Frailty

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Frailty

R

2002

1h 40m

Mystery & Thriller

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

154 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Set in present day Texas, "Frailty" centers on the FBI's search for a serial killer who calls himself "God's Hands." McConaughey plays Fenton Meeks, a young man who approaches the lead investigator, one night, claiming he knows the identity of the killer. The FBI agent is curious, but unimpressed until Fenton reveals that the killer is his younger brother Adam. This is a film about faith, family and the end of innocence.

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Critics Consensus

Creepy and disturbing, Frailty is well-crafted, low-key horror.

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Christy Lemire

Associated Press

07/30/2013

Paxton steals the show. And O'Leary more than holds his own again here. Too bad it's in a movie that fails to live up to its potential.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/24/2010

2/5

Violent and ultimately uneven and unsatisfying.

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Robert Koehler

Variety

11/21/2008

A resoundingly old-fashioned and well crafted study of evil infecting an American family, "Frailty" moves from strength to strength on its deceptive narrative course.

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Joshua Ryan

FandomWire

Jul 19

8/10

It's incredibly effective in its execution and remains one of the most unnerving horror films of the 2000s.

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Cody Leach

Cody Leach (YouTube)

03/26/2024

5/5

Frailty is a perfect exploration of childhood fear as it collides with religion. Bill Paxton's deliberately reserved direction makes the horror more effective in it's reliance on reactions and suggestion. Every twist delivers and sticks the landing!

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M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

08/17/2022

4/5

[Frailty] still packs a chilling punch to the gut that stands the test of time today.

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Samantha L.

@Samantha.Henry.Diva 1d

This was a carefully crafted piece of work made better by an unexpectedly great character portrayal that is so off brand for McConaughey and his typically laid back character style. It has plenty of suspense, a couple of well planned plot twists and an unpredictable ending.

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Jesse E.

@RT72511099 May 15

One of the best films of its kind. The way it combines gritty crime procedural, psychological thriller, serial killer mystery, and religious horror makes it conceptually compelling even if not entirely unique in this regard. All these elements are woven together in a tight, gut-wrenching plot. You come to suspect that the twist might be coming at the perfect moment, just in time for the reveal to resolve the ambiguity. It’s not that the twist is predictable, but that the film builds intelligently to an inevitable realization. Indeed, this is a good description of the story as a whole. The dark tone throughout the movie is sustained with ruthless persistence, able to incorporate its ‘mystical’ elements without sacrificing a core of brutal realism.

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Circus E.

@COS.ENT85 Apr 28

8/10 I liked it, great twist!

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Luke T

@LightSyson Feb 20

Bill Paxton is Bill Paxton and thats a good thing. The story about the 'indoctrination' of the kids is really gripping and well performed by all. Theres one really hard hitting jump scare too. Bloody hell! Great horror mystery.

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Mizael B.

@Watsup01 Dec 1

Frailty checks all the boxes—horror, mystery, and thriller. It’s a slow build at first, but once it gets going, it hooks you in and you can’t look away. The atmosphere is dark, the story is intense, and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. And that twist? I loved it. Totally worth the watch

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Nov 19

Interesting premise. I thought it was good. It was all just flashbacks though. Tries to be cool with the twists.

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Bill Paxton

Director

Bill Paxton

Dad

Matthew McConaughey

Adam Meiks

Powers Boothe

Agent Wesley Doyle

Matt O'Leary

Young Fenton Meiks

Luke Askew

Sheriff Smalls

Frailty: Official Clip - God Knew

2:50

Frailty: Official Clip - You Can't Escape God's Wrath

2:50

Frailty: Official Clip - Killing a Brother

2:05

Frailty: Official Clip - Fenton's First Victim

2:59

Frailty: Official Clip - Sometimes Truth Defies Reason

1:47

Frailty: Official Clip - The First Demon

2:59

Frailty: Official Clip - A Vision From God

3:31

Frailty: Official Clip - The List

2:50

Frailty: Official Clip - You Gotta Believe Me!

2:42

Frailty: Official Clip - The Promise

2:21

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Synopsis

Set in present day Texas, "Frailty" centers on the FBI's search for a serial killer who calls himself "God's Hands." McConaughey plays Fenton Meeks, a young man who approaches the lead investigator, one night, claiming he knows the identity of the killer. The FBI agent is curious, but unimpressed until Fenton reveals that the killer is his younger brother Adam. This is a film about faith, family and the end of innocence.

Director: Bill Paxton
Producer: David Blocker, David Kirschner, Corey Sienega
Screenwriter: Brent Hanley
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: American Entertainment, David Kirschner Productions
Rating: R (Violence|Some Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 12, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 14, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $13.1M
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)