Frailty

I had to see this gem twice to really appreciate all of it. When a widowed father of two interrupts his two sons' sleep with a shocking revelation, they are torn between believing him and not. As the horrifying events of this tale unfold, we learn a lot about the father, about his two sons, and about their destinies. With shocking twist after shocking twist, this film never allows for a lull in the plot. Bill Paxton plays the father, but the most notable performances are that of his older son, Fenton, played by Matthew O'Leary and his younger son, Adam, played by Jeremy Sumpter. This is one of the best thrillers that I have seen in a while, and you will want to watch this a few times to appreciate every intricate aspect of the plot. I give this film a 9/10.

"That was crazy!" was my response to nobody after watching this movie by myself. As this dark movie was slowly snaking its way toward a conclusion I kept wondering, "What's going to happen here?"

"Frailty" starts with Matthew McConaughey's character seated in a Dallas FBI office waiting to talk to a particular agent. When the agent, Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe), finally meets Matthew M., M.M. conspicuously doesn't shake his hand and proceeds to tell Doyle that he knows who the God's Hand killer is. From there M.M. goes into a story going back to 1979 and his father (Bill Paxton) who believed he was receiving divine guidance to kill. His dad was such a believer that he included his sons in his "work." Dad said that he was called upon by the Lord to "destroy demons" who walked around in human form. He even had a list of names that was revealed to him.

*Just imagine the show "Supernatural" if Sam and Dean Winchester were hunting people.

While M.M. is telling this story we're seeing it happen as a flashback. The longer he tells this story the more you're wondering where it's going to wind up, but you're totally engrossed in the entire ordeal because a DUDE IS KILLING PEOPLE WITH HIS YOUNG SONS, and one of them whole-heartedly believes his dad.

The craziness doesn't stop until the very end where we get a serious twist. The thing about twist endings is that a movie has to be compelling enough up until that point. Using the IMDb scale, a movie can't be a 1/10 for an hour and a half and then throw a 10/10 twist in there. No one is going to bear through a paltry movie just for a good ending. A movie has to be at least a 5/10 to make an ending worth it. This movie was better than a 5/10 already, and the 9/10 ending only made it better.

Matthew McConaughey is a mysterious man waiting for Agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe) in his FBI office. He claims to have information about a serial killer chased by FBI. When Agent Doyle arrives in the office, he tells him that the serial killer is indeed his dead brother. Agent Doyle requests some evidence, and the man tells the story of his life, since his childhood. They were a simple family of three: his widow father Meiks (Bill Paxton), his brother and himself. One night, his father gathers the two brothers and tells them that an angel of God had just visited him and assigned his family to destroy demons. What happens next is one of the most scary movie I have ever seen.

I watched this movie four months ago on VHS, and yesterday I watched again, now on DVD. Although being a low-budget movie, the screenplay is sharp, with no flaw. The cast is outstanding, but I would like to highlight the performance of Matt O'Leary as the young Felton. It is a very difficult and complex role to be performed by a young teenager. The direction of Bill Paxton is remarkable. There is no explicit violence in this horror movie. A great debut behind the camera. I regret the Brazilian title of this movie: 'A Mão do Diabo' (The Devil's Hand'). If at least it were 'The God's Hand', it might be acceptable. But calling this movie as 'the devil's hand' is indeed ridiculous. Brent Hanley, the screenwriter, did not deserve such a lack of respect from the Brazilian distributor. This film is highly recommended. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Mão do Diabo" ("The Devil's Hand")

I first saw the trailer for Frailty on Yahoo Movies way back in the day, after hearing Stephen King praise it to high heaven. Not really a fan of either star, I still wanted to see it because I'm a huge thriller fan.

I was not disappointed. The acting was superb, especially from the two young boys. Usually I loathe child actors, but Young Adam and Young Fenton were excellent. Bill Paxton really did a good job of directing it too. It was beautifully shot.

One must also note the plot twists. The three twists at the end hit hard and fast, and I didn't see them coming. The final twist of the film, coupled with the gravity of what had just been revealed, gives me chills to this day, even though I've re-watched the film so many times.

A true gem.

A very promising directorial debut for Bill Paxton. A very dark thriller/who-really-done-it recommended by Stephen King. This is a strong, well-conceived horror tale about a devout, but demented man in Thurman, Texas that goes on a murdering spree after getting orders from God to eliminate demons trying to control mankind. A couple of plot twists and an eerie finale makes for your moneys worth. Most of the violence you don't really see, but still enough to double up your stomach.

Director Paxton plays the twisted man to be known as the Hand of God Killer. Matthew McConaughey is equally impressive as the demented man's eldest son that ends up telling this story to a Dallas FBI Agent(Powers Boothe). Boothe, as always, is solid and flawless. Suspenseful white knuckler! Highly recommended.