Case 39
2009, Mystery and thriller/Horror, 1h 49m
76 Reviews 50,000+ RatingsWhat to know
Director Christian Alvert has a certain stylish flair, but it's wasted on Case 39's frightless, unoriginal plot. Read critic reviews
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Case 39 Photos
Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Emily Jenkins
Lillith Sullivan
Detective Mike Barron
Doug Ames
Margaret Sullivan
Edward Sullivan
News & Interviews for Case 39
Critic Reviews for Case 39
All Critics (76) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (16) | Rotten (60)
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Almost identical to 2009's Orphan, Case 39 does little keep your attention as its riddled with cliches--menacing music, domino casualties, and predictable horror plotline.
September 9, 2017 | Rating: C | Full Review… -
Neither so awful as to be enjoyable nor eerily artful enough to be anything other than a snoozy also-ran.
October 9, 2010 | Rating: 1/5 | Full Review… -
It's a bummer when the audience is smarter than the protagonist.
October 7, 2010 | Rating: 1.5/4 | Full Review… -
From a bevy of cheesy jolt scares (alarm clock! barking dog!) to the embarrassing sight of Zellweger and Ian McShane treating this Orphan-style B-movie silliness with grave seriousness, the film proves to be one hokey-horror riot.
October 6, 2010 | Rating: 1/5 | Full Review… -
By the time the killings start, it's clear that Ray Wright's screenplay is more interested in following formula than in breaking new ground.
October 5, 2010 | Rating: 2/5 -
The devil made them do it, but that doesn't mean you have to see it.
October 4, 2010 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Case 39
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Jun 03, 2016Was led to believe I could expect great things from Case 39. In my two experiences watching it, the first involved me falling asleep, and today (the second) had me checking my watch constantly. It's not even that long. It just drags. The Hell. On.Gimly M Super Reviewer
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Apr 26, 2015The strangely enticing opportunity to see comedic actress Renée Zellwegger as the stressed and confused foster parent of a contemporary Omen child cant save the disappointment that is met upon finishing the film. Unfortunately, Case 39 just isn't very memorable whatsoever. Alot of the scenes featured in the picture such as the repetetive circling on an office chair by the demonic child become quite grating and annoying. Whilst the film does have its fair share of genuinely intriguing twists and turns (the Hornets scene for example) and the performance by the young Jodelle Ferland is gripping enough to attain our attention throughout the duration, the film is generally a letdown.Harry W Super Reviewer
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May 19, 2013While a Zellweger fan (and she does well here) this story about innocent looking and acting DEMON CHILD! has been done before and better, and hoping and wishing for a new wrinkle here won't make it real. Ahh, well ... better luck next time.Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
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Jun 14, 2012Edward Sullivan: They say when you're born you're given your eternal soul. The part of you that lives on, lives again. Whatever evil she is,didn't come from us. It was already there. From the moment she came into being, she brought something with her. Something older, destructive. Soul of a demon. "Some cases should never be opened." Not as terrible as I expected, but I expected the worst. Case 39 is still just recycled parts from better evil kid horror movies, like The Bad Seed and Orphan. It ends up playing like a more entertaining form of The Good Son. It also has a lot of things that just don't add up when examined closely, but that is the least of its problems. The biggest problem the film has is that its target audience is going to hate it and find it repetitive in the least. The target audience for this film are the people who enjoy the evil kid horror genre. And guess what; we've seen them all. So this isn't going to cut it. When you try to make a movie like this, you have to come up with something new, strange, and terrifying to add to the formula. If you can't, the result will be a failure, like Case 39. The sweetness of the little girl is played off terribly. I don't know if that is a result of her acting skills or bad writing. It may just be a combination of the two. To be honest though, the movie does have a decent start. It all goes downhill quickly though, because the writing is terrible and stuff just doesn't add up. Why would the little girl be afraid of telling the social workers about her situation because the father gives her a nasty look? She's the evil one. I know we aren't supposed to know that then, but damn have some foresight in your fucking script. There is some entertainment value in the movies awfulness. I can say I was never bored by the movie. I can also say that a lot of the entertainment I got from it came from me laughing at the ridiculousness of some of the scenes. I could talk about everything I hated in the movie, but that would take all day. Let's just leave it by saying it's bad. Maybe if you have never seen another movie in the sub genre, you will find it intriguing; but if you have, I would suggest skipping it.Melvin W Super Reviewer
Case 39 Quotes
| Emily Jenkins: | are you scared?(Lilith is trembling) well i'm not.. |
| Emily Jenkins: | Are you scared?[Lilith is trembling] Well I'm not... |
| Wayne: | i interviewed many children till now but never felt like this |
| Wayne: | I interviewed many children till now, but never felt like this. |
| Emily Jenkins: | how did you feel |
| Emily Jenkins: | How did you feel? |
| Wayne: | threatened... |
| Wayne: | Threatened. |
| Lilith Sullivan: | What are you doing, you silly pumpkinhead. |
| Emily Jenkins: | They say when you're born you're given your eternal soul. The part of you that lives on, lives again. Whatever evil she is,didn't come from us. It was already there. From the moment she came into being, she brought something with her. Something older, destructive. Soul of a demon. |
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