Cinthia's Movie Corner

"The Messengers" (2007) - Supernatural Horror

Rating: PG-13

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Dylan McDermott, Penelope Ann Miller

Rating: 4.5 stars

Masterfully directed by top notch Hong Kong directors: the brothers Pang (twins Oxide and Danny Pang), "The Messengers" (their fist American movie) delivers a fantastic story with the classic elements that make this genre my absolute favorite, plus surprises that will keep you glued to the screen until the very end. Follow a family of four as they move into a run down (creepy as hell) farm in North Dakota to start anew. Their lives are turned upside down as their teenage daughter - the awesome budding star Kristen Stewart previously seen in "Panic Room" and "Zathura" - starts suspecting that something not of this world is living in the house as well. What I loved about this movie is that it does take you on a thrilling scary ride, full of bumps, and screams, but it also has a unique and well-structured story with compelling characters. Hong Kong, Thailand and Japan are the birthplaces of the masters of a new brand of "horror" movies: not the brainless slashers, full of violence for violence's sake, but stories that will scary you out of your skin without dropping a single drop of fake blood on screen. It's easy to create a disgusting maniac and give him a chainsaw, but it takes a real director to really stir fear in you by toying with the unseen. You will notice this new and brilliant brand of scary movie in the unique camera angles, the significant contrast between light and dark, how each color has meaning as if in a painting, and the depth of the plot. If, like me, you enjoyed movies like "The Others" and "The Ring", this is a must-see for your list. On a lighter note, I simply loved the mega-adorable toddler twins who play Stewart's little brother (Evan and Theodore Turner). All in all, a great movie.