The Gathering

While going to the town of Ashby Wake, the drifter Cassie (Christina Ricci) is hit by a car driven by Marion Kirkman (Kerry Fox) and loses her memory. Marion invites Cassie to stay in her huge old house with her family, while recovering from the trauma. Cassie becomes very close to Michael, the young son of Marion's husband Simon Kirkman (Stephen Dallane). He is researching a recently discovered buried church from the First Century, with images of the crucifixion of Jesus and many anonymous persons watching it. Cassie starts having visions and premonitions with some locals, and decides to investigate the weird and nasty mechanic Frederick Michael Argyle (Peter McNamara). Her findings about who she is and the mystery relative to the locals and the town surprises her. "The Gathering" is a good, original and mysterious horror movie, in the same line of "The Others", "Haunted", "The Sixth Sense"and "El Espinazo del Diablo". It is not gore, but very creepy and scary. Christina Ricci is magnificent, as usual, and the idea is fresh and unusual. The conclusion of the story is commercial, but it is not bad. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Encontro" ("The Gathering")

Yes, unfortunately most DVD releases of "The Gathering" are cut, and that slightly ruins the film. Not because a short explicit scene would make a great difference, but because plot holes were left where about 10 minutes are left out: The authenticity of two main characters, played by Ricci (Cassie) and Gruffudd (Dan) is keenly impaired, and that reduces the overall impression quite a lot. My rating counts for the original version, it would have been 6 for the short version. More info about the differences at "alternate versions" and in the message boards here.

Apart from that, this film has a really nice and intriguing story, mystery, suspense, some religious revelations, a little bit of horror and a gorgeous main actress. Worth watching... if you can get it uncut.

Despite promise throughout, THE GATHERING is a rather weak slice of horror that proves perfectly watchable but comes across as an extended episode of MIDSOMER MURDERS more than anything else. It has that cosy TV movie feel to it, despite the odd burst of violence, and the play-it-safe script from popular author Anthony Horowitz doesn't break new ground at any point.

The story begins with an American tourist involved in a car accident where she obtains a serious head injury. Suffering amnesia, she goes to live with a household in a village, and soon grows close to a young boy in the family. However, she's plagued with violent premonitions of his death. Meanwhile, the boy's father is uncovering the mystery of a mural depicting the last days of Christ.

THE GATHERING is a sometimes-atmospheric production that occasionally brings to mind the air of spooky mystery in something like THE WICKER MAN. Unfortunately, more often than not it falls flat, thanks to weak plotting and a generally unfocused storyline. Christina Ricci feels out of place and it doesn't help that her character is one of those protagonists who doesn't actually have anything to do with the main storyline. Ioan Gruffudd is there for his looks alone, although Stephen Dillane (GAME OF THRONES) is more interesting as the father figure. The likes of Kerry Fox, Robert Hardy, and Simon Russell Beale barely get a look in during this oddly muted and non-suspenseful tale.

This film is about a young woman having horrible visions of the future, after being hit by a car.

I didn't know anything about the film before I saw it, and I bought it only for Christina Ricci. It was long ago that I have been so captivated by a film! The plot is new and interesting, and I don't recall seeing anything like it (that's because I don't watch that many horror films). Weird or scary things happen often enough throughout the film, and to my comfort there are no excessive violence or blood. The suspense is kept throughout the film. The idea of the "gathering" is really new to me and I am surprised that this has not come up anywhere before. I really liked the film!

THE GATHERING stars Christina Ricci as Cassie Grant, who is backpacking through rural England when she's hit by a car. This results in her staying with the family of the woman who struck her. Strange things begin happening, seemingly related to an ancient -and quite mysterious- first century, Christian church that has been unearthed nearby.

Upon recovering from her injuries, Cassie ventures out into the local town. Why are people now watching and following her? The longer she stays, the more bizarre and chilling it all becomes.

This is a solid supernatural horror-thriller, with some creepy twists. The unexpected ending ties it all up nicely. Ms. Ricci is really good in this, proving once again that she could very well be the Barbara Steele of her generation...