Film Filter: Off- The Order

The Order (2003) R

Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, Shannyn Sossamon


Film Filter: On- A young priest from the dying order of the Carolingians is sent to Rome to investigate the death of the head of the order.  With each piece of information Alex finds, he is drawn to look even deeper into his faith to seek the answers he desires.  Throughout his quest for knowledge, he will encounter the last man practicing the age old ritual of Sin Eating, and a young woman from his past who was saved by an exorcism he performed.  Alex's encounters with both will eventually force him to question his beliefs and decide what he values more: faith, or knowledge?
Things to Note- Good cast, very unique story line, fairly realistic feel, good cinematography, depiction of historical events slightly over the top.

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

A Knight's Tale, first off, as it shares several cast members.  Content-wise, anything of the Theological Thriller variety involving too much knowledge sought, possession, or excommunication; something like The Rite or Stigmata.

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Film Filter: Off - The Ward

The Ward  (2010) R


 Amber Heard, Mamie Gummer, Danielle Panabaker


Film Filter: On- A young woman finds herself trapped in an odd mental institution with no memory of how she got there or what she has done.  With the help of the other patients in the ward, Kristen is intent on finding a way out, even if that means discovering the mysterious history behind the institution and its missing patients.
Things to note- Smooth flowing plot, good music selection and insertion into the film, gives just enough information to keep the plot moving, solid acting job, good shock value, odd choice in CGI animation on the ghost's features.

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Supernatural thrillers involving crazy people.  

Anything similar to Shutter Island or Gothika.

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Film Filter: Off - The Exorcism of Emily Rose

The Exorcism of Emily Rose  (2005) Unrated

Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Shohreh Aghdashloo

Film Filter: On- When a young girl dies, the court looks to Father Richard Moore as responsible for her death via a faulty exorcism.  Agnostic defendant Erin Bruner is given the daunting task of representing the priest, and getting to the bottom of the case.  In order to properly defend her client and win the case, Erin is going to have to uncover more than just the truth about the exorcism.  As the case unfolds and Erin encounters the unexplainable, she will find herself uncovering more about her personal beliefs than she would have ever thought possible.

Things to note: Strong symbolism, good cinematography, nice blend of scary concepts versus pop-up scary moments, good acting, excellent execution of an often overused theme.

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Realistic horror films with spiritual themes.  

Anything similar to The Exorcist, The Omen, or The Rite.

Film Filter: Off

Film Filter: Off - Orphan

The Orphan (2009) R


 Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman


Film Filter: On When a young couple miscarries their third child, they must make a decision whether or not to adopt.  Finding that they connect strongly with an oddly mature young girl, Esther, they opt for opening their home up to her and making her a part of their family.  Slowly but surely, the family finds that Esther has a way of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, which causes them to question the safety of their family while in the presence of this mysterious girl.


Things to note- Good acting, unpredictable ending, slightly unrealistic scenarios, slow paced, sometimes frustrating.

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Movies that feature unsettled children with unusual background stories, 
like Case 39

Film Filter: Off 

Film Filter: Off - Straw Dogs

Straw Dogs (2011) R



James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgard


Film Filter: On- When a young married couple travels to a rural Mississippi town, they find that Amy's hometown hasn't forgotten about her, especially her ex-boyfriend, Charlie.  As relationships with Amy's past neighbors start to deteriorate, the couple finds themselves in an ethical dilemma which will force them to do just about anything to stay alive.
Things to note: Pretty decent acting, too many characters with too big of personalities, tries too hard to be believable with unbelievable scenarios, lack of background information, lack of common sense in characters, rape scene

This movie had such a good preview that it

 made the other 108 minutes pointless...

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Films in which characters are put into tough, unexpected situations and have to be resilient.  

Similar to something like 28 Days Later in regards to being 

cornered, attacked,and thus forced to grow a pair to be the hero.

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Film Filter: Off- Final Destination 5

Final Destination 5 (2011) R


Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Arlen Escarpeta


Film Filter: On On a bus trip for a work related conference, Sam envisions a horrific bridge accident, and is able to save the lives of a handful of co-workers.  Realizing that they have escaped death, the group of colleagues must now figure out how to regain their lives back, even if that means taking someone else's.
Things to note: Very exciting 3-D effects, several plot twists, unexpected deaths, (slightly) better acting, story information spoon-fed to audience

Pretty good...if it's viewed in 3-D

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Any or all of the Final Destination films.  

It also shares similar concepts to White Noise: 2

Film Filter: Off

Film Filter: Off- The Last Exorcism

The Last Exorcism (2010) PG-13 


Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr


Film Filter: On- When an evangelical minister struggling with his beliefs is sought out for an exorcism, he makes the decision to capture the event on film.  His intent in doing so is to prove that the ritual of exorcisms is unnecessary, and that the possessed individual is only in need of the idea of an exorcism.  Using high tech equipment, hoaxes, and deception, Reverend Cotton Marcus attempts to prove once and for all that exorcisms are irrelevant, although he will ultimately be forced to question many of his beliefs along the way.
Things to note- Filmed in a documentary style, very believable acting, takes a standpoint of mocking exorcisms as opposed to supporting them, most character names are derived from the first name of the actor (most likely to enhance the believable nature of the acting)

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Movies filmed from a first person perspective, like

 Cloverfield or The Blair Witch Project

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