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The Good:

• Denzel Washington and John Goodman are as excellent as ever and create a believable on-screen friendship.
• I really enjoyed the neo-noir style voiceovers that happened throughout the film as well as the noir themed soundtrack.
• The creepy POV shots helped to elevate the horror aspect of the film.
• Throughout the movie, the plot was intriguing and had some great tense moments.
• I loved the idea of possession throughout the film. This created some really interesting dynamics and moral choices for the characters.
• The final act is absolutely exciting, tense, and thrilling and definitely made this film a lot better.

The Bad:

• The first 10 minutes of the film felt very convoluted and confusing to me. It hardly explained itself and left a lot for the viewer to decipher.
• There were a few awkward character interactions within the first hour of the film that kinda took me out of the film.
• Although the premise of the film was very intriguing, it didn't really engage me fully until the last 45 minutes.

Overall Fallen is a very well-made and entertaining 90s thriller with a unique premise and enthralling acting. The only thing that lets it down is its slightly slow pacing and lack of fully engaging scenes in the first half...

7/10

Came across this film in a video store sale bin at a giveaway price and bought it on the strength of the cast, Denzil Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland and Embeth Davidtz. Found it to be surprisingly good. Not a horror film as such, no gore or unconvincing CGI effects but a gripping story with supernatural elements. There are subtle shivers, particularly the 'touching' scenes and the sense of something evil hidden behind the everyday. The setting is bleakly autumnal and it is finishes with a nice twist. If you watch the film again knowing the ending it makes more sense.

Of the acting, Goodman and Sutherland don't have much to play with but it is always good to see them in a film. Washington is very good as his normal cop character grapples with the mystery and Davidtz is excellent as the academic, scared and solitary and fallible. The scenes between Washington and Davidtz are well played. Tan Dun's music adds to the atmosphere. Well directed and well written. Well done.

I have been reading with interest the comments made by others users of this film. So first, let me say that I loved the film. Interesting, well paced, excellent choice of music. The movie is unique, with a magnificent twist that almost annoys you (but I won't say anymore).

Second, some of the users making comments seemed to have missed the plot. Those people who are saying it doesn't have enough action clearly have a limited appreciation for film genres. Stick to your fast paced action movies, and don't bother writing your limited opinions about other movies genres. You don't have the mental capacity to take in anything other that brain numbing gun fights, explosions and car chases.

To say that," Goodman is smoking in the movie and I don't like smoking", OR they said "'Oh my God' in the movie and I don't like that", really has no relevance as to the validity of whether the movie was good or not. If people are so intolerant , then stick to watch lawm bowls. This is a brilliant movie that should not be missed.

All of which I like, but then, I like many different types of movies.

This was actually a pretty clever supernatural thriller. When released it failed at the box office, but has deveolped a following since. It's quite fascinating, hardly ever boring, has a nice cast, and is pretty creepy. It probubly failed due to poor marketing, because if a piece of crapp like "Hollow Man"(2000) can be a hit, this film should definately have been a hit. If you like supernatural thrillers, this will be right up your alley. *** out of ****.

Fallen (1998)

Half detective, half supernatural thriller, this movie really moves. It's clever but not preposterous, and Denzel Washington anchors the whole things with his smiling believability. This is a good one. And the rest of the cast is fabulous, from John Goodman to Donald Sutherland. The one woman is the convincing Embeth Davidtz, and there is a small role even for the late James Gandolfini.

The plot seems straight up at first, as Denzel's character, Hobbes, looks for a murderer who seems to become a serial murderer. This morphs slowly into a a supernatural evil force inhabiting people and making them bad. This grows without a sense of shock so that there is a logic gradually built up.

And the target of this evilness seems to be Hobbes, though we never quite know why. (He catches bad guys and one of them is executed at the start, but the spirit shouldn't have been bothered by this.) Hobbes of course feels that the crimes don't make sense, and his encounter with Davidtz's character, who studies angels and spirits, is a turning point.

There are of course hundreds of horror films with similar kinds of plots, and what makes this one rise above most of them is how well made it is. Credit here goes beyond Washington, though he's clearly key. The cinematographer, Newton Thomas Sigel, is excellent (he also shot "Three Kings" and "Drive") and the coherence of the complex movie is partly because of a consistent visual flow.

Director Gregory Hoblit is mostly a TV guy, but around the time of this movie he made a few others with similar success, including "Fracture" which is quite good in the same solid way and "Primal Fear" which has a terrific performance by Edward Norton.

"Fallen" does come out of a familiar mold, and that is one reason why it is satisfying (many of us know we like this kind of film) and also limited ultimately (it isn't completely fresh, after all). I suspect nearly everyone will like aspects of this, even if the most demanding viewer will groan at some of the clichés. The acting alone rises up in so many cases, the rest is easy to really like.

