Religious thrillers usually leave me cold, but 'The Order's' moral dilemmas -- highlighted by Ledger's intense performance -- really got to me.
The Order (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:56
Fresh:5
Rotten:51
Average Rating:2.9/10
Consensus: A religious thriller that's more lethargic and silly than thrilling.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for violent images, sexuality and language
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Theatrical Release:Sep 5, 2003 Wide
Box Office: $7,536,577
Synopsis:
For centuries, a secret Order has existed within the Church. Following a series of unexplained murders, a renegade priest (Heath Ledger) begins an investigation that hurls him into a maelstrom of...
For centuries, a secret Order has existed within the Church. Following a series of unexplained murders, a renegade priest (Heath Ledger) begins an investigation that hurls him into a maelstrom of unimaginable evil, murder and the knowledge that there is a fate worse than death.
The priest's search takes him to The Sin Eater – a key figure in this mysterious and ancient Order. The immortal Sin Eater's role is nothing less than playing God on earth by absolving the unforgivable of their sins outside the Church, allowing great evil to go unpunished. Burdened with centuries of evil, The Sin Eater craves the luxury of death. But who will eat his sins and grant eternal peace? Who will carry on his dark tradition and continue the work of the Order? As the young priest uncovers the answers and pursues these paragons of evil, he fights to save his own soul and that of the woman he loves.
Twentieth Century Fox presents a Baumgarten Merims production, THE ORDER. The film is written, produced and directed by Academy Award® winner Brian Helgeland, and produced by Craig Baumgarten. Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Mark Addy, Benno Fürmann, and Peter Weller star in the film. -- © 20th Century Fox
Starring: Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Mark Addy, Benno Furmann
Starring: Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Mark Addy, Benno Furmann, Peter Weller
Director: Brian Helgeland
Director: Brian Helgeland
Screenwriter: Brian Helgeland
Producer: Brian Helgeland, Craig Baumgarten
Composer: David Torn
Studio: 20th Century Fox
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Release:
Sep 1, 2009
DVD Features:
- 2-Disc Set
- Region 1
- NTSC
- Keep Case
- Dual Side
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
- Subtitles - Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary: Brian Helgeland - Director
- Disc 1: THE ORDER - Widescreen
- Widescreen - 1.85
Additional Release Material:
- Trailers: Theatrical Trailer
- Deleted Scenes: With Optional commentary (8)
- Disc 2: THE ORDER - Pan & Scan
Reviews for The Order
Give me Aramaic runes and whispered chanting on the soundtrack, and I'm pretty much yours for the evening.
The Order is a chilling film with an original premise that unfortunately gets lost in a maze of superfluous subplots and silly looking special effects.
... a supernatural thriller that calls into question the very nature of man’s relationship with God.
From the casting to the plot to the monologues that come off sounding like SNL jokes, everything here is just plain sloppy.
dead, not spooky, dull, not creepy, and boring, as in an eternity with nothing to entertain
This has to be one of the most inconsequential films dealing with religion ever made.
"The Order" is a halfhearted "supernatural thriller"%u2014interpret as not an actual "horror" movie...
Alternately laughable and sleep-inducing, The Order shows that the team behind A Knight's Tale was not just a one-trick pony. They have plenty more bad movies up their sleeves.
A severely muddled, lethargically paced religion-based thriller without any thrills or even vague signs of entertainment value.
A movie with no place to go, and no idea how to get to where it's not going.
A cheap, silly, tawdry supernatural thriller...a gloomy, goofy mess that's talky and tedious to boot.
It's a horror movie that isn't frightening and a thriller that isn't thrilling.
It's preposterous, silly rather than frightening, and the performances and characterizations have a pot-boiler feel.
A supernaturally silly drama about priests, exorcism, sin-eaters and Heath Ledger struggling with such pious problems as how to keep his fake Euro accent in place.
Latest News for The Order
March 16, 2007:
"Premonition" Makes RT's "Worst of the Worst"
We all know good movies are hard to make, so you kinda feel bad when so many fail their lofty goals. Such is the case with this week's "Premonition," which not only... More...
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