Turns out of course that the townsfolk have "thumbed" their noses at "God" and turned to the dark side (no, the dark side of the force), but rather pay homage to satin instead.
  
  It's not terribly interesting, and Hilary Swank (an actress who I like) is pretty much just in denial through the film until the end where it counts and discovers the little girl who was being demonized isn't actually an evil child at all, but an angel protected by God (so on and so fourth). This isn't a great film, and goes to show Hollywood again will virtually make a film out of almost anything.
  
  I was bored to an extent watching this because so much was a repeat of past films (and done better might I add). Nothing terribly original. I can't recommend this film; it was just far too dull. I've seen far worse, but this one was close to putting me into a coma. See it at your own risk, but I guarantee you'll want your money back after renting it. It was 2hrs. of wasted talent and dialog, but then again...that's "just me", I could be wrong?
  
  
  
• a silly mix of "B" horror movie twists
  By A3J5P2T49IXIKP on 2007-11-25
  I gotta admit, the idea seems good. An Oscar winning actress like Hillary Swank in a horror film about the 10 biblical plagues in a small town. What kills it isnt the acting, its the strung together plot line which comes from just about every "B" horror film you have seen. There are no big shocks, no big statement about good or evil just a poor script.
  When you get to the twist at the end and the credits roll you will say to
  yourself "oh, please.....is that it"??!!! Even for horror lovers of the genre, this one is hard to admire.
  
  
• Moses Reincarnated
  By AZ78HT7H9DVJG on 2007-12-06
  If you know all about Moses and the 10 plagues in the Bible, then you know what will happen next starting with the river turning red. It's so predictable that it's boring. In addition, there's no scare factor.
  
  Wanna know what the movie is about? Read the other reviews.
  
  Overall, don't waste your time with this movie.
  
  
• Hilary Swank shines in The Reaping!
  By ANLEL1J3ZS8YP on 2007-12-17
  Stephen Hopkins directs The Reaping which is a very good supernatural thriller. Hillary Swank plays Katherine Winter who is an investigative scholar regarding paranormal events. She uncovers fraud and fake miracles. However, there are 10 biblical plagues that seem to occur in a very short period of time. The actors and special effects make The Reaping a movie that is worth seeing. There is a 20-minute stretch of non action that the director should have cut from the final version. On the bright side, Hilary Swank gives another talented performance.
  Plus, the ending is spectacular. I rate this movie with 4 stars.
  
  
• Absolutely Worth It!!!!
  By ADIY3IXY2FDJQ on 2008-04-15
  There have been a lot of swamp movies lately (Skeleton Key, Venom, Hatchet) and all of them are amazing, this one, however, stands out. This one takes the religious overture of the movie and heats it up. Though cheesy in some scenes (flies on the BBQ), the movie stays strong to the plot and doesn't leave us with questions. The effects are the only thing that wasn't top notch with this movie, but I guess they spent all their money getting Hilary Swank to do a horror movie after winning her Academy Award. Great movie overall.
  
  
• Way Better Than People Are Saying - Solid Horror With Spiritual Overtones
  By A3I69IXPTDVKQF on 2008-04-15
  A supernatural/otherworldy 'good vs. evil' horror movie in the general vein of The Exorcism of Emily Rose - Unrated (Special Edition)The Exorcist - The Complete Anthology (The Exorcist/ The Exorcist- Unrated/ The Exorcist II: The Heretic/ The Exorcist III/ The Exorcist: The Beginning/ The Exorcist: Dominion), "The Reaping" is an underated film, not as scary as 'Exorcist' or 'Emily Rose' but very good nonetheless, nowhere near as campy as its critics say. Its style moves closer at times to suspense thrillers than other movies of its type, and may open it up to be enjoyed by fans of that kind of movie as well as by horror fans.
  
  Hillary Swank plays a former Christian aid worker turned ardent atheist; teaching at a university she now specializes in 'debunking' miracles and other paranormal phenomena. Having achieved some not in certain academic circles, she's contacted by a man on behalf of a small Southern bayou town where a host of ominous and apparantly supernatural events are taking place. Tensions are running high in the community, and the mayor and his colleagues really want for somebody to come in, find a scientific explanation for everything, and hopefully calm the townspeople down, some of whom are starting to think about taking matters into their own hands. What's happening in this little rural corner appears to be nothing less than the ten Biblical plagues re-occuring, and bearing the blame for this is a little girl who lives off in the swamp with her mother, and is believed by some to be evil incarnate. Some are starting to fear that townspeople's anxieties are running so high that the little girl's life may be in danger.
  
  Once Swank's character and her assistant are in town, the phenomena quickly prove to be more difficult to discredit than other events the two have investigated. And eventually it starts to come out that there may be even more to the story than what they've been told. There are some good twists towards the end; some of them are actually surprising, and beyond that, they're quite affecting on other levels too. There's a good mix of characters you like right off the bat, ones you dislike right off the bat, and ones you have mixed feelings about right from the start. The cast does a good job with their roles and the story is well told with a good interplay of different angles and elements; one area that could have admittedly used some improvement was the special effects, but these only play a major role during a couple of the movie's scenes. Definately better than its reputation, and fans of Exorcist, Omen and Exorism Of Emily Rose should really make it a point to see this one. 8.5 out of 10
  
  
• the reaping
  By A203ZXTG9KTZVT on 2008-05-01
  this movie was fab. it holds your imagination right to the end i think it was just as good as the movie the seventh sign or even better.
  
