Psycho's Movie Reviews #157: Frailty (2001)

Frailty is a 2001 psychological horror film directed by and starring Bill Paxton, and co-starring Matthew McConaughey and Powers Boothe. It marks Paxton's directorial debut. The plot focuses on the strange relationship between two young brothers and their fanatically religious father, who believes that he has been commanded by God to kill demons disguised as people.

Plot

Fenton Meiks (Matthew McConaughey) visits FBI Agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe) claiming that his brother Adam is the culprit in the "God's Hand" serial killings. Fenton says Adam has committed suicide, prompting Fenton to fulfil a promise to bury his brother in a public rose garden in their hometown of Thurman. He begins to tell Doyle about the boys' childhood and suggests that the bodies of the God's Hand victims are buried in the rose garden.

In the summer of 1979, when the brothers (Matt O'Leary and Jeremy Sumpter) were children, their father (Bill Paxton) told them that he had been visited by an angel and tasked by God with "destroying" demons disguised as human beings; a mission which must be kept secret. Their father "is led" to 3 tools: an axe, gloves and a pipe; he receives a list of names from the angel as well. He incapacitates a woman with the pipe and brings her home to kill with the axe. When he lays his hand on her, he claims to see a vision of her evil, then kills her and makes the boys help him bury her in the rose garden. Fenton is horrified and believes his father insane; Adam claims he sees the visions and supports their father.

After telling Doyle about the first killing, Doyle drives them to Thurman. On the way, Doyle tells Fenton that his mother had been murdered by someone that was never caught. Fenton then tells Doyle how they took the second victim in broad daylight, with his father insisting God would blind any witnesses. One night, Fenton's father tells him that after praying for the angel to visit Fenton (for his lack of faith) the angel instead visited him, and told him something bad about Fenton. He makes Fenton dig a hole and Fenton abandons all faith in God. Their father makes the hole into a cellar and moves the shed on top of it.

During the third episode, Fenton escapes from the cellar and runs to the sheriff who takes him back home. To quiet Fenton's apparent ramblings, the sheriff looks in the cellar, but finds it empty. As he leaves, their father kills him and is angry with Fenton for making him murder an innocent man. After burying the body, Fenton's father tells him the angel told him Fenton was a demon. To save him and encourage him to have faith, he locks Fenton in the cellar for over a week. Fenton claims to have been enlightened and his father releases him to carry out the next killing.

Fenton cooperates with his father to take the next victim but alerts him just before his father hits the man with the pipe, nearly blowing the scheme. In the cellar, Fenton readies to kill the man with the axe, but kills his father instead. As he tries to release the man, Adam takes up the axe and kills him anyway. While burying the two men, Fenton makes Adam promise to bury him in the garden if he ever "destroys" him.

Doyle is puzzled by his phrasing, since he said Adam killed himself. "Fenton" then reveals to Doyle that he is Adam. It is also revealed that Adam killed Fenton, who had grown up to become the actual God's Hand killer (a series of unrelated murders not committed by Adam "destroying" demons; Doyle is horrified to see the number of graves in the rose garden). Flashbacks reveal that Adam did in fact share his father's visions of the crimes of those they abducted, who were indeed demons. When Adam touches Doyle, a vision reveals that Doyle murdered his mother - he was on Adam's list. Adam kills him in a prepared grave as part of a long scheme to get him there.

After Doyle's disappearance, Agent Griffin Hull (Derk Cheetwood), who saw Adam, can't remember his face. The security tapes are also inexplicably obscured by static whenever Adam is in view. The FBI raid Fenton's house, finding the God's Hand list and Doyle's badge, which corroborate his being the killer. Agent Hull visits Adam Meiks, a nearby county sheriff, to tell him Fenton was the killer. Upon shaking his hand, Adam declares the agent a good man.

Reception/Box Office

Frailty received generally positive reviews, with a 75% "Certified Fresh" rating on movie review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on 154 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Creepy and disturbing, Frailty is well-crafted, low-key horror." Roger Ebert in particular singled it out for praise, giving the film four out of four stars and declaring that "Frailty is an extraordinary work, concealing in its depths not only unexpected story turns but also implications, hidden at first, that make it even deeper and more sad." Bloody Disgusting gave the film an 'Honourable Mention' in their list of the twenty best horror films of the 2000s, calling the film an "underrated gem a small-scale, thought-provoking horror film that deserves a second look." However, there are negative remarks on the performance, which was criticised by Nell Minow as "a cold reading of the script", while one particular plot that the murders take place in front of the young sons and committed by a beloved father is considered "disturbing" and "an abuse of cinematic power."

