Movie Review: Frailty (2001)

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Frailty was a film that I owned for a long time before watching. My version was from Germany and was known as Dämonisch (Demonic) which I must say distracted me somewhat and for a long time, I was unsure what the film was. (I have a lot of films from Germany which have slipped my notice because of changes in titles)

Frailty, by all accounts seemed to pass by relatively unnoticed to the masses. With a comparatively small budget and equally poor box office return, it remains one of those hidden gems bordering on cult.

After watching the film I fail to see how it is not more widely regarded and praised. Bill Paxton's directorial debut takes us through a passage of belief and extremism. The film centres around flashbacks during a confession. With the FBI searching for the Hand of God killer, Fenton Meiks (Matthew McConaughey) gives his childhood accounts which would point to his own brother being the killer. Bill Paxton plays the father whose sudden "vision" takes him and his two children on a murderous ride. Totally driven by the belief that God is speaking to him and giving him the names of evil people or "demons", who need to be destroyed. Paxton plays the father and believer to great effect with some of his actions bordering on child cruelty and the two actors who play the children, Matt O'Leary (Fenton) and Jeremy Sumpter (Adam) are fantastic in their respective roles.

Although this film is somewhat different from the usual films I write about in this blog and not so much horror but a thriller. It is the perfect film to illustrate why I started this blog in the first place. Great film, well made and brilliantly acted but just because it's not in anyone's published "Top" lists it doesn't mean it shouldn't get the recognition it obviously deserves.

In fact, I make such a compelling argument that I have just talked the misses into watching it again tonight. If you have ever wondered and then decided against watching this film, do yourself a favour and give it a try. You will not be disappointed, I promise.

Released: 2001
Frailty (2001) on IMDb
My rating: 8

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