Philadelphia Homicide detective John Hobbes (Denzel Washington) witnesses the execution of a serial killer named Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas) who is sent to the electric chair . Before dieing Reese unleashes an evil spirit called Azabel . Having captured the murderous , Hobbes is convinced that cops are the chosen people and he turns up on television smiling and proud . Soon after the execution the killings start again , and they are very similar to Reese's style . Azabel's aggressive spirit is passed along with touch , as a fluid is taken into the bodies , in a crowed city of Philadelphia anyone can become villain . Things get worse , however , when Hobbes is drawn to the biblical injunction 'hide your works' and strange words on walls and corpses .

This thrilling film written by Nicholas Kazan packs intrigue , action , chills , suspense , twists and turns . Hybrid of cop-thriller and supernatural story contains solid interpretations and eerie atmosphere similarly to ¨Seven¨ including a surprising final . On a metaphorical level , this does sense AIDS and a fear of the city are central to the 90s . Very good Denzel Washington as an obstinate cop who becomes involved about cruel ominous copycat murders but slow to realize an explanation beyond the normal . Magnificent support from John Goodman , Donald Sutherland , James Gandolfini , Elias Koteas , Robert Joy , Gabriel Casseus and special mention to Embeth Davidtz . Colorful cinematography in Panavision by Newton Thomas Sigel, including the fidgety camera zooms in fascinating way . Thrilling musical score fitting to action by Tan Dumb who the next year would win Academy Award for ¨Crouching tiger , hidden dragon¨. The motion picture is well directed by Gregory Hoblit , a fine professional who works as TV , he's co-producer with Steven Bochco , as Cinema in successful pictures such as ¨Fracture¨, ¨Frecuency¨, ¨Hart's war¨; his greatest hit is ¨Primal fear¨ . Rating : 6,5 . Good film , but some moments doesn't pay off and takes much too long to get where it's going . Worthwhile watching .

A chilling psychological thriller, that is cleverly written and superbly portrayed.

This film is not for everyone, you'll need patience and a real thirst for a good thriller. This film will play with your mind, it won't cover the screen with visuals and gore; that's why it works.

Sit back and be absorbed by the story, be amazed by the cast, and be shocked by the climax.

Warning, if you bore easily stay away, if you love a mind bending thriller; you won't find many better.

Fantastic and clever 9/10

I must have watched this film three or four times now, and each time it takes me the first half hour to recall. It's an intriguing story rooted in Aramaic mythology but applied to 20th century Philadelphia. "Hobbes" (Denzel Washington) is a detective who worked on the case of serial killer "Edgar Reese" that saw him captured and executed. Not long after this supposed closure, however, other - very similar - crimes start to occur and he and his partner "Jonesy" (John Goodman) are perplexed. He keeps hearing a song - the same song the deceased sang as he died, but the people singing it are different. There is something mysterious afoot that can inhabit a body, move effortlessly and invisibly from one to another - and it seems to have "Hobbes" in it's sights. Desperate to shield his family from this evil, he must try to find a way to destroy it before it destroys him. It all takes too long to get going, and Goodman is not particularly well cast, but once we have the gist of the plot then Washington and director Gregory Hoblit turn in quite a well put together story, using the photography well to give us a perspective from our menace whilst effectively conveying the sense of nimble mobility this creature possesses as the resourceful "Hobbes" tries to combat it. Donald Sutherland pops up now and again, to no real purpose, indeed much of the supporting cast sort of blend into the wallpaper of this exercise that really plays to the strengths of an on-form Washington delivering a solid and interesting theme. It's too long, but still worth watching.

What could have been a great movie unfortunately ends up rather lame. The premise is excellent: A fallen angel moves from person to person, wreaking havoc and playing mind games with a police detective. There is some interesting supernatural lore and some good acting all around. But the story never really builds up to full speed, and the ending is a gross disappointment: for one thing, it's obvious about halfway through the movie, and for another, it just plain sucks. You're left thinking "That's *it*?" This movie is worth seeing, but be warned that the ending will leave you hanging.

The bad: half an hour SHOULD have been CUT OUT of it. This story has SO MANY repetitive scenes I got bored half way through. I blame the writer.

The story is about a demon that passes on from one person to another when they accidentally touch eachother. This goes on forever and ever. Pretty boring after an hour or so.

Not any good then? A pretty silly script indeed, BUT they somehow managed to suspend disbelief, because however silly this story might be, there is still a level of suspense and mystery that is quite enchanting.

More good; Denzel Washington Denzel Washington Denzel Washington. It is HE that carries this movie. It is HE who has that irrestistable charisma. It is HE that delivers another solid acitng performance. And let's not forget some other powerhouse legendary actors like Donald Sutherland, John Goodman and last but not least James Gandolfini. Actor's movie!

Mixed bag. Great actors. Silly story that is way too long in the tooth...

In my opinion "Fallen" is one of the better supernatural thrillers to come out of Hollywood in the past few decades. It's smart, slick and well-acted - not exploitative or full of "shock" material (gore-wise), but rather it operates on a more intellectual level.