Frailty grossed $13,110,448 at the box office in North America, and $4,312,582 at foreign theatres, for a worldwide total of $17,423,030.

Budget $11 million

Box office $17.4 million

My Review

It's true that there are more than enough thrillers about serial murder - and so it's always great when a film comes along and plays with this premise - and Frailty does that brilliantly! Bill Paxton is obviously best known for his acting work (which includes film-stealing performances in films like Aliens and Near Dark), and here he gets to work both in front of and behind the camera as we get a typical Paxton-style show stealing performance, and he directs also. Obviously, this isn't a film that will break any boundaries; but Paxton takes his plot and spins an entertaining and exciting thrill-ride around it. The film opens with a man named Fenton Meiks arriving at a police station. He tells the agent in charge of the 'Gods Hand' case that he knows the identity of the killer that has been terrorising the local community. The film then moves into flashbacks, as we find out that the man's father received a vision from God, in which he was told to destroy demons. The film focuses on the father's two young boys; one of whom believes his father's visions, and one that doesn't...

Seeing that this movie was made in 2001, it gives you a great feeling...pure talking cinema, that is. Namely, that it's still possible to make a terrific supernatural thriller with a great story. We've only seen bloody slashers since 1996 without even an attempt to tell a story. In that point of view, Frailty sure is one of the best motion pictures since the new Millennium. And I'm very glad it came from the hand of Bill Paxton. I knew he was able to pull off something like this. In general, he still is one of the most underrated actors ever but many people begin to understand that he is among the greatest minds in Hollywood. This may easily be the best directorial debut coming from an actor since Gary Sinise's "Of mice and Men"...And no, I didn't forget Mel Gibson, I hated Braveheart...that's all. Now, when we're talking about the plot...it doesn't give you a great feeling at all. This movie has the ability to scare you and, even more important, it makes you think. It's about a father who received a vision from God himself. He and his sons are chosen to serve Him. They get a list and the ability to separate demons from humans and then destroy them ( the demons I mean ) The father and the youngest son Adam fulfill this mission but Fenton, the oldest son, thinks that it's just murder and he tries to stop his beloved family. When you're fascinated by the story (and I can't imagine you're not) , you can't help thinking about the fact that there ARE people like this walking around...claiming they have a mission from God. I certainly wouldn't call this movie fiction, so in that point of view, I'd even say it's scarier than absolute classics like The Exorcist or . The Changeling.

And then there are the plot twists and the surprise elements. Don't believe these people who'll tell you it's predictable. Even when you're living the story and focus on every single minute, you'll still be shocked at the end of this film. It's terrific in every single way. As an actor, Bill Paxton does what always do : give away a flawless performance. Powers Booth is excellent as ever and even Matthew McConaughey delivers in this movie and he's not my favourite actor at all. Honourable mention as well for the 2 boys who both do a fine job. No seriously, if you just like me keep complaining about the fact that they don't make movies anymore like they used to...you've got to give a chance to Frailty. You'll be very impressed and touched. The second viewing is even better as you start to discover many many hidden clues....

If you were to properly analyse the film's message, you would no doubt come to the conclusion that there are many holes and ideas that don't really make a lot of sense. But this isn't important, as Frailty does everything that you could ask of it. The religion theme is well done, and the film provides an interesting perspective where God is concerned. The acting is excellent, with Bill Paxton in a somewhat dumbed down, but no less intriguing role than usual. The support cast includes Matthew McConaughey and Powers Boothe, both of whom are well used. The real acting comes from child actors Matt O'Leary and Jeremy Sumpter; who both manage to star in the film without becoming annoying. The film has many themes outside of the central religious one, the most frightening of which is the corruption of youth. Paxton does a really good job of blending the boys' childhood story with some quite gruesome horror, and while the film does have some failings where some of the central ideas are concerned, it's not too important as Frailty is a well worked thriller that does what it says on the tin! 8/10