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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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Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
splat
D

Cole Smithey

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 12 2009 11:09 AM

ColeSmithey.com

tomato

Jeffrey M. Anderson

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 07 2009 09:50 PM

Combustible Celluloid

splat

J. R. Jones

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 28 2007 05:56 PM

Chicago Reader

splat
D

Bill Clark

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 26 2005 05:47 PM

FromTheBalcony

splat
2/4

Mark Collette

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 20 2004 05:04 PM

Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)

splat
2/5

Jake Euker

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 19 2004 08:34 AM

F5 (Wichita, KS)

splat
1.5/4

Walter Chaw

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 24 2004 02:22 AM

Film Freak Central

splat
50/100

Kurt Dahlke

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: | comment Comment | Feb., 09 2004 11:33 AM

Apollo Guide

splat

Martin Scribbs

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 06 2004 01:31 PM

Mixed Reviews

splat

Todd Gilchrist

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: | comment Comment | Dec., 15 2003 04:59 PM

FilmStew.com

splat
4/10

John J. Puccio

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 05 2003 07:20 PM

DVDTown.com

splat
.5/4

Ed Gonzalez

Blood in. Blood out. Eye roll.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 25 2003 03:04 PM

Slant Magazine

splat
D

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: | comment Comment | Sep., 11 2003 11:09 PM

E! Online

splat

Mark Palermo

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: | comment Comment | Sep., 11 2003 07:55 PM

Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

splat
1/4

Mike McGranaghan

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 11 2003 05:33 PM

Aisle Seat

splat

Jon Strickland

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: | comment Comment | Sep., 11 2003 02:30 PM

L.A. Weekly

splat
.5/4

Paul Povse

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: | comment Comment | Sep., 11 2003 02:29 PM

State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)

splat
1/5

Ken Hanke

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: | comment Comment | Sep., 11 2003 07:53 AM

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

splat
1.5/5

Scott Weinberg

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: | comment Comment | Sep., 11 2003 04:05 AM

eFilmCritic.com

splat
1.5/4

Mark Dujsik

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 10 2003 06:20 PM

Mark Reviews Movies

 
 
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