Denzel Washington and John Goodman are both superb as NYC cops who begin to believe a string of murders are being committed by a demon - the same demon that had earlier possessed a serial killer who was executed in the beginning of the film. As Washington investigates further he realizes this demon can jump from one person to the next (resulting in a rather eerie scene on a sidewalk in which the demon skips back and forth from each passerby). This may sound utterly silly, but the way it's filmed is what makes it effective.

The ending is a shocker and the script by Nicholas Kazan ("Reversal of Fortune," "Bicentennial Man") offers decent dialogue.

If you like atmospheric thrillers you should check this out.

The movie was pretty much predictable from beginning to end. The ending was predictable too. I guessed the ending almost from the beginning and definitely mid way through the movie. I also feel the movie made the demon's abilities to jump bodies too easy and made him basically invincible from the beginning of the movie, making this movie predictable. If they made him a bit more vulnerable while he was in a human form, it would have been more unpredictable and exciting. I think if they also elaborated on the demon's origin, it would have drawn the watchers closer to the movie. I know the reason why they made the demon easy to jump bodies and why they made him pretty much invincible, but i think it made the movie almost pointless and predictable. And the girl that helped Denzel, u would think that should could have had a bigger part in the movie and made it more interesting. This movie was not scary but had the potential to be.

This is a psychological thriller with every ingredient you could ever want for a great movie-experience in that genre. Denzel Washington acts brilliantly as the highly renowned detective Hobbes who's in for quite an experience. Co-actors, including John Goodman, Donald Sutherland and James Gandolfini also shine in this movie. Great acting, a story full of suspense and surprises, great score and some nerve-rattling scenes makes this a perfect movie worth buying for your collection. It's not only a great murder-mystery detective movie, but it probes deeper into the realms of faith, religion, philosophy and imagination and thus stands out as a movie more memorable than most. If you like "Seven" and "The Ninth Gate", you're certainly gonna like this one. I've seen it at least 6 times.

In my view, 'Fallen' ranks among the finest supernatural thrillers Hollywood has produced in recent decades. It's intellectually engaging, polished, and well-performed - not driven by exploitation or excessive gore, but rather operates on a cerebral level.

Denzel Washington and John Goodman excel as New York City cops who come to suspect that a demon is behind a series of murders - the same demon that previously possessed a serial killer executed at the beginning of the film.

As Washington delves deeper into the investigation, he discovers that the demon can transfer from person to person, creating a chilling scene where it rapidly moves among pedestrians. Although this might sound absurd, the manner in which it is portrayed makes it compelling. The conclusion is startling, and Nicholas Kazan's script ('Reversal of Fortune,' 'Bicentennial Man') provides solid dialogue. If atmospheric thrillers appeal to you, this film is worth watching.

Homicide detective John Hobbes witnesses the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas). Soon after the execution the killings start again, and they are very similar to Reese's style.

Roger Ebert gave the film a mixed review, writing "the idea is better than the execution, and... the surprises become too mechanical and inevitable." There is some truth to that. The biggest problem is just how long the film runs. There seems to be plenty of fat that could have been trimmed.

It also seems "too neat". This killer (or demon) could be going around, ruining people's lives, but he is obsessed with one cop. And rather than kill the cop or ruin his life, he first decides to drop hints on how to figure out he is a demon and how his power is transferred. Sure, you need some kind of exposition, but it just makes no sense.

The great cast already hints at it, "Fallen" is a great movie.

Best way to watch this movie is to not know too much about it. Just pick up the movie and let it surprise you. It's like "Identity", the less you know about it, the better.

Director Gregory Hoblit is a great and underrated director. He knows how to get the maximum out of everything. He also directed the movies "Primal Fear" and "Frequency" and much acclaimed television series episodes for "Hill Street Blues", "L.A. Law" and "NYPD Blue".

Really great about the movie is the story by Nicholas Kazan (yes, indeed the son of...). It's supernatural but it still knows how to remain believable and realistic. The viewer never knows what he is going to get and what will happen next. This is why it is best not to know too much about this movie's story before viewing it for the first time. All of the story its surprises will work better this way.

A bit of an forgotten underrated movie.

8/10

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This film really surprised me as it came out of nowhere...that is the director and writer was not very famous. The cast was famous enough though. The only logical explanation for the beautiful cast to play this movie is that they fell for the story, and so did I. Really enjoyable to see Goodman, Gandolphini and of course Washington.

It's dark and gloomy and will definitely demand a little imagination from the viewer. I mean, the viewer can't be very conservative and needs to be pretty open minded. I really enjoyed this movie in almost every way, it's a really good mystery/thriller.

On the downside the plot could have used some more work. There are some holes that are a bit hard to swallow. And the movie also tends to be a little "over-explained" at times, which is not necessary at all times.

To sum up...the movie is very good. I definitely recommend it!