  
• LOUISIANA ACTORS HOLD THEIR OWN
  By A2OQ86SHTX91OS on 2007-04-03
  It just goes to show that talent is not geographical.
  Hilary Swank is all class - even if a movie is so-so, she never, EVER is.
  But all those other 'non-Hollywood' professional actors from Louisiana prove that they hold their own with a 2-time Oscar Winning actress & award-winning director.
  Musicians, Singers, Artists & Chefs receive deserved national attention and recognition. It's about time performing artists do too, and this movie proves it.
  (Even though, admittedly, it's not the best movie to ever come out of Louisiana.) But it certainly provokes a dialogue about religion, science, faith & fact. But personally, that doesn't matter either because the movie's production company unwittingly evacuated about 200 Louisiana employees during Hurricane Katrina & committed to finish the movie there. It cost them much money to do that, I'm sure. How ironic a movie about the 10 Biblical signs of the plague would be challenged by the biggest natural disaster to hit the exact location of the film? Which makes it more special & worth owning.
  
  
• The Seven Sins of Hilary as She Investigates The Ten Plagues
  By A3M2WW0PO34B94 on 2007-04-20
  Katherine (Hilary Swank), a former missionary, now travels the world investigating `miracles'; she doesn't believe in them anymore and she is always able to find a scientific explanation for the occurrence. A professor at LSU, she is approached by Doug (David Morrissey, BBC America's "Viva Blackpool") the science teacher in a small town called Haven, up in the Louisiana Bayou. Katherine and her assistant, Ben (Idris Elba), a former student now professor, arrive to find an idyllic little town. But when they arrive at the river, the site of a murder, they find the water has turned to blood. A strange, young girl, Loren (AnnaSophia Robb, "The Bridge to Terrabithia") has murdered her older brother and now the town fears it will be visited by the ten biblical plagues. As Katherine, Ben and Doug continue to poke around, it appears the townsfolk might be right; frogs, locusts, fire in the sky, and more all happen with increasing frequency. Katherine is desperate to prove this can all be proved by science before the townsfolk murder Loren, believing she is a messenger of Satan.
  
  "The Reaping", directed by Stephen Hopkins (TV's "24", "The Ghost and the Darkness"), starts out in a promising fashion, but quickly deteriorates.
  
  Since the ten plagues feature so heavily in the story, let's examine the seven different sins this film commits.
  
  1. The sin of Greed.
  
  On the one hand, it seems odd that Swank would follow her second Oscar winning performance ("Million Dollar Baby") with "Freedom Writers" and " The Reaping".
  
  On the other hand, it doesn't seem odd at all.
  
  These are big budget films, so she was likely offered a large paycheck for both and can't be blamed for trying to earn some real money for her craft. She clearly didn't make a lot of money for "Boys Don't Cry" and didn't receive a lot for "Million Dollar Baby". Why shouldn't she try to capitalize on her fame and make some money?
  
  One reason: because she isn't paying respect to her craft. Swank is a very good actress and has created some memorable characters in her films. Both Oscar winning performances were also very different, providing further testament to her artistic abilities.
  
  It is sad that so many fine actors and actresses find it necessary to make inferior films simply to keep their name in the public's eye and to help sustain their career. The worst films Robert DeNiro and Meryl Streep have made are the films that were their most commercial and offered the biggest paychecks. These are great actors who should wait for great roles. Their fans would appreciate them all the more as well.
  
  2. The sin of Sloth.
  
  "The Reaping" has a couple of plot twists which really test credibility, even in a film about the ten plagues visiting a small Louisiana bayou town. The filmmakers were lazy and throw in one last plot twist at the very end, to simply make the film seem shocking and, hopefully, memorable. But this plot twist is just stupid and telegraphed to the audience way in advance. Then they throw in a final plot twist, which is also stupid and telegraphed in advance, so it doesn't provide the necessary shock either.
  
  At this point, they apparently have used up their imagination and skill. Rather than to create something interesting, they take the easy way out and try to shock us. It doesn't work.
  
  3. The sin of Envy.
  
  The film begins promisingly. We watch as Katherine and Ben investigate a `miracle' in a small South American village. It sets a nice eerie tone for the film, which seems as though it might continue once the story shifts to Louisiana. As each plague happens, Katherine is left scrambling to try to figure out why it happened, and can't. So her faith is tested once again.
  
  Then, towards the end of the film, director Hopkins seems to realize this is a bid budget film and he hasn't had the opportunity to use a lot of special effects. "Let's use them all" he seems to say. "Other directors get to spend a lot of money on these, why can't I?" And the climax is a barrage of light and sound, all created within a computer and looking just as fake as you could imagine.
  
