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The Order

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The Order (2003)

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Reviews Counted:56

Fresh:5

Rotten:51

Average Rating:2.9/10

Consensus: A religious thriller that's more lethargic and silly than thrilling.

Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

US Box Office: $7,536,577

Synopsis: For centuries, a secret Order has existed within the Church. Following a series of unexplained murders, a renegade priest (Heath Ledger) begins an investigation that hurls him into a maelstrom of... For centuries, a secret Order has existed within the Church. Following a series of unexplained murders, a renegade priest (Heath Ledger) begins an investigation that hurls him into a maelstrom of unimaginable evil, murder and the knowledge that there is a fate worse than death.

The priest's search takes him to The Sin Eater – a key figure in this mysterious and ancient Order. The immortal Sin Eater's role is nothing less than playing God on earth by absolving the unforgivable of their sins outside the Church, allowing great evil to go unpunished. Burdened with centuries of evil, The Sin Eater craves the luxury of death. But who will eat his sins and grant eternal peace? Who will carry on his dark tradition and continue the work of the Order? As the young priest uncovers the answers and pursues these paragons of evil, he fights to save his own soul and that of the woman he loves.

Twentieth Century Fox presents a Baumgarten Merims production, THE ORDER. The film is written, produced and directed by Academy Award® winner Brian Helgeland, and produced by Craig Baumgarten. Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Mark Addy, Benno Fürmann, and Peter Weller star in the film. -- © 20th Century Fox [More]

Starring: Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Mark Addy, Benno Furmann

Starring: Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Mark Addy, Benno Furmann, Peter Weller

Director: Brian Helgeland

Director: Brian Helgeland
Screenwriter: Brian Helgeland
Producer: Brian Helgeland, Craig Baumgarten
Composer: David Torn
Studio: 20th Century Fox

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Reviews for The Order

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

"The Order" is a halfhearted "supernatural thriller"%u2014interpret as not an actual "horror" movie...

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
06/12/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

It's long on atmosphere and whispered moments of creepy discovery.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/07/09
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Devout Catholics will be appalled; everyone else will be asleep.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
02/28/07
J. R. Jones
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader

This has to be one of the most inconsequential films dealing with religion ever made.

Full Review Source: FromTheBalcony | comment Comment
06/26/05
Bill Clark
Bill Clark
FromTheBalcony

... it has a curious disorder, one that makes it both interesting and pallid.

Full Review Source: Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) | comment Comment
09/20/04
Mark Collette
Mark Collette
Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)

It's preposterous, silly rather than frightening, and the performances and characterizations have a pot-boiler feel.

Full Review Source: F5 (Wichita, KS) | comment Comment
03/19/04
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

Frequently descends into unintentional hilarity, nervous camp, and eventually exasperation.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
02/24/04
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

As the movie’s promotion intimates, ‘There is a fate worse than death,’ and you got it – it’s sitting through this movie.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
02/09/04
Kurt Dahlke
Kurt Dahlke
Apollo Guide

My dear Brian Helgeland, lack of originality is a sin. Eat it.

Full Review Source: Mixed Reviews | comment Comment
02/06/04
Martin Scribbs
Martin Scribbs
Mixed Reviews

A miserably dark and sluggish picture to endure. Helgeland and his stars have hopefully observed last rites on this and moved on to bigger and (especially) better things.

Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment Comment
12/15/03
Todd Gilchrist
Todd Gilchrist
FilmStew.com

...the movie makes little sense even for a guy more than willing to suspend his disbelief, as I was.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
12/05/03
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

Blood in. Blood out. Eye roll.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
11/25/03
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine

From the casting to the plot to the monologues that come off sounding like SNL jokes, everything here is just plain sloppy.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
09/11/03
E! Online

The film’s failed gothic look is just ugly, so forcibly dank that important details, like which characters are in a certain scene, sometimes get lost.

Full Review Source: Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | comment Comment
09/11/03
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

In what church is Heath Ledger a priest? And who are the nuns - Heather Graham and Tara Reid?

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment Comment
09/11/03
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

All the fine cinematography can't hide the sad fact that the second half of the film delivers none of the shocks and starts required of atmospheric horror.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
09/11/03
Jon Strickland
Jon Strickland
L.A. Weekly

The Order is scuzzy and lazy, such a muddle that no one really need be offended. Actually, no one need even bother with it all. That’s why I’m being paid in this space, to spare you the temptation.

Full Review Source: State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL) | comment Comment
09/11/03
Paul Povse
Paul Povse
State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)

Most bad horror movies at least offer the compensation of being unconsciously funny. The Order just makes you wish you were unconscious.

Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment Comment
09/11/03
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

The ABC's of the plot are nearly mystifying, and once you have everything figured out you'll realize that the end result was hardly worth all the effort.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
09/11/03
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

There are scenes where you think the bulb has gone out in the projector.

Full Review Source: Mark Reviews Movies | comment Comment
09/10/03
Mark Dujsik
Mark Dujsik
Mark Reviews Movies
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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