The picture is so lethargic that I began to think of watching it as a form of atonement.
The Order (2003)
Tomatometer
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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
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
Reviews for The Order
...what's interesting is that it happens to be bad in ways that movies haven't bothered with for quite some time.
... a supernatural thriller that calls into question the very nature of man’s relationship with God.
Writer/director Brian Helgeland deserves credit for trying to make a serious horror film that deals with matters of faith without descending to camp or sadism, and there are some creepy, atmospheric moments, but the film is a hopeless mess.
While the actors try to play things straight-faced, they're defeated by Helgeland's screenplay and take refuge in old habits.
May be the nadir of the subgenre that produced The Exorcist (at its high end) and Stigmata (at its middle-to-low end).
The movie would be perfect material for a resurrected version of the TV spoof Mystery Science Theater.
A supernaturally silly drama about priests, exorcism, sin-eaters and Heath Ledger struggling with such pious problems as how to keep his fake Euro accent in place.
Cast adrift with vague, improbable characters and a plot that's at once under- and overcooked, the actors struggle to find a steady tone, lurching from somber to silly as the director tries to figure out what he's doing.
One of those movies that went horribly wrong, but for one financial or contractual reason or another, it had to go into movie theatres anyway.
The writer- director offers musty musings on the relationship between faith and knowledge and characters that are hard to buy.
It's a horror movie that isn't frightening and a thriller that isn't thrilling.
[Helgeland] beats up on the Catholic Church with the same brainless zeal and pointless histrionics as such Grade F noisemakers as Lost Souls and Stigmata.
There are no surprises here, just a movie that limps along like a wounded horse. At some point, you simply want to put the poor thing out of its misery.
Latest News for The Order
March 16, 2007:
"Premonition" Makes RT's "Worst of the Worst"
We all know good movies are hard to make, so you kinda feel bad when so many fail their lofty goals. Such is the case with this week's "Premonition," which not only... More...
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