  It doesn't help that this sequence is so clearly filmed on a set, and not even a realistic one at that. We are talking about a set that would've been commonplace in the 50s. In fact, I think the set was also used in Tim Burton's "Ed Wood", about the schlock meister who made some of the worst films in history. So, we have a fake set overwhelmed by loud, obnoxious special effects. This doesn't help to make the sequence more believable and completely eradicates any feeling of mood or suspense that may have been created through out the beginning of the film.
  
  4. The sin of Gluttony.
  
  One of the plagues, flies, is visited upon the group as they have a barbecue dinner. All of a sudden, their food is covered with flies and maggots. Yuck. But it doesn't really fit in with the rest of the story. It almost seems as though this scene is included to knock off one of the plagues, to make sure they get through all ten.
  
  5. The sin of Lust.
  
  There are a couple of lame attempts to create a romantic triangle, between Katherine, Doug and Ben, but they don't work. Nothing is ever developed in the relationship between Katherine and Ben, except for a few furtive glances. So when Doug becomes a glimmer in Katherine's eye, any attempts to build jealousy on Ben's part fall flat.
  
  One of these tacked-on surprise endings also concerns lust, in a way. But it is so silly it merely serves to make us laugh.
  
  As I watched "The Reaping", I initially thought I had lucked onto a fairly good film. But as the film progressed, I realized I had made a mistake. "The Reaping" would follow the course set by many, many horror/ terror/ supernatural films. The film would ultimately fall apart. As this became more and more apparent, I began to lust for a more substantial film, something made with more skill and thought.
  
  6. The sin of Pride.
  
  Or lack thereof.
  
  Hilary Swank should take more care with her career. As discussed, she seems to be taking roles to earn a paycheck. If she isn't careful, she will make one too many bad decisions and then won't enjoy the wealth of opportunity she now has. She should take more pride in the fact that she has earned two Academy Awards, for very memorable performances and stop subjecting us to these roles, the type of films more suitable for actresses like Jessica Biel, Ali Larter and Kate Mara.
  
  All of this leads to the final sin...
  
  7. The sin of Wrath/ Anger.
  
  "The Reaping" ultimately deteriorates, throwing special effects at the screen, ruining any characterizations the actors may have been able to establish, and throwing many plot twists at us. This led me to become angry at the amount of time I wasted watching this film.
  
  
  
  
• A GOOD AND EERIE LOOK AT THE 10 PLAGUES!!
  By A355WMP0CQBJFX on 2007-10-23
  the reaping was wickedly good. i don't know what's up with all this negative talk it's been getting. i saw nothing but positives. overall it was a good film. not bad, or lame or whatever. i found it to give me the creeps a bit if you really think about it, and it was interesting. the whole 10 plague deal. i thought it was very good. the way they explained it and created it. good show. i guess it all just depends on your personal taste obviously, but i know what i like and i sure liked this one. it's about this woman who use to be a minister, but after a tragic loss she's lost complete faith and turned her back on belief. well, her theory is that for every miracle there is a scientific explanation, and that has become her lifes work. that there is an explanation for everything, until she goes to a small town named haven where wierd things have started and continue to happen. this is where the 10 plagues come about. she doesn't believe at first, but little by little her belief is returning. the whole town blames a young girl who looks innocent, but has these devil eyes. very wicked looking. we ask is it Gods work or is the devil at play. well things get worse, everybodies on the verge of hysteria. and the only sensible solution they can come up with (the town folk) is to kill the little girl. well, then katherine (the woman) must find out the truth, what is the cause, does an innocent child die or is she really at fault. every step of the way leads her to the truth. an unexpected truth, that she will have to face it and all the while her life and her sanity are both in danger. very well written, great story, and well acted. captivating and brings it all. hilary swank, great actress, and she carries the whole movie beautifully. she's strong and determined and that bleeds through in the film. the little girl did a good job as well. the whole concept was a bright one and no matter what, i thougt this movie was tight.
  
  
• doesn't work with A2 player conflicts
  By A2M8LP1YDVUG33 on 2007-11-01
  bought this disk... hd dvd side locked my machine up contact toshiba upgraded my firmware with no help... toshiba says its the disk's fault..played fine on a A30 machine... I wouldn't buy any duel disk again ...
  
  
  
• Uneven BD Transfer
  By A3D8R2UBKBRLR4 on 2007-11-04
  Rather than review the acting and overall story of this movie, my review will focus on the BD transfer. I would give the picture quality three stars. The picture quality in the first half of the movie is bad. The outside shots are either too blurry or too soft. I was especially disappointed in the early scenes where Hillary Swank is exploring the forest. But this doesn't compare with the evening/low light shots. This movie has a lot of night time shots and boy does the picture take a nose dive. The picture is filled with a lot of grain and the image is over saturated. A lot of the skin tone from Hillary Swank is lost during night shots. Her skin looks a little on the gray side. All is not lost. In the second half of the movie, picture quality really improves. The day time shots in particular show a lot of detail and depth.
  
  As far as audio is concerned. The audio in the first part of the movie was pretty bad. It was hard to hear conversations. I had to boost up the volume in my receiver a number of times. However, things pick up in the second half and the audio sounds clear. They even make good use of the rear sound channels.
  
  Overall a disappointing transfer.
  
  

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