sme_no_densetsu "Frailty" is a movie that's somewhat difficult to pin down. It contains many elements of horror but it shows more intelligence & restraint than most films of that type. It also functions as an enthralling crime drama with a compelling central mystery. Lastly, the story is enveloped in a palpable atmosphere of Southern Gothic.Set in Bill Paxton's home state of Texas, "Frailty" begins with a man claiming to know the identity of the so-called "God's Hand" serial killer. Naturally, his claim is met with skepticism by the FBI agent in charge of the case. So, he begins to unravel the story of his family's supposed mission from God, taking us back twenty years into the past...The bulk of the movie occurs in flashback with Matthew McConaughey relating his family's experiences to Powers Boothe, who plays the FBI agent. Both Texans, McConaughey & Boothe were ideally suited to these roles. Due to the narrative approach, McConaughey's performance brings to mind "True Detective", which certainly isn't a bad thing. In the flashback sequences, Bill Paxton plays the father who believes he has received a mission from God. He acquitted himself well in a challenging role that demanded that he come across as both morally upright & mentally unhinged. The two young actors who portrayed his sons - Matt O'Leary & Jeremy Sumpter - both did well alongside Paxton, contributing mainly naturalistic performances.Paxton's first-time direction is nicely handled, even though I think that he might have gotten carried away a couple of times. Most importantly, the suspense is expertly controlled, which makes the story that much more compelling. The chilling music by Brian Tyler also played a crucial role in establishing the film's overall atmosphere."Frailty" is a sleeper of a movie that deserves a wider audience. Here, Bill Paxton showed himself capable as both director and star. Add in Matthew McConaughey & Powers Boothe plus a smart, gripping script and you've got a sure-fire winner for fans of understated horror & Southern Gothic-tinged crime dramas.

secondtake Frailty (2001)A psychological morie about a murderer that is so filled with clichés and idiocit plot contrivances (and terrible editing and direction), it's hard to watch. Bill Paxton is the lead psycho, and he's a cardboard idea of a psychotic killer. Stereotypes of evil and the craziness of religious extremists abound.Matthew McConaughey is young here, and good in a serious kind of way, though his part is restricted as a kind of troubled child who is now an adult with a story to tell. The detective he is "confessing" to is Powers Boothe, a bit over his head in the part, which demands that detective kind of tenacity and cleverness that gets under the skin of the killer. It doesn't quite click.Women do not appear in the movie, to speak of. There are men and there are boys, in two time periods (the 70s and around 2000, I think). I found it all simplistic and sometimes badly put together.Who's to blame? Ah, back to Bill Paxton, the director, who directed just two movies, and this is his first. It feels like a first try—he's no Orson Welles—and if some see the awkwardness as a kind of campy style, it strikes me more as bordering on stupid. It depends on overdone sound effects that rush on you in a shock, and that have the two sons (as boys) watching the mayhem with a kind of dumbed down confusion.I wish it would build on the psychological layers it presents. I wish the acting was convincing rather than exaggerated in a "style" that wears thin fast. I wish the plot was more than just the killings of a father and the misgivings of two different sons. The falseness throughout reminds me of other movies that have no intention at "invisibility" (in movie-making terms). An odd comparison (in terms of style and production) is "A Christmas Story," which of course has nothing else in common except the rising up of style over content. In this case it's dead serious, and as such, there's little wiggle room.I'm not a bit religious, but I found the dumbing down of some religious conservative view of the world almost insulting, as well. The sad thing is that the movie has the bones of being good. The idea of a son seeing a bad dad has to have resonance with many, and then taking revenge in an appropriate twist is justified, too. It could have been about God and parenting and being young in a confusing world, but it's so filled with reductions and exaggerations I couldn't for a minute buy in. A pushy movie that borders on bad, no matter what its reputation and rating. One small proof—watch Paxton in his final moment. Isn't that a definition of bad acting?

jtindahouse Thrillers were very different 15 years ago. Back in the late 90s, early 2000s there were a raft of terrific thrillers being released all the time. They were dark in nature, excellently made and smart in their writing. Unfortunately, these days finding films like 'Frailty' is a rare thing. It's a fantastic movie, that while flawed in parts, is everything a good thriller should be. I wish Hollywood would return to the trend of making these types of movies in abundance. They're just so much fun to watch.There are two twists in Frailty, one reasonably obvious, the other not so. The first twist comes in the form of Matthew McConaughey's character not being everything he appears to be. The exact implication of who is character really is, is a worthy twist, but the fact that he's not all he seemed to be is far from it. The second twist is the real doozy though. I kept thinking to myself throughout the film that this story line, and Bill Paxton's character in particular, were making religious people look absolutely awful. Now, knowing that McConaughey is himself a very religious person, it surprised me that he would take on a role in movie that would make his people seem so despicable. That's why the second twist made so much to me. I really liked that, it gave a film an extra layer. I read that Stephen King was a big fan of this movie and I can understand why - that twist is right up his alley.This was Bill Paxton's directorial debut. I thought he did a fairly good job. You could tell he was working on a very tight budget at times, and that just makes his performance even more admirable. The real surprise for me came when I looked up the writer of the film Brent Hanley to find this was his one and only film, and the only other thing he has worked on since was by far the best 'Masters of Horror' episode 'Family'. Why is this man not writing more? A terrible waste of an obviously huge talent.'Frailty' is an excellent film with terrific performances and an outstanding ending to cap it all off. The only flaws for me come in the form of not quite enough attention given to hide the first twist, and the unfortunate necessity of having an incredibly annoying character (Paxton's) taking up a majority of the screen time. Other than that there's nothing not to like here. If you missed this on its original release take the time to go back and find it. You won't regret doing so.

Alyssa Black (Aly200) What would you do if you knew your father was a murderer who claims it's God's will? In Bill Paxton's directorial debut about two young boys living with their widowed father when suddenly their father begins to have visions that lead him to a violent crime spree, nothing is what it seems. Especially as the tale is recounted in flashbacks in the present day by one of the surviving sons to an FBI agent. The performances in this unsettling horror film are incredibly bold given the violent content of the story. The chemistry between Bill Paxton as the disturbed father who does love his children, but is lost in fanatic insanity and young actors Matt O'Leary and Jeremy Sumpter as the boys, Fenton and Adam Meiks, is beyond powerful. The dynamics of the differences between all three men is full of heartbreak as Fenton is troubled by his father's escalating insanity and Adam's blinding devotion to the murderous "mission" leading to tragic results. The film's other strong duo is the eerie portrayal of an adult Fenton by future A-lister Matthew McConaughey and in the portrayal of skeptic turned believer FBI agent Wesley Doyle is notable character actor Powers Boothe. The cat and mouse game of unraveling the film's present day mystery between Fenton and Agent Doyle provides the film's biggest twist.The film's narrative is shocking upon shocking moment from the terrifying tales of Dad Meiks's supposed visions to the horrific murders his boys are subjected to and then the ultimately tragic conclusion to the rampage, leading to the film's eye-popping twist in the present day story-line.